(VOVworld) – The 6th session of the 13th National Assembly concluded on Friday, one day ahead of schedule. National Assembly deputies have approved the revised constitution and the revised Land Law and decided on a number of socio-economic development targets. The outcome of the session contributes significantly to the implementation of the 5-year development program until 2015, creating a pre-condition for future growth.
This has been the longest National Assembly meeting with a huge workload on its agenda. It was the 13th National Assembly’s mid-term session, marking the half-way point implementation of the 11th National Party Congress’s resolution.
Completing the legislative process
The session discussed and approved a number of important laws including the Law on Practicing Thrift and Preventing Wastefulness and the Law on Citizen Reception. The deputies adopted the revised constitution and the revised Land Law, which will have a great impact on national development, political stability, security, social order, and people’s livelihoods. Ton Thi Ngoc Hanh, a deputy for Dac Nong province, says: “This National Assembly session approved many important documents. This has been an effective and quality session. We hope that the discussed issues will be quickly addressed to meet Vietnam’s development need.”
Decisions made to develop the economy and ensure social security
3 resolutions have been approved, creating a firm foundation for Vietnam to achieve its development targets. With the resolution to adjust budget estimates for 2013 and 2014, the National Assembly increased the budget deficit for these two years to 5.3% of GDP. By approving the resolution on socio-economic development in 2014, the National Assembly increased the GDP growth rate to 5.8% and the Consumer Price Index to 7%. The legislature also set a number of targets for poverty reduction, job generation, education and training, healthcare, environmental protection, construction, and new rural development and agreed to issue additional government bonds for the 2014-2016 period. Nguyen Cao Phuc, a deputy from Quang Ngai province, said: “We need to further stimulate growth recovery and economic demand over the next 2 years. Increased public investment and demand focus on key national projects, helping to restructure public investment, generate more jobs and clear inventories for businesses. Appropriate investment management and disbursement plus flexible fiscal and monetary policies will help us achieve our growth targets and control inflation.”
Fine-tuning the National Assembly and State Apparatus
Another highlight of this National Assembly session has been personnel work. The deputies elected two new Deputy Prime Ministers: Pham Binh Minh, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Vu Duc Dam who will be in charge of cultural, social, scientific, and educational issues. The deputies also agreed to add a number of deputy heads to some National Assembly agencies.
Topics for discussion included the National Assembly’s supervision of issues of public concern such as law enforcement in the 2009-2012 period, anti-corruption efforts, and implementation of National Assembly resolutions on Q&A sessions at the 3rd, 4th and 5th sessions. Nguyen Thanh Hai, a deputy for Hoa Binh province, says: “I’m impressed with the Q&A session. The government report on the implementation of the outcome of the 3 previous Q&A sessions gave us a panoramic view of what has been addressed and what remains pending. This has been a new content in the Q&A session and I hope it will be continued in the future.”