The session took place at the end of 2016, the first year of the implementation of the Resolution of the Twelfth National Party Congress, a year when the entire political system, Party, people and army, sectors and authorities at all levels and the business community have been determined to realise and have achieved numerous important successes in implementing the 2016 socioeconomic development plan and the 2016-2020 development plan.
The country is faced with a number of challenging obstacles. Domestically, the prolonged drought in the South-Central and Central Highlands provinces, drought and salt intrusion in the Mekong River Delta and the environmental incident and floods in the Central provinces have had a serious impact on Vietnam’s agricultural development and the livelihoods of its people. At the same time, the world economy has seen a slow recovery at a time of many unpredictable risks; the price of crude oil dropped strongly and remained at lower-than-expected levels, affecting budget revenues and macroeconomic balances.
In such a context, it is essential to maintain high resolve and to take drastic measures to make breakthroughs in restructuring the national economy, shifting the growth model, controlling public debt, settling bad debt, restructuring the State budget and the banking system, improving the business and investment environment with the objective of stabilising the macroeconomy, sustaining a reasonable growth rate, ensuring social security, maintaining political stability, strengthening national defence and security and protecting social order and safety, thereby creating momentum for development in future years.
To realise these goals, the second session of the fourteenth NA promoted a high sense of “Renovations spirit,” solidarity and creativity in the interests of the people and the country. It adopted three laws and eleven resolutions and gave opinions on fourteen other bills, including the Law on Belief and Religion, the Law on Associations, and the resolution on revising and supplementing some articles of Resolution No. 55/2010/QH12 on exemptions and reductions of agricultural land use taxes.
During the session, the NA deputies convened the first question-and-answer sessions involving the Prime Minister and several Cabinet members on pressing issues for the country pressing issues and issues of public concern. The Q&A session was organised in a responsible and frank manner, significantly meeting the expectations of the people and voters nationwide.
The NA deputies also reviewed several reports on the implementation of the socioeconomic development plan and the State budget in 2016; the socioeconomic development plan and the State budget estimates and allocation plan for 2017; the economic restructuring plan for 2016-2020; the five-year financial plan; the mid-term public investment plan for 2016-2020; and the goals and plans for mobilising loans and public debt management in 2016-2020.
The targets set for the coming time include macroeconomic stability; speeding up the implementation of three strategic breakthroughs; restructuring the economy in association with growth model reform; increasing the productivity, quality and efficiency of production and business activities; encouraging startups and business development; and boosting sustainable growth. The country also aims to ensure social welfare and to protect citizens’ livings; to develop culture and build a democratic, just and advanced society; to actively cope with climate change and natural disasters; and to strengthen management over natural resources and environmental protection. Great importance should also be attached to increasing the effectiveness of law enforcement, fostering administrative reform and tightening the prevention and control of corruption, wastefulness and bureaucracy. In addition, it is important to enhance the nation’s capacity for defence; to maintain national security, political stability, and social order; and to resolutely safeguard the country's independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity while boosting diplomatic activities and international integration in order to create a peaceful and stable environment for national development. Eleven sets of tasks and solutions were identified at the session to realise the above targets.
The second session of the fourteenth NA saw renovations in organisation as well as discussion, debate and direct dialogue over contentious issues, as well as a Q&A session, which created a democratic, frank, open and responsible working atmosphere, contributing to raising the quality of the agenda. The NA requested the Government, agencies and authorities at all levels and relevant agencies and organisations nationwide design action plans to implement the recently approved resolutions, ensuring that they will be enacted synchronously and comprehensively and will result in good outcomes in facilitating the country’s socioeconomic situation.
With a high sense of responsibility, the second session of the fourteenth NA wrapped up successfully with many highlights, meeting the aspirations of the people and voters nationwide. Vietnamese people at home and abroad should raise their patriotism and solidarity, take advantage of favourable opportunities to ride out challenges and successfully realise the socioeconomic development plan for 2017, which laid a solid foundation for the entire Party, army and people to move the country forward.
