Prime Minister fields questions, property auction law passed at NA plenum

The 14th National Assembly (NA) continued its second session on November 17 with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc answering questions about hot issues, the approval of the property auction law, and the debate over conditional business lines.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc answers questions raised by NA deputies. (Credit: VGP)
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc answers questions raised by NA deputies. (Credit: VGP)

In the morning, Minister of Home Affairs Le Vinh Tan continued his question & answer (Q&A) session that began on the previous day. He focused on streamlining the contingent of State workers; the recruitment, assessment, planning and appointment of officials and civil servants; salary regime reforms; solutions to ensure officials and civil servants’ quality and sense of responsibility; and the responsibility towards handling officials who commit violations.

After delivering a report giving detailed information about some major issues NA deputies mentioned, PM Phuc fielded 30 of the 36 questions he had received.

He was asked about solutions to reach the economic growth target; the Vietnam-US relationship; measures to better tap ASEAN markets and improve the investment climate; and solutions to address bad debt, restructure the banking system and agriculture, tap tourism potential, and develop sea-based economy.

Parliamentarians also wanted him to clarify concrete measures to connect domestic and FDI companies and sustainably develop the central coastal region and the Central Highlands.

Institutional reforms, solutions to strictly punish corruption and deal with loss-making projects, as well as mitigate climate change impacts were among other problems he talked about.

Later, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan assessed the Q&A sessions involving four ministers and the PM over the last two and a half days.

The hearing was broadcast live by the Vietnam Television and Radio the Voice of Vietnam.

In the afternoon, after the parliament approved the Law on Property Auction, deputies looked into a draft law on revisions and supplements to the list of conditional business lines in the Law on Investment.

They mulled over such issues as the principles and impacts of the removal and supplementation of conditional business lines, the abolition and merger of some conditional business lines, and the supplementation of several conditional business lines.

After that, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung read a report explaining the draft law.

On November 18, the parliament is set to discuss a draft revised law on railway and a draft resolution on piloting the granting of e-visas for foreigners entering Vietnam. In the afternoon, deputies are expected to pass the law on belief and religion and appraised a draft amended law on tourism.