National Assembly President Trần Thanh Mẫn addresses a meeting with voters from 12 wards in HCM City on Friday. The meeting takes place ahead of the 16th legislature’s second session, which is due to start on October 17. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HCM CITY — National Assembly (NA) President Trần Thanh Mẫn and a delegation of NA deputies in HCM City met with voters from 12 wards on Friday ahead of the 16th legislature’s second session.

At the meeting, voters raised a range of issues concerning education and training, grassroots democracy, oversight, administrative reform and lawmaking.

Lê Thị Yến Nhi, a voter from Bến Thành Ward, called on the NA delegation to pay greater attention to mechanisms enabling residents to participate in the southern economic hub’s development process.

Phạm Thị Huệ, from Xuân Hòa Ward, urged the Ministry of Education and Training to adjust school textbook programmes to help students integrate internationally while retaining core Vietnamese values.

Voters from Sài Gòn Ward proposed that the NA establish a regular, full-term oversight programme for the education and healthcare sectors.

After listening to voters’ opinions and recommendations, NA President Mẫn asked the city to classify them so that issues under each ward's authority are proactively addressed by grassroots administrations immediately after the meeting.

The city's authorities should handle matters under its jurisdiction, and recommendations under central-level agencies' authority should be compiled for submission to the NA at the upcoming second session.

The legislature has recently passed the Law on Oversight Activities of the NA and People’s Councils, and the draft law on fostering democracy at grassroots level is being finalised for submission to the second session, according to Mẫn.

"The move aims to concretise the principle that people should be informed, consulted, empowered to oversee and inspect, and entitled to benefit from development," he said.

Emphasising the need to further put people at the centre of resolving all grassroots issues, NA President Mẫn called for stronger roles for people’s inspection boards, community investment supervision boards and other grassroots oversight mechanisms.

The top legislator spoke highly of HCM City’s achievements in socio-economic development, defence and security, political system building, the fight against corruption, waste and other negative practices, as well as international integration.

He urged the city to continue giving due attention to education and training, and science and technology, describing them as areas of decisive importance to growth quality and competitiveness in the new development period.

On urban infrastructure development, the leader noted that the NA has passed the Law on Urban Development, which will take effect on October 1. On that basis, the city should strongly promote decentralisation and delegation of powers, proactively make decisions, organise implementation and take responsibility for matters within its jurisdiction.

Alongside infrastructure development, NA President Mẫn called on the city to focus on issues directly affecting residents’ lives, including flooding and traffic congestion.

With respect to environmental protection, he stressed that this was not solely the responsibility of state management agencies, but required the mobilisation of the strength, awareness and responsibility of more than 10 million residents in HCM City.

The second session will be held in person at the NA building in Hà Nội in two phases, starting on October 17 and is expected to end on November 20.

During the session, the legislature is expected to consider and pass 43 laws and normative resolutions, and give initial opinions on two draft laws.

It will also consider and decide on 10 groups of issues concerning socio-economic development, state budget, oversight and other matters within its jurisdiction, as well as conduct question-and-answer sessions between NA deputies and Government officials. — VNA/VNS