National Assembly deputies on November 2 began exploring the outcomes of the implementation of socio-economic development plan in 2016, the plan for 2017 and the economic restructuring plan for 2016-2020. 

Deputy Nguyen Ba Son from central Da Nang city proposed at the discussion

The two-day discussion, chaired by National Assembly Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien, was broadcast live, during which issues of interest are to be further illuminated through arguments between deputies and Cabinet members or between deputies.

Many deputies agreed with the Government’s assessments of the country’s socio-economic performance in 2016 which said while numerous difficulties still remain, positive socio and economic changes were made. 

Deputy Nguyen Huu Cau from central Nghe An province appreciated the new Government for delivering its resolve to work harder to serve the people, and hoped that that spirit will go on well with actions in 2017 and the following years. 

However, many voiced their concerns about high public debts, debt repayment pressure, and inefficient State-owned enterprises.

Deputy Nguyen Huu Cau proposed tightening budget disciplines and public debt management. The National Assembly should tighten the public debt cap and assign the Government to seek to curb public debts, he said.

The Government asked the National Assembly to approve public debts, Government debts and national foreign debts, accounting for 65 percent, 55 percent and 50 percent, respectively, of the country’s GDP in 2017 and 2016-2020.

Cau suggested public debts, Government debts and national foreign debts, not exceeding 63 percent, 50 percent and 47 percent of GDP by 2020, and asked the Government to quickly deal with five projects struggling against rising investment capital, namely Thai Nguyen iron and steel, Phuong Nam paper-pulp, Ninh Binh nitrogenous fertilizer, Dung Quat bio-energy, and Dinh Vu fibre projects, as well as individuals and organisations involved.

Regarding the improvement of the business environment, many deputies shared that the Government made aggressive efforts to tackle difficulties for businesses, citing the issuance of Resolution 19 on major tasks and solutions on the work in 2016-2017 with visions towards 2020 and Resolution 35 on supporting enterprise development towards 2020 and hoped these are to create a breakthrough and a new chapter for enterprise development.

However, many viewed some localities and offices did not take the creation of action plans to realise Resolution 19 and Resolution 35 seriously, seeing it as a hindrance in making the business environment better.

Deputy Nguyen Ba Son from central Da Nang city proposed the Government, ministries and sectors continue screening business and investment conditions and regulations for the National Assembly to revise those that are no longer active.

Besides, the private sector should have its louder voice and stronger involvement agreed in the process of making law, especially law relating to enterprises’ rights and interests, Son noted. 

Regional economic development and connectivity also caught interests of deputies since they viewed the issue important to spurring the national economy’s growth. The issue was early recognized by the Party and State, and has been continuously clarified through the 8 th , 9 th , 10 th , 11 th and 12 th Party Congress.

Nguyen Ba Son argued that regional connectivity among some provinces and cities remains a physical connection as volunteered by localities and its long-term effects are yet secured by legal mechanisms.

Key economic zones, meanwhile, failed to prove their leading role in narrowing development gaps between regions, Son noted, stressing the need for the Government to continue reforming its planning work, analyzing regional strengths, among others.

Deputies asked localities and cities to promote the responsibility of their leaders in organizing coordinating activities, and in co-implementing the Government’s related policies.

Constituents pay attention to economic restructuring

Constituents nationwide are paying attention to the second session of the 14th National Assembly that discussed economic restructuring for 2016-2020 on November 2. 

In Ho Chi Minh City, constituents shared views that the economic restructuring for 2016-2020 in combination with the switch to new growth model towards improving economic competitiveness suits realities. 

Vu Thanh Tu Anh, Research Director at the Fulbright Economics Teaching Programme, called for effectively allocating and using resources for economic restructuring by revising mechanisms on land, monetary, technological, labour and scientific reform. 

General Director of HSBC Vietnam Pham Hong Hai suggested mapping out a strategy to utilise free trade agreements, Trans-Pacific Partnership and ASEAN Economic Community, which, he said, will bring much benefits to foreign-invested firms instead of small and medium-sized ones. 

In order to speed up the effort, Rector of Economics-Law University under the Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Tien Dung proposed educational establishments should promote autonomy and expand ties with foreign partners. In the meantime, the State should develop non-public education models. 

He admitted that irrational allocation of resources is to blame for the below-expected training quality that fails to meet demand for workforce in labour market, especially tertiary and post-tertiary education. 

In the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, constituents wished that the NA would devise measures to balance State spending and revenue collection, with more funding be spent on high-tech agriculture. 

Voter Mai Van Khan, Director of Tan Tien Agricultural Cooperative, hoped that more attention will be paid to science-technology and personnel training to help businesses grow further. 

Le Van Toa from the provincial Party Committee’s Commission for Popularisation and Training urged for publicising a list of public debts in order to control wastefulness and corruption, adding that public investment should be made transparent and open. 

Other voters attached importance to transport and lighting in rural areas, forest fire prevention, and supply of clean water in remote and ethnic minority areas. 

Meanwhile in the northern province of Tuyen Quang, a majority of voters expressed their satisfaction with the socio-economic performance for 2016, the socio-economic scheme for 2017 and the economic restructuring plan for 2016-2020. 

Voter Tran Thanh Sang from Tu Thinh commune, Son Duong district, said in order to narrow development gap among regions, the government should commit more resources to the new rural construction, vocational training and job creation in rural areas. 

Commenting on the economic restructuring scheme for 2016-2020, voter Bui Duc Vinh from Tuyen Quang city said voters are satisfied with the government’s resolve to accelerate the effective and practical settlement of bad debts in credit organisations, as well as strengthen financial market, divest from State-owned enterprises and transfer commercial assets and business opportunities to private sector.

VNA