An overview of the session. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly (NA) deputies discussed policies and laws on thrift practice and anti-wastefulness in the 2016-21 period during the fourth session yesterday morning.

Presenting a report at the conference, the chairman of the NA's Finance and Budget Committee, Nguyễn Phú Cường, said that policies and laws on thrift practice and anti-wastefulness implementation in the 2016-21 period had achieved important and positive results. They successfully contributed to the socio-economic development.

Total state budget revenue in 2016-20 was 1.66 times higher than in 2011-15. However, expenditures were gradually reduced from 64.9 per cent of the total state budget expenditure in 2017 to less than 64 per cent in 2020 while ensuring funding for social security tasks and other important areas.

Administrative procedure reform has achieved many positive results, one of the most outstanding achievements and results in the 2016-21 period.

Land and minerals management has been enhanced. Many localities have focused on and drastically handled slow and delayed projects.

Many economic cases causing serious loss of state capital and assets were strictly handled, deterring and limiting corruption and wasteful acts in managing and using state assets.

Besides achieved results, policies and laws on thrift practices and waste prevention, the implementation regarding this matter still need to improve.

Preparation and appraisal of state budget estimates are far from reality. Tax arrears, loss of revenue, late collection, and improper and insufficient collection still exist.

Violations of regulations on norms, standards and regimes are also relatively common. Therefore, discipline in formulating, implementing and organising medium-term and annual public investment plans must be more relaxed.

Thousands of projects are behind schedule, which has increased over the years. According to reports, in 2016, there were 1,448 projects behind schedule. This number is 1,609 in 2017; 1,778 in 2018; 1,878 in 2019; and 1,867 in 2020. This year there will be 1,962 projects. Most of the important national projects and key projects are behind schedule.

According to the report, these shortcomings and limitations are due to many reasons. Discipline needs to be more strictly implemented. Legal awareness of thrift practices and the anti-wastefulness of some officials and people need to be stronger. Loose management happens in many agencies and localities.

The supervisory delegation proposed several recommendations to improve the efficiency of thrift practices and fight against waste. In particular, relevant bodies need to strongly renovate instruction to raise awareness and responsibility in thrift practice and waste prevention. Also, discipline to combat waste must be strengthened and tightened.

The NA Standing Committee will continue to strengthen supervision on implementing policies and laws on thrift practices and waste prevention in its annual plan.

The Government needs to develop plans and roadmaps to deal with shortcomings, limitations, losses and waste and report to the NA at its sixth session.

The Government should accelerate tax policy innovation and strengthen appraisal of state budget revenue and expenditure estimates for next year and subsequent years.

In this year and the first quarter of next year, it is necessary to evaluate and have specific solutions to accelerate the equitisation of state capital in enterprises and to deal with loss-making state-funded projects in enterprises.

The Government should strengthen the management of land, natural resources, and minerals to ensure economic, efficient and sustainable exploitation and minimise losses, waste, and negative environmental impact.

The Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Justice should, within their tasks and powers, speed up the investigation, prosecution and adjudication process to recover lost state assets as soon as possible. — VNS