NA Standing Committee convenes 39th session

The 39th session of the 13th National Assembly Standing Committee took place in Hanoi on July 14 to review the outcomes of the 9th sitting of the 13th legislature and to prepare for its next meeting.

NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said the 9th session was successful and productive.

Head of the NA Committee for Legal Affairs Phan Trung Ly and Head of the NA Committee for Social Affairs Truong Thi Mai said the results of the 9th session contributed to bringing the 2013 Constitution to life, satisfying people’s aspirations.

NA Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu said the session carried out important work such as voting to pass resolutions on the construction of the Long Thanh international airport and the appointment of chief judges for the People’s Supreme Court.

Regarding the preparation for the 10th session, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said the meeting will discuss and pass a number of bills and review socio-economic affairs, national defence and security, and external affairs over the past year.

Most members of the NA Standing Committee approved of a proposal on the 10th session’s agenda, under which lawmakers are expected to consider and adopt 16 bills and one draft resolution. The session will also give feedback on 10 draft laws and reports on the socio-economic situation between 2011 and 2015 and next year’s tasks.

Other items on the proposed agenda include reports on the implementation of the State budget in 2015, the 2016 State budget estimates and allocation and the capital investment plan for the State budget in 2016.

The Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuracy and the Government are expected to submit reports on their performance and on crime and corruption prevention and combat in 2015.

In addition, the NA will scrutinise the implementation of policies on land management and usage by State-run agricultural and forestry farms in the 2004-2014 period.

The NA Chairman said it is necessary to map out specific plans for Q&A sessions in a public and democratic manner.

The NA Standing Committee adopted a plan to review the five-year performance of the NA and its Committees and Offices as well as delegations of NA deputies.

The same day, the committee gave opinions on a proposal on the establishment of People’s Courts and People’s Procuracies in some districts.-

Party chief receives Lao senior officials

Vietnam and Laos will continue facilitating information exchanges, theory research and increase education campaigns to raise public awareness of the special solidarity and traditional friendship between the two Parties and peoples, said a Lao senior Party official.

At a meeting with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi on July 14, Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, Head of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP)’s Commission for Propaganda and Training and President of the Lao National Council for Social Sciences, spoke about the outcomes of cooperation between the Lao commission and council with the Vietnamese Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communication and Education and the Central Theoretical Council.

He also briefed his guest on the outcomes of a theoretical conference between the two sides held on the same day, saying that it helped the Lao side gain more knowledge about the Party leadership, Party building work and socio-economic development in a socialism-oriented market economy.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his belief that the Party, State and people of Laos will secure more achievements towards the success of all-level Party Congresses and the 10 th National Party Congress slated for early 2016.

He hoped the two Commissions and Councils would continue working closely together and clarify matters of concern to each country’s renovation.

During a working session the same day, Politburo member and Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communication and Education Dinh The Huynh and his guest Khaykhamphithoune discussed measures to realise cooperation agreements between the two Commissions and Councils.-

Vietnam-RoK Inter-Governmental Committee meet in Seoul

The Vietnam-Republic of Korea (RoK) Inter-Governmental Committee convened its 14th meeting in Seoul on July 14 to seek ways to foster bilateral cooperation in the time ahead.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung and Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs under the RoK Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lee Tae-ho co-chaired the meeting.

The two sides informed each other of their respective economic development situations, reviewed the results of the past year since the 13th meeting and exchanged views on existing difficulties.

They also reviewed the two countries’ cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, industry, labour, and consular affairs.

The Vietnam-RoK comprehensive cooperation has produced substantial results and is at an all-time high.

The RoK is now Vietnam’s leading partner in terms of foreign investment with total registered capital of around 40 billion USD. Trade reaches nearly 30 billion USD each year.

The country’s official development assistance provisions for Vietnam range from 300-400 million USD annually and there are approximately 70,000 Vietnamese nationals working in the RoK.

Vietnam and the RoK are also important partners, positively contributing to regional and international forums.

HCM City leaders receives Chinese discipline inspection head

Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan held a reception for Yang Xiaodu, Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee’s Commission for Discipline Inspection on July 14.

According to the host, the two sides should enhance cooperation and experience sharing related to Party discipline inspection at the local level besides the partnership between the two Parties’ high-level agencies.

Quan also briefed his guest on the positive cooperation across the fields between the city and Chinese localities, including Shanghai, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Shanxi.

For his part, Yang Xiaodu said China appreciated Vietnam’s experience in the field of Party discipline inspection.

Chinese leaders are willing to create more favourable conditions to boost cooperation between the two countries’ localities, he added.

Vietnam fosters experience sharing with Italian Communist Party

A delegation from the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Communications and Education led by Deputy Standing Head Vu Ngoc Hoang had a working session with the Communist Party of Italy (CPI) in Rome on July 13.

Hoang thanked Italy’s left-wing movement and the CPI for their support for Vietnam’s previous struggles for national liberation and reunification as well as for the current process of national construction and development.

He said one of the important lessons the Communist Party of Vietnam has learnt is listening to public opinions to improve performance.

The Party official also expressed his conviction that the CPI will spare no efforts in fulfilling its huge responsibility as a vanguard party and a political fulcrum of the Italian working people.

For his part, CPI Central Committee Secretary Maurizio Musolino applauded Vietnam’s tremendous achievements during the three decades of “doi moi” (reform) process, which he said is the most vivid evidence of efforts and power of a nation led by the Communist Party.

The two sides discussed theoretical issues related to the practical development of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the CPI as well as the advantages and disadvantages for leftist movements in Italy.

The CPI leader said the objectives of the CPI are to protect the rights of labourers, preserve culture and develop society.

At the session, both sides also shared experience in promoting cultural and educational development abroad in the context of international integration and dealing with the challenges presented by market economic conditions.

Musolino also expressed his wish that the two parties would continue to cooperate closely by intensifying the exchange of lessons drawn from the development process.

Public feedback on draft revised Criminal Code requested

Vietnamese at home and abroad are invited to voice their feedback on the draft amended Criminal Code from July 15-September 14, as specified in a decision recently signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The decision is in accordance with a relevant resolution issued by the National Assembly Standing Committee.

Public feedback is expected to cover regulations on criminal liability of legal entity, offenders and adolescent criminals and the elimination of death sentence on several offences, among others.

Feedback can be mailed to 60 Tran Phu Street, Hanoi or emailed to boluathinhsu@moj.gov.vn

The Ministry of Justice is required to submit a report on the collection of public feedback to the Prime Minister no later than September 23.

Deputy PM Hai meets Gifu prefecture governor

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai received Hajime Furuta, Japan’s Gifu prefecture governor, on July 14 during Furuta’s working visit to Vietnam.

At the meeting, Hai confirmed Vietnam treasures the relationship with Japan and considers deepening the comprehensive friendship and cooperation with Japan as one of its top external policy priorities.

The Deputy PM recommended the Gifu prefecture encourage its enterprises to invest in agriculture and the support industry.

The Deputy PM also thanked Furuta for his active role in promoting ties between the two countries.

Governor Furuta hoped the Vietnamese Government would create more favourable conditions to facilitate contact and cooperation between Gifu and Vietnamese companies.

There are currently 40 enterprises from Gifu operating in the support industry and agriculture in Vietnam.

Gifu prefecture is in the Chūbu region of central Japan and has large aerospace facilities of both Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as well as a number of metalworking and manufacturing companies.

Efforts needed to ensure social order

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested ministries, sectors and localities speed up the implementation of decrees and resolutions of the Party, National Assembly and Government on crime prevention in order to ensure social order and safety.

At a teleconference hosted by the Steering Committee for Crime Prevention and Combat on July 14, Phuc, who is the committee’s Head, stressed the need for specific measures to increase the validity and efficiency of State management of crime fighting.

Ensuring the absolute safety for Party congresses at all levels as well as the National Party Congress and major festivals of the country is a must, he added.

The Deputy PM spoke of efforts by all ministries, sectors and localities in the fight but noted criminal prevention work remains weak and is a worry among the community.

He attributed the weakness to inefficient social management and public communications and the decadence of several police officers.

According to a report by the steering committee, police have uncovered more than 21,400 criminal cases, arresting nearly 42,000 suspects and razing over 1,200 gangs so far this year.

About 7,800 economic cases, 114 cases involving corruption and 6,400 environmental violations have also been brought to light.

Party official urges overseas Vietnamese to foster US ties

Le Thanh Hai, secretary of the HCM City Party Committee and other visiting city leaders met with overseas Vietnamese in San Francisco, the US, on Monday.

On a visit from July 11 to 18 to mark the 20th year that the US city and HCM City became sister cities, Hai expressed happiness at seeing the Vietnamese community develop in the US but maintain its cultural identity.

The visit would also help strengthen ties between Viet Nam and the US in all areas, he said.

He mentioned Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to the US recently.

In response, several overseas Vietnamese, who said they were encouraged by Trong's successful visit, expressed concern over the Vietnamese situation, especially the East Sea issue, and promised to act as a bridge to better Viet Nam – US ties.

Some suggested that HCM City should further reform administrative procedures to attract contributions from Vietnamese abroad for its development.

According to city leaders, the Vietnamese community in the US numbers around 2.2 million accounting for half of all ethnic Vietnamese living abroad.

Answering questions and suggestions, Hai said he hoped Vietnamese in the US would contribute to their home nation's development.

Asked about the conflict with China over the East Sea, Hai was quoted by Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper as saying, "We are determined to protect each inch of the nation's land and sea."

Establishing relations between HCM City and San Francisco was a turning point in Viet Nam – US relations though the task had been most challenging at that time because of "protests from hostile forces left by history", he said referring to a number of overseas Vietnamese who had left Viet Nam after the war.

The US lifted its 20-year-long embargo on Viet Nam in 1995.

After two years of negotiations, the agreement was signed by Truong Tan Sang, the then chairman of the HCM City People's Committee and now the nation's President, and Frank Jordan, the mayor of San Francisco, Hai recalled.

Last year a San Francisco Trade and Investment Promotion Centre was opened in HCM City to promote trade between the two cities.

Also at the event in San Francisco on Monday, HCM City officials handed a licence to Digital Seeds, a technology company based in Silicon Valley, for a plant in the city.

There are four companies belonging to overseas Vietnamese at the HCM City Hi-tech Park, making up half of all American investments in the park.

Cinematography sector encouraged to foster innovation

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has asked Vietnam’s cinematography industry to foster innovation in order to meet world cinema standards.

Deputy PM Dam made the request at the eight national congress of the Vietnam Cinematography Association (VCA) in Hanoi on July 14, which was attended by nearly 500 delegates representing over 1,700 of the association’s members and leaders of ministries and sectors.

He praised the sector’s contributions to facilitating national construction and defence, as well as to preserving and promoting Vietnamese culture.

He expressed his appreciation to the association’s members and Vietnamese artists in general whose love for the arts and creativity have brought to audiences many good things in life through their works, requesting them to overcome the sector’s current challenges relating to the lack of human resources, negative impacts of market mechanism and the development of multi-media technology.

He said he had high expectations for a professional and integrated Vietnamese film industry imbued with national identity and high-quality products reflecting pressing issues.

He ordered State management agencies to closely work with the VCA to complete a legal framework and policies on providing favourable conditions for the growth of the sector in accordance with the Prime Minister-approved strategy on the development of cinematography.

According to the VCA report, the country’s cinematography sector has made encouraging progress over the past five years. The association has orgranised 23 working fields for its members, which has brought the production of many high-quality works. Many Vietnamese films have competed at international film festivals and have won prizes.

Delegates at the congress appointed a new executive board for the 2015-2020 term with People’s Artist Dang Xuan Hai reelected chairman.

Customs sector urged to promote reform

The customs sector needs to accelerate administrative reform and use of science and technology, as well as promote patriotic emulation movements in order to encourage staff, significantly contributing to the country’s socio-economic development.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan made the request at a conference held by the General Department of Vietnam Customs under the Ministry of Finance in Hanoi on July 14 to honour outstanding examples and mark the 70th anniversary of the customs sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, former State leaders and the Ministry’s leaders, as well as 600 outstanding individuals in the sector’s patriotic emulation movements, also attended the event.

Over the past years, all customs departments at all levels have held numerous emulation movements, contributing to reforming, developing and modernising the sector as well as encouraging the units to fulfill and exceed import-export tax revenue targets, preventing smuggling and commercial fraud and building a strong customs department.

The Vice President noted that the completion of the electronic customs clearance procedure (e-customs) and national one-door automated customs clearance systems is a groundbreaking measure to reduce the execution time of customs procedures.

Additionally, the achievements in the fight against smuggling and commercial fraud have increased the belief of the Party, State and people in the customs sector, emphasised Vice President Doan.

She also asked the ministries, branches and localities to create more favourable conditions for the customs sector to complete all tasks and develop to be more modern and professional in order to become on par with customs agencies in the region and the world.

At the conference, the Vice President presented the Independence Medal, first class, to the sector.

VNA/VNS/Nhan Dan