VietNamNet Bridge - The eighth session of the 12th National Assembly (NA) opened in Hanoi on October 20 morning.

In his opening speech, NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong said that this year, Vietnam has faced a lot of difficulties and challenges caused by the global economic downturn, natural disasters and epidemics. However, economic growth rate still reaches 6.7 percent. Industrial production and export turnover have posted high growth rates while State revenues are expected to be higher than estimated and inflation is under control.

He also pointed out the limitations and weaknesses in socio-economic development that have not yet been resolved, namely a slow economic restructuring, poor infrastructure, ineffective investment, a high trade deficit and a State budget overspending, and soaring prices, which could result in the return of inflation. Other problems include environmental pollution and violation of food hygiene and safety regulations, and other burning social issues not being dealt with.

Therefore, it is essential to find more ways of resolving these issues properly to ensure sustainable development, Trong emphasised.

After the opening speech by Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung reported on some of the major socio-economic issues in 2009 and targets for 2010 .

PM Dung also pointed out five weaknesses, including the lowest GDP growth rate in 10 years, an unstable macro-balance, poor infrastructure, resources and economic institutions, problems with social welfare and slow progress with administration reform.

For the country’s socio-economic development targets for 2010, PM Dung said that it is essential to make a greater effort to restore economic growth, which will be higher than 2009, improve the quality of growth, strengthen macroeconomic stability, control inflation, and ensure social welfare to improve people’s living standards. It will actively integrate and promote international economic co-operation, maintain socio-political stability and defence and fulfill its socio-economic targets for the five-year plan (2006-2010).

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Huynh Dam, presented a report on voter’s petitions. The 6th session of the 12th NA received 1,687 voters’ petitions on major issues, such as efficiency of the stimulus package, labour, employment, people’s living conditions, environmental pollution, food safety, traffic problems and corruption.

The NA also heard a report on the outcomes of the socio-economic targets in 2009 and plans for 2010, presented by Ha Van Hien, Chairman of the NA Economic Committee.

With its 32-day working schedule, the eighth NA session will concentrate on many key national issues such as reviewing the government reports on the outcomes of socio-economic plans, and the State budget for 2010 and 2011 and central and local budget allocations for next year.

During the session, the NA is expected to adopt 9 draft laws and 1 resolution draft, including the Environmental Protection Tax Law, the Consumer Rights Protection Law, the Minerals Law (revised), the Laws on Amendments and Supplements to some Articles in the Securities Law, the Insurance Business Law, the Law on the Election of NA and People’s Council deputies and a resolution on tax policy for agricultural land use.

The NA deputies will also give their opinions on 9 other draft laws, including the Independent Auditing Law, the Complaints& Denunciations Law, the Measurement Law, the Anti- Human Trafficking Law, the Archives Law, the Cooperative Law (revised) and the Law on Amendments and Supplements to some Articles of the Civil Procedure Code and the Capital Law.

The NA will supervise the reform of administrative procedures related to citizens and businesses under the State’s master plan for administrative reforms in the 2001-2010 period.

Reports on supervisory activities conducted by the NA Standing Committee, the NA Ethnicity Council and NA committees and some other reports on voters’ petitions, the NA’s Q&A sessions and the NA’s supervisory activities, the Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court and Head of the People’s Procruracy’s operations will also be considered.

Many other issues related to waste of state assets and capital, anti-corruption, external relations, national security and defence, a pilot project for ending people’s councils in districts and wards, the conclusion of the Dung Quat refinery project, the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin) and afforestation joint-ventures in border areas, will also be discussed.

The NA will give opinions on several draft documents to be submitted to the 11th National Party Congress and consider some other important issues.

PV