NA deputies sitting for the second session of the 14th National Assembly

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing second session of the 14th National Assembly in Hanoi on November 3, deputy Mai Thi Anh Tuyet from the Mekong Delta province of An Giang stressed the need to consider carefully what are strategic targets in order to promote investment efficiency and increase added value for the national economy.

“If we do this way, the public debt or budget overspending can be managed better,” she noted.

Sharing Tuyet’s opinion, deputy Bui Si Loi from the central province of Thanh Hoa said, for Vietnam- a developing country with backward infrastructure that is accelerating its economic restructuring, especially in agriculture and rural areas, the borrowing and overspending are necessary.

It is necessary to focus resources on right targets, towards reducing the incremental capital output ratio (ICOR) to ensure effective investment, he added.
He raised his opinion that investment should be focused on building infrastructure for socio-economic development in remote, mountainous, and ethnic minority inhabited areas, thus soon realising the goals of the national target programmes on new-style rural area building and sustainable poverty reduction.

Economic development must be linked with social progress and equality, he noted.

Socio-economic affairs continue to heat up NA debate

A wide range of social and economic issues were deliberated at the ongoing second session of the 14th National Assembly in Hanoi on November 3.

Lawmakers continued to confer about the 2016-2020 economic restructuring scheme, and the blueprints to spur social-economic development in 2016 and the following year.

They highlighted the role of the State in restructuring the economy and the overall goal of the State administrative reform in the 2010-2020 period.

Deputies proposed measures to improve the business investment climate, promote production, and speed up the equitisation of State-run businesses and social investment mobilisation.

Various matters under discussion included the development of the energy industry and tourism, the land use management and planning work, the significance of science and technology in economic reshuffle, environmental pollution, natural disasters response, and climate change adaptation.

The legislators also sought how to improve social welfare policies, especially in the fields of heath care and education.

The promotion of information and communication campaigns along with the establishment of social and cyber management systems is significant to ensure social and political order and safety, they said.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, and Minister – Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Affairs Do Van Chien clarified a number of issues raised by the deputies.

On November 4, the National Assembly will touch upon the implementation of the national target programme on rural development between 2010 and 2015 in association with agricultural restructuring.

NA looks at policies for ethnics, power plants’ environmental impacts

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh is among ministers giving explanations on November 3

The National Assembly heard explanations presented by two ministers on policies for ethnic minorities and mountainous regions, and the environmental impacts of power plants, among other issues, at the November 3 morning session. 

Minister-Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Affairs Do Van Chien reported that among important policies for ethnic minorities and mountainous regions during 2016-2020, the Prime Minister has instructed raising capital allocation for extremely disadvantaged areas by two to four times compared to other areas. Under the national target programme on sustainable poverty reduction, ethnic minority-inhabited areas benefit from two projects – the 18-trillion VND investment programme on socio-economic developments in poor districts (Programme 30a) and the 16-trillion VND Programme 135 for rural areas, with three components for ethnic areas as against two components for other rural areas. 

In addition to overall policies, the Prime Minister issued other policies designed specifically for ethnic and mountainous areas, including the specific scheme on supporting socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2017-2020; a project on supporting socio-economic development of ethnic groups with very small populations for 2016-2025; and a plan of forest development in combination with sustainable poverty reduction in the target areas. 

Moreover, there is also Decree 52 on human resource development for ethic minority groups, and a freshly-approved plan on measures to reduce child marriage and marriage amongst blood relatives. 

Minister Do Van Chien added that the Committee for Ethnic Affairs has submitted three more plans to the Government for approval. 

According to the Minister, the Government has adjusted its forms of support for ethnic and mountainous areas, changing its focus from families to communities and paying more attention to creating livelihoods, with a view to reduce reliance on aid. The provision of grants is replaced by provison of loans at preferential interest rates. 

He also noted the need to give provincial and district authorities more management power and promote the community’s participation and monitoring role in development projects. 

There are 5,359 communes in 457 districts of 52 centrally-run cities and provinces classified as ethnic minority and mountainous areas, with a population of 13.4 million, of which more than 8 million people are of ethnic minority groups. 

The issue of environmental impacts from hydro and thermal electric power plants, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said this is a priority of the industrial sector, as those two sources of power will continue to play a key role in power supply until 2025. 

He stressed that the ministry and related agencies have paid attention to this issue, requiring power projects to use advanced technology. However, the problem is the main contractor and sub-contractors failed to obey, or were incapable of obeying relevant rules on environmental protection. The minister admitted that this is a lesson for state management agencies and investors. 

Regarding the impacts of hydro power projects on local communities, Minister Tran Tuan Anh affirmed that the ministry attaches great importance to the interest of relocated communities and social development in affected areas, adding that the ministry has submitted a detailed report on this issue. 

The National Assembly continued to discuss issues related to the implementation of the socio-economic development plan for 2016 and the plan for 2017 in the afternoon of November 3.

VNA