A lawmaker on June 7 proposed the National Assembly (NA) delay a vote on the draft Law on Special Administrative and Economic Units, also known as special economic zones (SEZ), until the next session of the NA.

The vote is planned for June 15 but that the draft SEZ law, prepared by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, allows for a maximum land lease of 99 years has caused public concerns over the possibility of the country’s sovereignty and security being compromised in the long run.

Deputy Thai Truong Giang of the southernmost province of Ca Mau said at the NA meeting on June 7 that the law-making body is expected to conduct inspections next year of land use in the 2014-2018 period.

Therefore, Giang suggested the NA draw up a program for land inspections the three SEZs proposed in the draft law – Van Don in the northern province of Quang Ninh, Bac Van Phong in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa, and Phu Quoc Island off the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.

Land problems such as changes of land use purposes and land transactions in the three places should be taken into careful consideration, according to him.

He called for other NA deputies to weigh the draft law thoroughly and delay a vote on it until the next meeting of the legislation so that lawmakers could have more time to look into the draft law.

SGT