The 8th session of the 11th National Assembly
After over one month, the 11th National Assembly (NA) concluded its 8th session on November 29, 2005. During this session, NA deputies reviewed the implementation of socio-economic development tasks and the State budget for the 2005 fiscal year. They debated and passed decisions on socio-economic development tasks and state budget for 2006; adopted a number of laws; reviewed the comprehensive report on comments and recommendations from constituents; held hearings with cabinet members; and passed decisions on some other important issues.
At this session, the NA approved 14 laws including Anti-corruption Law, Law on Thrift and Anti-extravaganza, Enterprise Law, Investment Law, Bidding Law, Intellectual Property Law, Housing Law and Amended Law on Complaint and Denunciation. The NA also adopted the Supplementary Treaty to the Treaty on the Delimitation of state borders between Vietnam and Cambodia in 1985. The deputies also debated and commented on 8 draft laws to be submitted to the NA for approval in the next session.
Some highlights on the implementation of socio-economic development tasks in 2005 and targets for 2006:
Regarding the implementation of the 2005 plan, the NA Resolution acknowledged that almost all targets were attained; the economic growth rate was the highest in the past five years; and socio-economic development recorded relatively comprehensive progress. National defense and security was preserved and our nation's status in the international arena continued to improve.
The GDP growth rate in the entire 2005 is estimated at 8.4%. Agro-forestry and fishery grew by 4.1%, industry and construction by 10.7% and services by 8.4%. The proportion in GDP of industry and construction continued to increase from 40.1% in 2004 to 40.8% in 2005; and services from 38.1% in 2004 to 38.5% in 2005.
The industry's internal structure underwent a significant shift. The proportion of processing and manufacturing industries continued to increase with output value rising from 83% in 2004 to 84.7% in 2005 while output value of mining reduced from 6.2% in 2004 to 5.6% in 2005. The structure of the service sector also moved toward a larger share of high value-added services, namely finance, banking and insurance. The social labor productivity increased from VND 17 million per laborer in 2004 to VND 19 million per laborer in 2005. State-owned enterprises (SOEs) continued to be rearranged toward diversified ownership through equitization, transfer, sale and lease. The total state budget revenue was over VND 210 trillion, surpassing the projected VND 183 trillion. However, the total budget expenditure went up to VND 258 trillion, exceeding the projected VND 229.8 trillion, leading to a 4.86% budget deficit.
The NA also pointed out some shortcomings in the execution of the 2005 socio-economic development and budget tasks:
The quality of growth remains low; production costs in many industries are still high; numerous products are less competitive than those of neighbouring countries. The consumer price index exceeded the target set by the NA. The execution of investment plans was still slow; wastefulness and siphoning of State investment funds existed; bureaucracy and corruption stayed apparent; ecology and environment degraded; traffic accidents remained a serious problem, and the work of natural resources management, forest protection and management and land use still endured many loopholes.
The NA endorsed a Resolution on the tasks for 2006 with priority given to maintaining sustained high growth rate, increasing the quality of growth; mobilizing and effectively utilizing all resources for development investment; speeding up privatization in the sectors of health, education, sports and culture; narrowing the development gap among regions; preserving socio-political security; and proactively accelerating international and regional economic integration.
Some major socio-economic targets for 2006:
|
GDP growth rate |
8% |
|
Agro-forestry and fishery growth rate |
3.8% |
|
Industry and construction growth rate |
10.2% |
|
Service growth rate |
8% |
|
Total social development investment capital in GDP |
38.6% |
|
Total export turnover growth rate |
16.4% |
|
Consumer price index growth rate |
Below 6% |
|
New jobs |
1.6 million |
|
Poverty reduction (according to new criteria) |
20% |
|
Birth rate reduction |
0.04% |
|
Completion of primary education universalization in |
35 provinces |
|
College and university enrolment increases by |
10% |
|
Specialized secondary education enrolment increases by |
15% |
|
Long-term vocational training increases by |
13% |
|
Proportion of forest-covered land up to |
38% |
|
Clean water access for |
67% of rural population and 76% of urban population |
|
Manage to clean 40% facilities causing serious environment contamination |
The NA identified 7 major tasks for authorities of different level in the coming time:
Continuing to review and finalize legal provisions and policies to fully mobilize all resources including capital, labor, land, natural resources, science and technologies for socio-economic development. Taking strong measures to manage State investment capital for infrastructure development and stop wastefulness, corruption and siphoning of investment fund; and settling outstanding debt in infrastructure development. Sustaining SOEs rearrangement, reform, equitization and development and enhancing SOEs' performance. Providing guidelines to and reviewing pilot establishment of strong corporation groups. Furthering systematic development of different types of market, especially real-estate, financial and technology markets, expanding local and international markets. Continuing to reform the State financial system and complete tax regime. Modernizing the management of State-budget spending and revenue generation, applying flexible monitor of the exchange rate and interest rate, controlling inflation, maintaining macro economic sustainability, increasing banking system safety and credit quality, diversifying services and raising the competitiveness of the banking system.
Strengthening State and social resources for successful implementation of the national programs slated for the 2006-2010 period. Utilizing all sources, coordinating measures and policies to reduce poor households according to new criteria of poverty line. Directing assistance to regions of high poor-household incidence, applying appropriate measures to help poor people get rid of poverty on their own.
Intensifying privatization and increasing education and training quality. Consolidating the achievements in illiteracy eradication. Providing a package solution to educational facilities, textbooks and training equipment. Strongly developing the vocational training system at different levels. Stepping up the program on building new schools and classrooms.
Strengthening defense and security, increasing the capability to safeguard independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, political security and social order.
Handling complaints and petitions on corruption, land and housing disputes, especially complicated and prolonged cases and reducing the number of collective complaints.
Increasing supervision of settlement of complaints and petitions. Deploying appropriate measures to preempt crimes. Increasing the quality of investigation, prosecution, trial and enforcement; detecting and dealing with violations of procedure deadlines or minimising wrongful sentences.
Stepping up the administrative reform, timely sorting out irrelevant administrative procedures. Streamlining the State administrative apparatus and upgrading its effectiveness and performance. Strictly observing public affairs' disciplines. Intensifying monitor and investigation work to detect and strictly punish state officials and civil servants who are corrupted and violate State laws.
(Compiled from The People's Daily, People's Army, Economic Times and Investment Review - November 30, December 1st and 2nd 2005)
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