Lieutenant General Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa delivers speech at a press conference in HCM City on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thế Anh

HÀ NỘI — The Military Central Commission of the Việt Nam People’s Army has worked closely with the police and other forces to protect the independence, territorial integrity and security of the homeland, including in the air and offshore islands.

Speaking at a press conference in HCM City on Thursday, Lieutenant General Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa, member of the Military Central Commission and deputy head of the General Department of Politics said the People’s Army has always been loyal to the Party and State and is ready to fulfill any tasks assigned to them.

He confirmed that the People’s Army’s key tasks were to fight and be ready to fight to protect the homeland’s territorial integrity.

He said the People’s Army was a core task force in all emergencies, including natural disasters.  

Referring to economic activities of the armed forces, Võ Hồng Thắng, director general of the Economic Affairs Department said in the year 2000 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had 305 economic enterprises, by late 2016, the figure reduced to 88 enterprises.

Thắng said in 2016, army economic enterprises earned VNĐ345 trillion (US$15.2 billion) in revenue with VNĐ43 trillion ($1.91 billion) pre-tax profit. These enterprises contributed VNĐ40 trillion ($1.77 billion) to the State budget and provided jobs to 181,367 people. On average, the wage of each worker was VNĐ11.8 million ($520) per month.

All army economic enterprises have engaged in social security activities and have built 1,065 houses for needy families, including those of their comrades in arms. In addition, they have also financially supported 463 Vietnamese heroic mothers.

Viettel Group is an example for the army’s economic enterprises in the two missions of “business with social and community responsibility”. In 2011-2015 Viettel contributed more than VNĐ1.3 trillion ($58.51 million) to social, charity and community-benefit activities. In 2016 the figure was nearly VNĐ193 billion ($8.5 million) and in the first six months of 2017 it was nearly VNĐ60 billion ($2.64 million).

Regarding the transfer of land belonging to the People’s Army to investors, some of which has sparked controversy recently, Lieutenant General Nghĩa said the land transfer was in the form of Public-Private-Partnership.

“All land transfer projects have been approved by the Prime Minister with consultation from concerned local authorities, ministries and sectors,” said Nghĩa.

He added the MoD would soon review the land use of the armed forces. If wrongful acts are detected, they will be sanctioned immediately. — VNS