The 50th session of the 13th National Assembly Standing Committee opened in Hanoi on July 11, with the aim to discuss preparations for the first session of the 14th legislature slated for July 20. 

13th NA Standing Committee convenes 50th session.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said that if nothing changes, this is the last meeting of the NA Standing Committee in the 13th tenure. 

During the two-day event, deputies are expected to offer ideas on the Government’s reports on the implementation of socio-economic development and state budget tasks in the first six months of 2016 and measures for the remaining months.

They will comment on a supervision programme of the NA and its Standing Committee for 2017 and on the legislature’s law and ordinance building programme for 2017 and law and ordinance adjustment programme in 2016. 

They will also dícuss on the Government’s structure, organisation and members in the 14 th tenure of the National Assembly, and its draft decree on several specific mechanisms on investment, finance, budget and management decentralisation for Da Nang city. 

On the morning of July 11, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung delivered a speech on the Government’s report on the implementation of socio-economic development tasks in the first six months of 2016 and measures for the remaining months, while Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung presented another report on the implementation of state budget tasks in the first half and measures for the rest of the year. 

Head of the National Assembly’s Economic Committee Nguyen Van Giau presented a report on the verification of the Government report on the implementation of socio-economic development tasks, and head of the NA’s Committee on Finance and Budget Nguyen Duc Hai read a report on the verification of the Government report on the implementation of state budget tasks. 

Discussing the Government reports, lawmakers agreed that in the first half of this year, Vietnam’s GDP growth rate was 5.52 percent, compared to the rate of 6.32 percent of the same period last year. The decrease was attributed to falls in growth of the agricultural and mining sectors. 

NA Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien stated that if no drastic measures are taken, it is difficult to achieve the GDP growth rate of 6.7 percent set by the legislative body for this year. 

The delegates also focused discussions on measures to boost socio-economic development and maintain defence security, stressing the need to carry out preferential policies for families of people who rendered service to the nation, support people affected by disasters like drought and saline intrusion and help locals affected by the recent environmental incident in the four central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.

VNA