VietNamNet Bridge – The National Assembly (NA) on April 26, considered the plan to allocate the excessive budget revenue in 2010.

 
According to Minister of Finance Vu Van Ninh, the budget revenue in 2010 exceeded 21.2 percent or VND31 trillion ($US$1.55 billion) over the estimated figure that was reported to the NA at the 8th session.

 

Ninh said that the excessive budget revenue will be used as investment assistance to big provinces and cities, to cover social welfare, to purchase rice for stock, to pay debt (around VND10 trillion) and to invest in defense and security.

 

Chair of the NA Committee for Defense and Security, Le Quang Binh, said that current investment in defense and security is still low.

 

“I propose to investment more money in production and maintenance of weapons and more money to defend our sea and islands,” Binh said.

 

Finance Minister Ninh said that the Government had suggested to provide additional VND750 billion ($37.5 million) to the Ministry of Defense, and VND500 billion ($25 million) to the Ministry of Public Security to perform urgent tasks, for example buying equipment for the Military Hospital 108.

 

Chair of the NA Committee for Finance and Budget, Phung Quoc Hien, said that investment in defense plays the vital role in defending the country’s sovereignty. He proposed the Government to allocate an additional VND100 billion ($5 million) to the Ministry of Defense.

 

The same day, the NA Standing Committee approved the establishment four more state audit agencies for four regions, and a specialized audit agency which will cover defense security finance and government spending.

 

In 2010, the Government provided Hanoi and HCM City, VND1.7 trillion under a special mechanism and granted nearly VND2.57 trillion of bonus for provinces and cities which had high budget revenues, like Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vinh Phuc, Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Quang Ninh, Khanh Hoa, Can Tho, Dong Nai and Da Nang.

 

Le Nhung