Stronger solutions needed to avoid economic crackdown: NA deputies

An overview of a NA discussion on the implementation outcomes of the socio-economic development plan in 2021 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Government should promptly complete an overall strategy to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in the new situation, many National Assembly (NA) deputies have proposed. This would promote production and business and speed up economic recovery.

Many legislators held that it is necessary to design stronger supporting policies to avoid the crackdown of the economy.

Grassroots health care system – key factor in COVID-19 fight

At a plenary discussion on the outcomes of implementation of the socio-economic development plan in 2021 and a draft plan for 2022, as well as COVID-19 prevention and control efforts on November 8, Mai Thi Phuong Hoa, a representative from Nam Dinh province, supported the Prime Minister’s stance of changing the mindset and method of fighting the pandemic in the direction of risk management instead of “Zero COVID.”

Besides, Hoa suggested the Government need to promptly complete the overall strategy on effectively responding to COVID-19 in the new situation. It needs to focus on major tasks of increasing vaccine coverage, reducing infection number and death toll, ensuring socio-economic recovery in line with pandemic control, and bettering social welfare.

Echoing Hoa’s view, many NA deputies stressed that the Government should pay more attention to the health care system at the grassroots level. This is an important pillar in the pandemic fight but has yet to receive adequate investment.

Hoang Duc Thang, a deputy from Quang Tri province, said that self-quarantine and home treatment for COVID-19 patients will help reduce costs for concentrated quarantine paid by local authorities as well as the State.

To this end, Thang held that the Government should design mechanisms to make more investment in the local health care system to strengthen its capacity in managing, controlling the pandemic and directing the pandemic response.

He suggested the Government make full evaluation of the achievements and shortcomings to devise new groups of policies, switching the core role from the State to the people.

Meanwhile, Bo Thi Xuan Linh, who represents Binh Thuan province, held that the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines hasn’t yet been equal among localities, while the health care system has shown many shortcomings in responding to the pandemic.

Linh added that many struggling people have yet to access support from social welfare packages due to complicated procedures.

Synchronous economic recovery policies needed

Trinh Xuan An from the NA deputy delegation of Dong Nai province said that in this context, the State should build policies to mobilise resources from the society and people while immediately implementing stronger policies to recover the operations of industrial parks and export processing zones, especially in major industrial hubs like Dong Nai. An also stressed the need to allow labourers to return to work safely and launch economic stimulation packages to support businesses.

An pointed out that although the loan interest rate has fallen, businesses have still faced difficulties to access preferential credit.

Trinh Xuan An, a representative of Dong Nai province, speaks at the discussion (Photo: VNA)

Tran Van Khai, a deputy from Ha Nam province, suggested that the Government calculate the State budget overspending and set aside an amount to deal with emergency circumstances.

Looking back on the COVID-19 fight so far, Nguyen Minh Tam, a representative of Quang Binh province, said that over the past two years, the labour market has faced numerous difficulties. Therefore, along with speeding up vaccinations, the Government should launch specific support packages to assist workers to enable them to make contributions to economic development. This should be done while rolling out measures to assist and form mutual support groups for labourers who have children yet to return to school.

Highlighting the significance of economic institution reform, deputy La Thanh Tan of Hai Phong city said that the Government should design more support policies for businesses to make breakthroughs in digital transformation while considering the reduction of corporate income tax and import-export tax for them./.