The 14th National Assembly (NA) opened its fifth session yesterday in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Phương Hoa

HÀ NỘI — The 14th National Assembly (NA) opened its fifth session yesterday in Hà Nội.

Addressing the opening ceremony, NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân highlighted the significance of the session which will last 20 working days, with a large number of draft laws and resolutions expected to be discussed and adopted.

“Legislation continues to be a key task of the meeting, accounting for two-thirds of the assembly’s scheduled time,” she said.

Eight draft laws and draft resolutions will be debated or adopted, while eight other bills will be studied throughout the meeting.

These draft laws and bills, which aim to institutionalise Party resolutions and the 2013 Constitution, are of significance and concern to constituents, NA Chairwoman Ngân said.

Ngân said a number of important tasks have been assigned to the 14th NA in its third year, requiring NA deputies to bring into play the spirit of innovation, creativity and action, in the interest of the people and the country.

The gathering will examine a report assessing the implementation of socio-economic development and State budget plans for 2017 and the first months of 2018, as well as the ratification of the 2016 State budget balance.

A report assessing the results of thrift practice and waste-combating efforts will also be discussed, she said.

NA deputies will listen to opinions and petitions submitted by voters, as well as a report on the settlement of voters’ opinions and petitions, and participate in question-and-answer sessions.

The NA will exercise supreme supervision over the implementation of policies and laws on the use and management of State capital and assets in enterprises and the equitisation of State-owned enterprises during the 2011-16 period. It will also adopt a resolution on the 2019 supervision programme and on the establishment of the NA’s 2019 thematic supervision working groups.

Reports submitted by the Government, NA committees, the Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court, the Prosecutor General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, as well as the State Audit will also be studied during the socio-economic discussion session. 

Socio-economic achievements

Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình delivered a report on Monday morning assessing the implementation of socio-economic development in 2017 and the first months of 2018, along with an overview of the key tasks ahead.

According to the report, gross domestic product (GDP) growth last year reached 6.81 per cent, export turnover increased by 21.2 per cent and trade surplus reached US$2.9 billion.

In the first four months of this year the marco economy has stabilized. The inflation rate has been controlled, increasing 1.34 per cent, and the consumer price index (CPI) surged by 2.8 per cent.

GDP growth in the first quarter of this year was the highest recorded in the last ten years, reaching a peak of 7.38 per cent. Year-on-year GDP growth of three sectors – agriculture; industry and construction; and the service industry - witnessed notable increases.

The Government aims to continue to bring into play outcomes obtained in 2017 and 2018’s first months in the spirit of “discipline, uprightness, action, creativity and effectiveness” while implementing tasks and solutions set forth in the resolutions of the Party, NA and the Government, Bình said.

In the coming time, the Government will pay heed to addressing shortcomings, lifting obstacles and studying policies and solutions to promote sectors with potential for growth, as well as improving the investment and business climate, and enhancing the capacity for competitiveness.

It will make efforts to successfully implement tasks assigned in 2018 to power sustainable development in the coming years, contributing to the success of the 2016-20 period plan.

To stabilise the macro economy and control inflation, the Government will continue to combine monetary policies with fiscal policies. CPI growth rate is targeted to be controlled at about 4 per cent while GDP growth is set to reach over 6.7 per cent, he said.

Voters’ opinions

The Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) and the NA Standing Committee received 3,463 opinions and petitions submitted by constituents nationwide to the 14^th NA’s fifth session, said VFF President Trần Thanh Mẫn.

Based on the voters’ opinions and petitions, Mẫn proposed the NA, the Government and authorities at all levels pay attention to addressing voters’ issues related to social welfare and the development of areas with disadvantaged socio-economic conditions, as well as of ethnic minorities.

It will also prioritise aid to those affected by natural disasters and climate change; as well as the prevention of crime, social evils, fires and explosions. Furthermore it will tackle traffic congestion; improve safety in the workplace, food safety, clean the environment, and focus on rural development; labour productivity; and combating deforestation and the illegal exploitation of sand and gravel.

The VFF proposed the NA and the Government direct the implementation of the Central Party Committee’s resolutions, especially those adopted in the fifth, sixth and seventh plenary sessions of the 12^th Central Committee on economic development, personnel work, wage reform and social insurance policy renewal.

The VFF President proposed the Government continue directing the simplification of administrative procedures, and that NA deputies hold direct voters’ meetings more frequently.

The Party and the State should take drastic measures on preventing and fighting corruption, wastefulness and implementing thrift practice, while directing law protection agencies to impose tough punishments on those engaging in corruption and wastefulness violations, and retrieving properties related to corruption and waste cases, he said.

Trillion of đồng misused

The Việt Nam State Audit on Monday released its report on budget spending in 2016, finding that several localities have misused up to a trillion đồng (US$44 million).

According to the report, which was made public for the first time during the summer meeting session of the National Assembly, 39 out of 47 audited localities were found to have approved bigger spending amounts than regulated standards.

Quảng Bình Province topped the list having overspent VNĐ177 billion (US$7.86 million), while Bình Thuận Province misused VNĐ171 billion and Tây Ninh Province misused VNĐ132 billion. Hà Nội and HCM City wrongly spent VNĐ17 billion and VNĐ19 billion, respectively.

The State Audit also found 31 localities to have inapropriately used VNĐ1.93 trillion of the State budget, in which Vĩnh Phúc Province accounted for the largest share of VNĐ691 billion, followed by Sóc Trăng and Vĩnh Long provinces with VNĐ399 billion and VNĐ281 billion, respectively. — VNS