NA deputies press buttons to approve resolutions on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — A series of important resolutions on State budget expenditure, investment and national target programmes has been approved on the last working day of the  first session of the 15th-tenure National Assembly (NA).

At least VNĐ75 trillion will be allocated to the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction in the 2021-2025 period, the NA decided by consensus on Wednesday.

The deputies approved a resolution on an investment policy for the programme.

The State budget will allocate about VNĐ48 trillion on the programme, nearly VNĐ12.7 trillion coming from local budgets, and more than VNĐ14.3 trillion coming from legal sources.

The programme aims to have the rate of poor households, classified by the multidimensional poverty standard, reduced by 1 to 1.5 per cent per year.

The percentage of poor households in ethnic minority groups is set to decrease by 3 per cent every year.

A further 30 per cent of poor districts and 30 per cent of communes with special difficulties in coastal areas and islands will escape from poverty by 2025, according to the resolution.

The same day the 15th NA also adopted a resolution on the National Target Programme on new-style rural area buildings for the 2021-2025 period.

The deputies agreed to allocate at least VNĐ196 trillion for the programme aiming to have at least 50 per cent of districts, towns and cities at provincial levels classified as new-style rural areas by 2025.

The programme confirms agriculture, farmers and rural areas as indispensable and mandates the restructuring of the agriculture sector as a driving force to build new-style rural areas.

Additionally, farmers’ knowledge, the rural environment and culture, gender equality, and nutrition for rural residents will also contribute to the cause.

Resolutions on financial plans

The deputies on Wednesday morning approved a resolution on the national financial plan and plan on borrowing and payment of public debt in the 2021-25 period.

The State budget expects revenue of VNĐ10.26 quadrillion with a total budget expenditure to be about VNĐ8.3 quadrillion for 2021-25.

The deputies also adopted a resolution on mid-term public investment for the 2021-25 period with general targets of restructuring public investment and improving public investment efficiency.

The resolution looks to attract investment capital from non-State actors and focus investment on key projects which accelerate socio-economic development.

The State will prioritise investment sourced from the State budget for driving growth in the regions, including mountainous areas, border areas, islands, ethnic minority areas, areas suffering from diseases, natural disasters and those with difficult socio-economic circumstances.

The Government budget for the 2021-25 period will allocate funds for less than 5,000 projects, which is a reduction of more than half compared to the 2016-20 period.

A resolution on adjustments to the State budget expenditure estimates and approval of the 2019 State budget balance was also passed on Wednesday.

Under the resolution, the regular spending estimates for 2019 was reduced by more than VNĐ2.24 trillion and the same amount was added to the finance ministry’s development spending estimates in 2019.

Total State budget collection in 2019 was VNĐ2.139 quadrillion while spending was VNĐ2.119 quadrillion including expenditure left over from 2019.

As a result, State budget overspending in 2019 was VNĐ161.49 trillion.

The NA requested the Government make public the State budget balance in 2019, while directing ministries, central agencies and people’s committees at all levels to strengthen financial discipline, improve the efficiency of State budget management and use, and fight corruption and wastefulness.

New court justices

Four justices have been appointed to the Supreme People’s Court under a resolution adopted by the 15th NA on Wednesday.

The resolution, endorsed by 95.39 per cent of legislators, approved a proposal by the Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court to appoint Nguyễn Văn Dũng, Ngô Tiến Hùng, Nguyễn Biên Thùy and Đào Thị Minh Thủy as justices of the court.

The resolution will take effect from October 1, 2021. — VNS