National Assembly convenes fourth plenary session

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan speaks at the opening session.

Earlier, Party and State leaders, alongside NA deputies, paid a floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum.

The legislators attended a preparatory meeting in order to approve the session’s working agenda.

Speaking at the opening session, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan expressed her sympathy over the human and asset losses caused by typhoon Doksuri and the recent devastating flooding and landslides in many central and mountainous northern localities.

She called on voters and Vietnamese people, both at home and abroad, to continue helping the affected victims in their rebuilding efforts.

Regarding the socio-economic achievements in the first nine months of 2017, the senior legislator said that the country is still facing a lot of difficulties and challenges, including high state budget deficit and public debt, equitisation of State-owned enterprises below-expectations, slow investment disbursement and allocation, and the negative impacts of climate change.

She called on the entire Party and people to remain united and exert further efforts in the remaining months of the year to soundly fulfil 2017’s socio-economic development targets.

The NA Chairwoman asked the NA deputies to uphold a high sense of responsibility, as well as the spirit of solidarity and democracy, to make the fourth plenary session of the 14th NA a success.

On behalf of the Government, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered a report on the implementation of the socio-economic development plan in 2017 and the socio-economic development plan for 2018

According to the report, Vietnam is likely to fulfil all 13 of the set socio-economic targets for the whole year, backed by the economic performance in the first nine months of 2017.

Of the targets, five are expected to exceed the plan, including the trade deficit, which is forecast to stand at only 1.5% compared to 3.5% as planned. Total development investment is likely to reach 33.42% of the GDP instead of just 31.5% set earlier. The GDP growth in the first nine months reached 6.41%, and the figure for 2017 is approximately 6.7%. Meanwhile, the poverty ratio, as calculated by the multidimensional approach, dropped 1-1.5% to around 6.7-7.2%.

The PM also outlined the specific goals for 2018, including GDP growth of 6.5-6.7%, with average consumer price index of about 4%. Total export revenue is set to expand by 7-8%, while trade deficit is expected to stand at below 3%. In 2018, development investment of the whole society is hoped to be approximately 33-34% of the GDP. Meanwhile, the PM also set targets of curbing the poverty rate by 1-1.3% on average and 4% in poor districts, whilst keeping the unemployment ratio in urban areas at below 4%.

In order to complete the targets, the PM also outlined five major solutions, including strengthening macro-economy stability, ensuring the balance of the economy, and accelrating business and production, as well as economic growth.

The PM also pointed out the need to restructure the economy in a synchronized, comprehensive and practical manner, along with making active response to climate change and disasters, environmental protection and natural resources management.

Also in the morning, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man delivered a report on the opinions and petitions of voters and citizens nationwide to submit to the fourth session of the 14th legislature.

Accordingly, the Presidium of the VFF Central Committee and the NA Standing Committee have collected 3,320 opinions and petitions of voters and citizens across the country.

Voters and citizens expressed their confidence in the leadership of the Party and the operation of the State. They also applauded the Government’s solutions to stabilise the macro economy, maintain the healthy growth, push administrative reform and improve the business environment and national competitiveness.

Based on the collected opinions and petitions, the VFF Central Committee Presidium suggested that the NA and the Government continue to drastically instruct the fight against corruption and wastefulness, while paying attention to completing the legal system, especially the adjustment and completion of the regulations on combatting corruption and wastefulness.

More should be done to push administrative reform, the Presidium stated, calling on the Government to monitor the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the concerned ministries to effectively re-organise agricultural production and encourage businesses to invest in high-tech.

Responsibility of the heads of ministries, State management agencies and authorities in cities and provinces for the illegal exploitation of natural resources should be clarified. They also made suggestions regarding the planning work, citizen reception and the settlement of complaints and petitions.

Six draft laws and 12 draft resolutions are expected to be considered and adopted during the fourth session of the 14th NA, and nine other draft laws are to be tabled for discussion.

The sitting is scheduled to run until November 24, 2017.

Source: NDO