NA deputies gather at the last working day of the 15th NA's second session on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The 15th National Assembly (NA), on Saturday approved a resolution on the central budget allocation plan for 2022 as part of its second sitting, with 473 out of 475 legislators voting in favour of the plan.

The resolution states that the total central and local budget revenues are VNĐ739.132 trillion (US$32.63 billion) and VNĐ672.568 trillion, respectively.

The total expenditure of the central budget is VNĐ1,087.032 trillion, of which VNĐ359.982 trillion is earmarked for supplementing the budget balance and the local budget.

Before passing the resolution, the NA heard Chairman of its Finance-Budget Committee Nguyễn Phú Cường presented a report explaining the revision of the draft resolution on central budget allocation for 2022 based on received feedback.

Cường said a large number of comments suggested increasing health expenditure, particularly regarding COVID-19 prevention and control, grassroots healthcare, and preventative medicine.

The NA Standing Committee said that although the state budget still encountered difficulties and the central budget revenue in 2021 was expected to be lower than expectation, the allocation for the health sector, especially on pandemic prevention and control, had always been the top priority.

It is expected that allocation for health care will be much higher than the level in 2021, including about VNĐ10 trillion to be spent on benefits for those working on the frontline against the pandemic and on purchasing drugs, vaccines, and medical equipment and supplies.

In order to ensure social security and support the poor and vulnerable people amid pandemic-caused difficulties, the central budget allocation plan for 2022 will set aside over VNĐ89 trillion for social security expenditure. If including allocations worth VNĐ43.293 trillion from the local budget for the same purpose, the total state budget allocation for this field makes up some 11.9 per cent of the total regular expenditure of the state budget.

NA concludes second session

The 15th NA wrapped up its second session on Saturday morning after adopting a resolution on Q&A activities during the second session, and a resolution of the second session.

In his closing remarks, NA Chairman Vương Đình Huệ said the legislature successfully completed all the working programmes after 16 working days.

He noted that although the duration of the session had been shortened compared to year-end sessions of previous legislatures, the quality of work had been ensured, thanks to the adoption of new working methods such as holding debates virtually and in groups and piloting e-voting.

The success of this session continued to prove important steps forward in the building of a legislature of proactivity, intelligence, unity, renewal and responsibility, which is growing increasingly democratic, open, transparent and with close bonds with voters and the people, symbolising the national unity bloc, Chairman Huệ said.

During the session, the NA passed two laws, gave opinions on five bills and issued 12 resolutions, comprising 11 thematic resolutions and one of the session.

The NA has approved resolutions on the socio-economic development plan for 2022, the economic restructuring plan for 2021-2025, the State budget estimate for 2022, the central budget allocation plan for 2022 and a resolution of the second session.

In particular, the NA adopted the national land use master plan for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050 and a five-year land use plan for 2021-2025.

The legislative body also exercised its right to supervision through listening to a report summing up opinions and petitions submitted by voters and the people to the second session, and another on the supervision of the settlement of voters’ petitions submitted to the 14th legislature’s 11th session.

Law makers examined many important reports by the Government, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuracy on judicial work, corruption prevention and control, the fight against crime and law violations, and enforcement of sentences in 2021.  

The NA spent two and a half days on question-and-answer activities, focusing on four groups of issues, namely public health; labour, invalids and social affairs; education and training; and planning and investment. Besides the four ministers in charge of those groups of issues, the Deputy Prime Ministers and senior officials in charge of relevant fields also took the floor to field questions.

On behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister appeared before the NA to give further explanations on the Government’s overall management and directly answer questions posed by NA deputies.

NA Chairman Huệ emphasised that immediately after the legislature’s session, the Government, the Prime Minister, the NA Standing Committee and other committees of the NA, along with the entire State apparatus from central to local levels, NA delegations in localities and all NA deputies must quickly implement newly-adopted laws and resolutions.

He asked NA deputies to report the session’s outcomes to voters and actively monitor the settlement of citizens’ petitions, complaints and denunciations, while keeping close contact with voters and the people in order to timely and accurately report their opinions to the NA. — VNS