14,000 billion to 'feed' associations and unions every year: A budget burden?

Many National Assembly delegates are concerned about the budget burden of "feeding" the association and are looking for ways to solve this problem.

14,000 billion VND - this is the estimated budget amount that must be spent to "feed" associations and unions each year. In the 2016 central budget estimate for just 6 associations (Fatherland Front, Youth Union, Women's Union, Veterans Association, Farmers' Association, Vietnam General Confederation of Labor), it is 1,503.74 billion VND.

Associations must be responsible for balancing and covering their operating expenses (Illustration: Internet)

Let membership fees contribute to "feeding" the organization.

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the National Assembly, delegate Huynh Thanh Chung (Binh Phuoc delegation) said that paying salaries to association staff would cause a large budget deficit. Vietnam is in the process of restructuring the economy, so reducing regular expenditures is an extremely important and urgent task of the current economy. Therefore, according to this delegate, it is necessary to focus on spending on important areas that have a greater impact on the socio-economy. Associations must be responsible for balancing and covering their operating expenses.

Sharing this view, delegate Do Van Sinh (Quang Tri delegation) said that the current state budget supports associations of a special nature that benefit society. If it continues to be spread out, the country will not have money to continue supporting them.

Mr. Do Van Sinh emphasized: If it is called an association, it must operate according to the fees paid by its members, for the benefit and the purpose of the association, and cannot be funded by the state budget forever. This delegate requested to clarify that 6 socio-political organizations are not regulated in the Law on Associations and still operate according to the Constitution, while other associations under the scope of the Law should not be supported by the state budget.

According to delegate Pham Tat Thang (Vinh Long delegation), the state budget investment for associations is quite large. When discussing and passing the draft Law on Associations, it is necessary to clearly define that associations must be voluntary, self-managed, and self-financed, and the state only provides funding for tasks assigned by the state on an "ordered" basis. As for the nature of regular activities, in addition to the 6 socio-political organizations, other associations must self-finance their own operating expenses.

Mr. Pham Tat Thang - National Assembly delegate of Vinh Long province

Delegate Pham Tat Thang pointed out that in the process of managing associations, we have recognized many associations with special characteristics, which is associated with financial support from the State from the Central to the local level. However, this delegate also proposed not to limit the right to establish associations, but to strengthen management, so that associations operate in accordance with their principles, purposes, and legal regulations.

How to reduce the budget burden?

Delegate Nguyen Van Quyen (Can Tho City delegation) expressed his opinion: For other associations, the State budget supports through bidding mechanisms, implementing socio-economic development programs, that is, the Government and the State will decide what issues can be socialized. If we want to socialize those tasks, organizations need to participate more transparently to bid for those tasks to implement.

National Assembly Delegate of Can Tho City - Nguyen Van Quyen

This delegate also said that associating with and joining foreign organizations and receiving foreign funding is a sensitive issue. “Many associations have been able to do this in the past, but our association has raised issues that need to be considered to ensure that participating in foreign organizations and receiving funding does not harm political security, social order, or even harm or affect the reputation of Vietnamese people. We do not raise the issue of receiving funding in an indiscriminate manner. For this issue, there must be strict regulations to ensure that this activity is put into order in the future,” said Mr. Quyen.

Delegate Nguyen Anh Tri (Hanoi delegation) emphasized: The current regulations in the Draft Law on Associations take away the opportunity to access huge international aid resources for vulnerable groups, patients, victims, support for scientists, research facilities, hospitals... Such "rigid" regulations, if passed, would immediately contradict what has been happening in Vietnam, specifically the Red Cross Society still regularly receives relief goods and foreign aid, and sometimes sends our aid to victims abroad.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tri - National Assembly delegate of Hanoi city

“Associations and patients are receiving medicines, supplies, and equipment from international organizations, and I can emphasize that the vast majority of the aid is extremely necessary and effective. With such regulations, scientists who are receiving funding to attend conferences and seminars to participate in research are stuck,” said delegate Nguyen Anh Tri.

According to Mr. Nguyen Anh Tri, it is necessary to draft laws that are sufficient to limit the country's destructive activities, affecting security and politics, but must also be open so that associations in Vietnam can integrate, shine and take advantage of genuine international resources.

According to VOV