The National Assembly plenary session (Photo: Business forum)

At their ongoing session on Wednesday in Hanoi, deputies said the model is unprecedented and should be piloted before being fully applied. They agreed that the draft law is applicable for the 3 special zones of Van Don, North Van Phong, and Phu Quoc as they represent regions with strategically geo-economic importance.

Some deputies said the law should clearly stipulate that investment is not to be attracted at all costs and spell out principles of establishing and managing the special zone with priorities given to safeguarding national sovereignty and cultural identity.

Deputies also discussed the organization of authorities and socio-economic development for the special zones.  

Earlier the same day, National Assembly deputies approved a resolution on building some sections of the North-South Expressway until 2020. Most lawmakers agreed on the need to invest in the project, considering it a driving force for growth.

But for such a big project, some deputies underlined the importance of outlining a long-term vision and a detailed plan for land clearance to avoid waste and help displaced families quickly stabilize their lives.

The project aims to meet the need of transporting 45.37 million passengers and 62.27 million tons of cargo via the North-South Expressway by 2020.