National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn met with voters in HCM City on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn has pledged to tackle urban flooding and traffic congestion in HCM City as he met voters in the city on Tuesday.

Mẫn and four other candidates standing for election to the 16th National Assembly from electoral constituency No. 12 met voters in An Nhơn Tây, Thái Mỹ and Thuận Đức communes and Division 9.

In his action programme, Mẫn outlined four key priorities: removing institutional bottlenecks, promoting a knowledge-based economy, listening to and addressing voters’ concerns, especially in his constituency, and building a streamlined, effective administrative apparatus.

He noted that the Party and State had issued a range of major policies to spur national development. HCM City, in particular, had benefited from several National Assembly resolutions piloting special mechanisms and policies with stronger decentralisation to enable it to play its role as the country’s economic locomotive.

During the 14th legislature, the National Assembly adopted Resolution 54 on piloting specific mechanisms and policies for the city’s development, granting it greater autonomy and resource mobilisation capacity.

In the 15th legislature, Resolution 98 and, most recently, Resolution 260 were issued, providing even stronger decentralisation.

Resolution 260 supplements the legal framework for the city to pilot a free trade zone, enhances its autonomy in investment, finance, budget and land management and expands mechanisms to attract strategic investors, particularly in infrastructure, high technology and innovation.

The city is also permitted to pilot new urban governance models, transit-oriented development and accelerate digital transformation, science and technology and the commercialisation of research outcomes.

Despite these opportunities, Mẫn said both the country and HCM City continued to face challenges.

He pledged to work with the Politburo, the Party Secretariat, the National Assembly, the Government and city authorities to further remove institutional obstacles, reform lawmaking and enforcement and ensure effective implementation of the city’s special mechanisms.

Priority areas include planning, investment, land management, environmental protection, regional transport connectivity, digital infrastructure and science and technology.

He emphasised fostering a knowledge-based economy driven by productivity, science, technology and innovation, establishing mechanisms to attract and retain talent and training high-quality human resources to enhance the city’s global competitiveness.

He said the foremost duty of a National Assembly deputy was to listen to and convey the aspirations of the people.

He added that he would focus on pressing issues such as flooding, environmental pollution, traffic congestion, public security, social housing, hospitals and schools.

The Chairman also said HCM City needed more favourable mechanisms to build factories, warehouses and auxiliary facilities serving agriculture.

To further develop special mechanisms for the city, Mẫn said the National Assembly would continue refining policies on finance and transparent investment, stressing that planning must be effectively implemented.

“The HCM City International Financial Centre has been launched. We hope it will attract more financial investors to the city in particular and to the country as a whole, serving development,” he said, adding that greater autonomy would be granted to the city in land management, infrastructure and digital transformation, alongside the creation of a legal framework to mobilise social resources.

Regarding Hóc Môn, an area with a proud history in national construction and defence, he said continued investment in infrastructure, housing, healthcare and education was needed to improve living standards.

He also committed to helping build a lean, efficient and effective city administration, fostering a spirit of initiative and accountability and strengthening unity among the people.

At the meeting, other candidates also presented their action programmes.

Candidate Nguyễn Thanh Tùng, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietcombank, emphasised his commitment to contributing substantively to policymaking, placing development efficiency and the quality of life of the people at the centre.

Tùng said he would proactively engage in legislative work, helping refine institutions in economics, finance, banking, digital transformation and sustainable development.

He also pledged to promote a transparent investment environment and reduce compliance costs for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises and innovative start-ups.

At the same time, he would focus on improving special mechanisms for HCM City, completing the legal framework for the city’s International Financial Centre while developing capital markets and promoting green finance, digital finance and governance in line with ESG standards.

Candidate Nguyễn Ngọc Hương, recognised as one of HCM City’s outstanding young citizens in 2019, said she would concentrate on green and sustainable agriculture, particularly fostering private sector development in the sector.

She also plans to study and propose policies to improve access to capital, encourage innovation, apply modern governance technologies and promote value chain enhancement models from input supply and production to commercialisation. — VNS