The National Assembly on June 3 heard Hung make a presentation about the national target program on cultural development for 2025-2035.

Of the total VND122.25 trillion needed for 2025-2030, at least VND77 trillion, or 63 percent, will come from the state budget.

During the program implementation, the government will continue to adjust the budget and may give additional support to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of the program.

Meanwhile, VND30.25 trillion, or 24.6 percent, will come from local budgets, and the remaining, VND15 trillion, or 12.4 percent, will be from other legal sources.

Under the program, Vietnam’s culture centers will be in countries which have long lasting relations with Vietnam, such as the US, Japan, Russia, South Korea, China and Cambodia. The minister said the proposal aims at deploying the Party’s resolutions on culture and popularizing the images of Vietnam’s country and people around the world.

The government has asked for the National Assembly’s opinions on the investment and building of Vietnam’s culture centers in foreign countries, as the issue is beyond the government’s competence stipulated in Clause 9 of Article 4 of the Law on Public Investment.

The government has asked the National Assembly’s permission to implement the program in 2025-2035.

According to Hung, the focus by 2025 is building policies, legal documents and materials that guide the implementation of the tasks under the program.

In 2026-2030, the focus is solving problems and challenges, while the 2031-2035 period will be the time to continue to develop culture as an internal strength of Vietnam’s economy.

Hung said there are seven major goals of the program, which include creating strong and comprehensive changes in cultural development; perfecting ethical standards and character, identity, bravery, human value and Vietnamese family values; improving people's spiritual life, and ability to access and enjoy culture; and preserving and promoting the value of the nation's unique cultural heritage.

Assessing the cultural development program, the National Assembly chair of the Committee for Culture and Education Nguyen Dac Vinh said the committee has agreed on the proposals of the program, and on the proposed budget for the program.

Some National Assembly Deputies commented that the program’s coverage is too broad, with no focus, while the budget for the program is relatively large, much higher than other national target programs under implementation. The committee has requested the government to clarify the expenditures for different items of the program.

Tran Thuong