The National Assembly during the discussion on Law on Identification on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — The citizen identification law will change its name to the Law on Identification to include both Vietnamese nationals and people of Vietnamese origin residing in the country.

The majority of the National Assembly (NA) reached this agreement at the meeting on Wednesday.

The change means the law can also be extended to migrants at the borders and foreigners settling in the country, said NA Deputy Võ Mạnh Sơn from Thanh Hóa Province.

The adjustment aims to align with new management methods in the digital era and the development of e-government and e-society, said Lê Tấn Tới, head of the NA Committee on Defence and Security.

The "citizen identification card" will now be called "identification card" accordingly. Citizens will see no additional costs or procedures resulting from these changes.

NA Deputy Nguyễn Phương Thủy from Hà Nội agrees that people of Vietnamese origin whose nationality is not determined need identification certifications issued to them, as per the draft law, for better and more comprehensive management.

She also suggested extending the certificate eligibility for all people of unknown nationality residing in Việt Nam, which will also allow them to participate in civil transactions and benefit from essential public services.

According to the draft law, a person’s fingerprint images will only be stored in the database and removed from the ID card to protect privacy.

During civil transactions or administrative procedures, identification data can be accessed via the QR code and the electronic chip on the card.

Many NA deputies believe that these changes mean more convenience, minimising cases where ID cards have to be re-issued and protecting people’s information.

Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province’s NA Deputy Huỳnh Thị Phúc highlighted cybersecurity concerning the infrastructure and information system of the national population and identification databases to ensure privacy and confidentiality.

Vote of confidence

The NA on Wednesday afternoon also passed a resolution certifying the vote of confidence results for positions elected or approved by the assembly, with 470 votes in favour out of the total 472 (95.14 per cent). 

NA Chairman Vương Đình Huệ said: “This is the result of a fast, meticulous, stringent and highly responsible preparation process of the NA Standing Committee, relevant departments and those participating in the votes."

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng and high-level leaders cast their votes of confidence on Wednesday.

The top legislator received 437 “high confidence” votes (90.85 per cent), 32 “confidence” votes (6.65 per cent) and 11 “low confidence” votes (2.29 per cent).

Vice President Võ Thị Ánh Xuân received 410 “high confidence” votes (85.24 per cent), 65 “confidence” votes (13.51 per cent) and six “low confidence” votes (1.25 per cent).

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính received 373 “high confidence” votes (77.55 per cent), 90 “confidence” votes (18.71 per cent) and 17 “low confidence” votes (3.53 per cent).

Deputy PM Lê Minh Khái received 384 “high confidence” votes (79.83 per cent), 90 “confidence” votes (18.71 per cent) and six “low confidence” votes (1.25 per cent).

Minister of National Defence Phan Văn Giang has the most "high confidence" votes at 448 (93.14 per cent), followed by NA Chairman Huệ.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyễn Kim Sơn and Minister of Science and Technology Huỳnh Thành Đạt saw the most “low confidence” votes, respectively at 72 votes (14.97 per cent) and 71 votes (14.76 per cent). — VNS