The National Assembly (NA) and Government should take more radical measures to improve the investment climate, fight corruption and ensure food safety in the years ahead, lawmakers said during a plenary session on April 1.

Deputy Nguyen Thi Phuc from Binh Thuan province speaks at the plenum

NA deputies made the requirement while reviewing the implementation of the 2011 – 2015 socio-economic development plan and discussing missions for the five following years.

Le Nhu Tien, a deputy of Quang Tri province, said though Vietnam is striving to create a favourable environment for investors, its efforts have been undermined by some local public servants’ bad behaviour such as asking for a bribe.

He urged the parliament and the Cabinet to raise public servants’ sense of responsibility, noting that a “clean” environment is a cornerstone of the country’s stronger development in the future.

Deputy Tran Ngoc Vinh of Hai Phong city said public debt has spiraled in recent years and is now at an alarming rate, indicating a close connection between the economic growth rate and Government debt.

To curb the public debt’s galloping increase, he asked the Government to tighten the allocation and use of foreign loans in localities and big projects, capitalise on domestic companies’ potential and attract idle money in the society.

He also warned that mishandled public debt and expenditure along with high budget deficit will result in serious consequences for Vietnam’s economy.

Regarding foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction, Vinh said although FDI has helped boost export growth, too many incentives for FDI businesses have impeded domestic firms. He called for inviting FDI into industries that are still underdeveloped in the country to avoid an imbalance in the State’s support to foreign and local enterprises.

Meanwhile, Bui Manh Hung, a deputy from Binh Phuoc province, said it is worrying that corruption is increasingly considered as a normal phenomenon. Apart from economic activities, it has spread to policy making and personnel appointments in State agencies.

He expressed his hope that the new Prime Minister, who will be elected in the next few days, will be as resolved to fight these irregularities as to protect national sovereignty.

A number of legislators also voiced concerns about unsafe food.

Food producers are ignoring all related regulations to make money, they said, noting that unsafe food is a reason for the surge of cancer cases in the past years. It has become an obsession with many families.

For the first time, legislators proposed food safety be listed as a target in the socio-economic development plan between 2016 and 2020.

Deputy Le Thi Nga from Thai Nguyen province requested the Government to swiftly organise a meeting next month to assess the food safety situation and devise countermeasures.

VNA