Third plenary session of the 14h National Assembly opens

The opening ceremony of the session was broadcast live on national television and several radio stations.

Earlier, the National Assembly deputies paid a floral tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and attended a preparatory meeting to approve the session's working programme.

In her opening speech, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan stressed the great significance of the third session as the NA would continue to institutionalise the provisions of the 2013 Constitution, as well as regulations related to the socialist-oriented market economy, and economic restructuring, with the aim to create a solid legal basis for socio-economic development in order to meet the requirements of the new situation. Legislative activities continue to be a major focus of the session, she noted.

Despite positive socio-economic development, Vietnam faces innumerable difficulties, she said. The economic growth is not sustainable, while some basic targets have been missed, she noted, pointing to difficulties in industrial production and agriculture as well as damage caused by climate change. Legal violations in exploiting natural resources and mining have provoked public concern, as has environmental pollution in many places, she added.

With solidarity, creativity and actions to benefit the people, the legislature will work hard to handle a lot of work at the third sitting, she said.

The NA Chairwoman also asked legislators to make active contributions to the discussions at the session to meet the requirements and aspirations of people across the country.

The NA Chairwoman urged the nation and people to promote unity of thought and action to implement resolutions adopted at the 12th National Party Congress, particularly resolutions passed at the fifth meeting of the 12th Party Central Committee.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh later presented a report on the supplementary evaluation of the implementation of socio-economic development plans and State budget in 2016 and early 2017.

At the third session, 13 bills and five draft resolutions are expected to be considered and adopted, and five other draft laws to be tabled for discussion.

At this meeting, the NA will spend 6.5 days to review, discuss and decide on Government reports regarding the supplementary assessment of results on socio-economic development plans and the State budget in 2016, the implementation of the socio-economic development plan and the State budget for the first months of 2017, the approval of the State budget settlement in 2015; compensation and resettlement during construction of Long Thanh International Airport, and adopting the resolution on the NA monitoring programme in 2018, whilst also conducting a Q&A session.

Among the bills scheduled to be passed at this session are a number of important ones of public interest, including the law on adjusting, supplementing a number of articles of the 2015 Penal Code, the law on support for small- and medium-sized enterprises, the law on management and use of State asset (revised) and the law on the State's responsibility for compensation.

The session will also examine and make decision on a number of important socio-economic matters and conduct supervision over the implementation of laws and policies on food safety in 2011-2016.

A report released by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee on petitions and opinions of voters and the public will be submitted to the session, and the NA Standing Committee will report on its supervision of the settlement of voters' petitions that were sent to the NA's second plenary session.

Three working days during the session will be devoted to the questioning of cabinet members.

The third plenary session is scheduled to conclude on June 21.

(Source: NDO)