Assembly’s first session in May

VNN
March 26, 2009

VietNamNet Bridge – The National Assembly's first plenary sitting for the year will begin from Wednesday, May 20.

Its agenda would include approval of 13 draft laws; discussion of nine draft laws and adopting a resolution for law building in 2010, said National Assembly Office Chairman Tran Dinh Dan.
It would also assess the Government's socio-economic report for 2008 and the first months of 2009; review the State budget and quiz cabinet members.

The 13 bills listed for approval included the Public Debt Management Law; the State Compensation Law; the Urban Planning Law and the Cryptography Law.

Proposed changes to the penal code; Article 126 of the Housing Law and Article 121 of the Land Law will also be discussed.

Both deal with the rights of Overseas Vietnamese, or Viet Kieu, to own residences in Viet Nam.

Seeking assessment

National Assembly Social Affairs Committee Chairwoman Truong Thi Mai asked for the Government to provide an assessment of the economic contraction; unemployment; the impact of the "stimulus package" and its social security measures at yesterday's Standing Committee session.

Council of Nationalities Chairman Ksor Phuoc and National Assembly Deputy Chairman Nguyen Van Kien agreed that the status of the country's economy and unemployment should be included in the socio-economic report.
The duo asked the Standing Committee to arrange time for deputies attending the plenary session to discuss both.
Economics Committee Chairman Ha Van Hien said he was worried by the Government's proposal to delay the implementation of the personal income tax and that some articles governing the Bidding Law were not included in the agenda for May's plenary session.

The chairman suggested that the Government ask the Standing Committee to consider inclusion the issues in the agenda.

Closing the Standing Committee session, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong asked that parliament's agencies work with the Government to make the agenda for the May meeting more practical.
Of the delay in changing the State Budget Law, the chairman asked the drafting committee to take its time to think about the changes to ensure they were of high quality.

"The National Assembly Standing Committee should withdraw from the agenda any draft laws that do not meet its expectations,'' he said.

The chairman also asked the Government to prepare a comprehensive report that focuses on the country's socio-economic development in the context of economic downturn before the plenary session.

"If the Government sees any issues that needs a National Assembly decision, it should feel free to ask for one," he said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News