National Assembly deputies press the buttons to vote on laws and resolutions on Tuesday. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The year-end meeting of the 14th National Assembly (NA) closed on Tuesday with seven bills and 13 resolutions adopted.

The deputies spent a large amount of time in the 19-day sitting reviewing socio-economic development in 2020 and proposing socio-economic targets, as well as the State budget and mid-term investment plans for the 2021-25 term, said NA Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, 2020, which is the last year in the 14th NA’s five-year term, was “still a successful year and records bright spots in COVID-19 prevention, control and economic recovery”, she said.

The parliamentarians approved seven bills, namely, the amended Law on Contract-based Vietnamese Overseas Workers; the Việt Nam Border Guard Law; the amended Law on International Treaties; the amended Law on Environmental Protection; the Law amending and supplementing the Law on the handling of administrative violations; the amended Law on Residence; and the Law amending and supplementing the Law on Prevention and Control of Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome virus (HIV/AIDS).

Thirteen resolutions were passed including a resolution on Việt Nam's engagement in UN peacekeeping, a resolution on urban administration in HCM City and resolution on piloting management and use of land for defence and security purposes.

The lawmakers also discussed documents to be submitted to the 13th National Party Congress in January.

“The Vietnamese NA has completed the chairmanship of the 2020 ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and successfully organised the AIPA’s 41st General Assembly in the form of a teleconference, which was highly appreciated by other ASEAN member states and partners,” Ngân said.

Việt Nam’s good performance as AIPA Chair, ASEAN Chair and as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council have elevated the country's status and prestige, she said.

Next year will witness important events such as the National Party Congress and the national election of NA deputies and members of all-level People’s Councils. Next year will be also the first to implement socio-economic strategies in the five-year term. The NA chairwoman urged governments at all levels to uphold solidarity and responsibility to realise the dual goals of the pandemic control and striving for socio-economic targets.

Before the closing session, the NA deputies adopted the long-debated amended Law on Environment Protection.

The newly-approved revised law includes charging garbage collection and treatment fees based on the amount of waste people dump, with waste measured by weight or size. It means the more waste dumped, the more polluters have to pay and aims to encourage sorting garbage at the source and to promote the circular economy.

According to the law, owners of manufacturing facilities which might pose pollution risks to the environment are responsible for applying the best available technology to control pollution and reduce adverse impacts on the environment.

Projects without a negative impact on the environment at a high level will not have to conduct preliminary environmental assessments.

Most parliament members voted for May 23, 2021, which falls on a Sunday, to be the date for the national election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-26 tenure.

The resolution of the 14th NA’s 10th sitting was passed, including solutions to lift difficulties for the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines due to COVID-19's impacts. — VNS