VietNamNet Bridge – If the Law on Planning is not passed during the next session of the National Assembly (NA), many opportunities would be missed, as the law relates to the establishment of a planning strategy for the next five years, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said at a meeting yesterday.

If the Law on Planning is not passed during the next session of the National Assembly (NA), many opportunities would be missed, as the law relates to the establishment of a planning strategy for the next five years, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said at a meeting yesterday.

The NA Standing Committee (NASC) yesterday continued its session discussing the draft Law on Planning, which faces many differing opinions.

The draft law, which has been reviewed by the NA in previous sessions, in principle met the demands of developing a legal framework regulating planning activities, said the NA Economic Committee Chairman Vu Hong Thanh.

However, it needed to be revised in line with current laws to ensure its feasibility, as well as avoid any overlaps with other regulations, Thanh told the meeting.

According to NA Deputy Chairman Phung Quoc Hien, the Government had revised some clauses on regional and provincial planning.

The draft law regulates that setting up, approving and implementing construction planning would adhere to laws on Construction, Land, Environment and other related laws, Hien said.

However, the NA Economic Committee did not agree with the Government’s revisions and suggested the draft law should keep the contents as presented at the NA’s last session in June. But some committee members said that the revision was a “force majeure” in the current situation.

“If items are revised, the law would depart from its original intention,” said Thanh.

Hien said that the revisions for the items would create conflicts between the Law on Construction and the draft Law on Planning.

The Law on Construction regulates that regional and provincial planning are designated by the Ministry of Construction. But the draft Law of Planning stipulates the activity would be overseen by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, with the participation of an evaluation council.

This should be reconsidered, said Hien.

The NA chairwoman said that the purpose of promulgating the Planning Law was to create a breakthrough in planning as well as wipe out planning regulations in many different laws.

The Chairwoman did not agree with amendments made to clauses on regional and provincial planning.

The NASC asked the Government to review the Draft Law on Planning to ensure the law comes into effect on January 1, 2019 as per the schedule.

In the afternoon meeting, the NASC discussed issues relating to the revised Law on Credit Institutions, such as exemptions of responsibilities for those who take part in restructuring specially-controlled credit institutions and “zero dong” banks.

VNS