HÀ NÔI – The National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) yesterday passed a resolution on allocating additional funds to buy rice and add to the national reserve.

A vote was taken on the resolution after discussing the Government’s proposal to shore up rice reserves.

In the morning session, the deputies heard a Government report on the proposal delivered by deputy Minister of Finance, Đinh Tiến Dũng.

According to the report, from April 1, 2016, to June 6, 2017, the Prime Minister asked the Finance Ministry to take 58,885 tonnes of rice from the national reserves for distribution as relief to people in natural disaster-prone regions, as gifts to poor people on the Tết holiday (Lunar New Year), and to supply to poor farming households in between crops.

The value of rice thus distributed was VNĐ553 billion (US$24.3 million).

The Government proposed that the NASC approves the provision of VNĐ553 billion from national reserves budget 2017, to buy more rice and supplement the national reserves.

Delivering the evaluation report on the government’s proposal, the NA Finance and Budget Commitee Chairman, Nguyễn Đức Hải, said that “in the context of unforeseen natural calamities, providing rice to people in affected areas was an essential task in accordance with regulations in the Law on National Reserve.”

To ensure implementation of this strategic task and develop national rice reserves as per the law, the additional money to buy rice was necessary, Hải said.

The deputies were also scheduled to discuss and comment on financial assistance for irrigation products and services, but it did not happen because the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Xuân Cường, could not be present. – VNS