Chairman of the National Assembly Vương Đình Huệ speaks to delegates at the opening session of the 12th session of the 16th Hà Nội People's Council for the 2021-2026 term on Monday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Chairman of the National Assembly Vương Đình Huệ urged Hà Nội to prioritise and allocate resources, investments, and mechanisms to promote the development of disadvantaged, rural and remote areas in order to achieve balanced, comprehensive, and sustainable development for the capital city.

He made these remarks during the opening session of the 12th session of the 16th Hà Nội People's Council for the 2021-26 term on Monday.

Reports from Hà Nội People’s Council showed that in the first six months of this year, the average GDP growth rate reached 5.97 per cent, which was 1.6 times higher than the national average. The total State budget revenue in the city increased by 22.9 per cent compared to the same period.

The tourism sector has seen a strong recovery, with international arrivals increasing more than six times compared to the same period. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has reached nearly US$2.27 billion, surpassing the results of the entire year of 2022. Economic and social infrastructure development has been strongly promoted, especially the progress in land clearance and the commencement of the Belt Road No 4 project.

The city has also focused on projects in the fields of education, healthcare, and cultural heritage preservation. Social welfare has been taken care of, the national defence, and security and social order have been maintained, and foreign affairs activities have been strengthened and expanded.

Evaluating the operation of the People’s Council, Chairman Huệ highlighted that the city's People's Council has closely followed and promptly implemented the Party's resolutions at the 13th National Party Congress and the 17th Party Congress of the city, as well as laws and resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government.

Huệ asked the city’s People’s Council to implement these resolutions in order to concretise and institutionalise them in each specific field.

He stressed that the city needed to continue to strongly innovate and improve the quality and effectiveness of its activities to make Hà Nội a true role model in the organisation and operation of People's Councils throughout the country.

The NA Chairman expressed the desire for the People's Council to contribute more important opinions to the National Assembly, the NA Standing Committee, the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs to fulfil their responsibilities in the legislative work of this term.

Huệ also emphasised that Hà Nội needed to accelerate the progress of public investment projects, especially key and important projects of the city such as the construction of the Belt Road No 4; the Nam Thăng Long - Trần Hưng Đạo urban railway project; the Nhổn - Hà Nội Railway Station project; as well as the plan of renovating old apartment buildings in Hà Nội in 2021-30.

He stated that Hà Nội should continue to prioritise and allocate resources, investments, and mechanisms and policies to promote the development of infrastructure in disadvantaged areas, with the goal of achieving balanced, comprehensive, and sustainable development for the capital city.

Hà Nội needed to urgently complete the planning work in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Planning and the NA resolutions. It should focus on implementing approved plans and those still in effect, especially the plans for the Red River subdivisions to fundamentally change the face of the capital city and create a driving force for its breakthrough development, he said.

Huệ said the city should strengthen administrative reform, improve the investment business environment, and enhance competitiveness while tightening discipline and administrative regulations for civil servants and public officials.

The NA Chairman reminded the city about the organisation of the votes of confidence for positions appointed by the People's Council, in accordance with Resolution No 96/2023/QH15 recently passed by the 15th NA at its 5th session, ensuring a serious and objective evaluation of the credibility and performance of officials' duties and responsibilities.

He asked the city’s council to continue to effectively implement the NA resolutions, including Resolution No 97/2019/QH14 on piloting the model of urban governance, Resolution No 115/2020/QH14 on piloting certain financial and banking mechanisms and policies for Hà Nội, and Resolution No 160/2021/QH14 on piloting the arrangement of specialised delegate positions of the Hà Nội’s People's Council.

In the coming period, Huệ said Hà Nội needed to closely coordinate with central agencies to promptly complete the draft amended Law on the Capital, submit it for consideration at the 6th session of the 15th NA, and have it approved at the 7th session as part of the legislative programme. – VNS