The Government issued a new Resolution on planning work.

New Decree of the Government with many solutions to improve quality, speed up planning progress for the period 2021 - 2030. Illustrative photo

The Resolution was issued on May 6, 2022, with solutions to improve the quality and speed up the planning process for the 2021 - 2030 period; on completing procedures and documents to submit a number of draft laws.

On the implementation of policies and laws on planning since the Law on Planning came into effect and some solutions to improve the quality and speed up the progress of planning for the period 2021 - 2030:

The Government highly appreciates the efforts of the Ministry of Planning and Investment in presiding over and coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies to closely follow the provisions of the Law on Planning, Resolutions of the National Assembly, the National Assembly Standing Committee, the National Assembly's Supreme Supervision Program and Resolutions of the Government, conclusions of the Government Standing Committee, instructions and directions of the Prime Minister to develop a Report on the implementation of policies and laws on planning since the Law on Planning came into effect (Report). The Report has basically assessed fully, comprehensively and objectively the implementation results, difficulties, shortcomings, obstacles and causes in the implementation of the Law on Planning and proposed solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles.

The Government discussed frankly and responsibly with many valid and quality opinions, especially on difficult and problematic issues that need to be proposed to the National Assembly for consideration and resolution to ensure progress and improve the quality of planning work. While waiting for a comprehensive summary and assessment to propose amendments and supplements to the Law on Planning, it is agreed to recommend that the National Assembly issue a Resolution to promptly adjust and handle difficulties in the implementation of the Law on Planning at the 3rd Session of the 15th National Assembly in a simplified order with the following contents:

Some solutions to remove obstacles, speed up progress, and improve planning quality:

a- Allowing plans according to the provisions of the Law on Planning and laws and ordinances that have been amended and supplemented with a number of articles related to planning to be established simultaneously to ensure consistency; the plan that is established and appraised first will be decided or approved first. After the plan is decided or approved, if there is any inappropriate content, the lower plan must be adjusted according to the higher plan, ensuring the hierarchy in the national planning system.

b- Allow adjustment of planning progress, focusing on accelerating the progress of planning, appraisal and approval in 2022 for urgent national-level plans, facilitating the management and socio-economic development of the country. Basically complete plans in the national planning system in 2023.

c- Allow the plans specified in Point c, Clause 1, Article 59 of the Law on Planning that have been decided or approved before January 1, 2019 to continue to be implemented, extend the period and adjust the content according to the provisions of relevant laws before the effective date of the Law on Planning to meet the requirements of socio-economic development until the national planning, regional planning, and provincial planning for the period 2021 - 2030 are decided or approved according to the provisions of the Law on Planning; consider and integrate related contents to include in the planning for the period 2021 - 2030.

d- Allow Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to consider and decide on the application of the form of designated bidding for bidding packages to prepare national, regional, and provincial plans for which contractors have not yet been selected. The designation of contractors shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the law on bidding. Contractors selected by the form of designated bidding must meet the requirements on capacity, experience, ensure progress, quality, efficiency, and combat negativity, corruption, and waste in accordance with the provisions of the law. In cases where the form of designated bidding is not applied or is applied but a contractor cannot be selected, the competent person shall decide on another form of contractor selection to select a contractor in accordance with the provisions of the law on bidding.

d- Allow the use of regular expenditure capital according to the provisions of the law on the State budget to establish, appraise, approve, and promulgate urban planning, rural planning, and technical and specialized planning that has not been allocated capital. Allow to mobilize and use socialized capital sources, ensuring compliance with the provisions on establishment, appraisal, approval, promulgation, and adjustment of planning of the Law on Planning.

e- The content of the national master plan determines the orientation of distribution and spatial organization of socio-economic activities; orientation of national defense, security and environmental protection of national, international and inter-regional strategic importance on the territory including the mainland, islands, archipelagos, seas and airspace. Not yet implemented Point n, Clause 2, Article 22 of the Law on Planning on the List of important national projects and priority order of implementation.

g- Adjustment of national planning, regional planning, and provincial planning for the 2021-2030 period in case a lower planning was approved in advance but has content that is not consistent with the higher planning is carried out in the direction of not having to establish a planning task and reducing some procedures for planning adjustment.

h- Assign the Government to study regulations on responsibilities and authorities of agencies that prepare, appraise and approve planning to ensure independence, on the basis of enhancing responsibilities at all levels, streamlining administrative procedures, not causing inconvenience and incurring costs, in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Organization of the Government and the Law on Organization of Local Government.

i- Assign the Government to assess the impact of abolishing plans on investment in development of specific goods, services and products, determining the volume and quantity of goods, services and products produced and consumed according to the provisions of Point d, Clause 1, Article 59 of the Law on Planning; study the restoration of necessary and strategic product plans, ensuring that they are not contrary to international commitments that Vietnam has signed.

In this Resolution, the Government assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to urgently study and amend Decree No. 37/2019/ND-CP dated July 5, 2019 of the Government detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Planning; the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to urgently study and amend Decree No. 148/2020/ND-CP dated December 18, 2020 amending and supplementing a number of decrees detailing the implementation of the Land Law to comply with the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and the Resolution of the National Assembly on supervising the implementation of policies and laws on planning since the Law on Planning took effect and a number of solutions to improve the quality and speed up the progress of planning for the period 2021 - 2030.

Ministries shall study and revise detailed regulations and implementation guidelines on planning work that are still inconsistent and overlapping to promptly remove obstacles and difficulties in order to speed up planning progress and quality; promptly review, study and promulgate or submit to competent authorities for promulgation regulations on standards, technical regulations, and specialized planning.

Ministries, sectors and localities shall further strengthen coordination to upgrade the national planning information system and database, unify technology, planning data formats, update and share information to ensure publicity and transparency; strengthen propaganda and dissemination of planning policies and laws; promote administrative procedure reform; organize inspections, checks, prevent and promptly and strictly handle violations of planning laws.

The Minister of Planning and Investment and the Minister of Justice closely coordinated with relevant agencies of the National Assembly to complete documents and procedures to submit to the 15th National Assembly at the 3rd session on a number of solutions to remove obstacles, speed up progress, and improve the quality of planning.

Long term solutions

Summarize the implementation of the Law on Planning and the Law on Construction, the Law on Urban Planning, the Law on Land, the Law on Bidding, and related laws and ordinances to propose solutions for amendment and supplementation to meet the requirements of State management of planning work.

Continue to review and amend laws related to planning, ensuring consistency and consistency with the Law on Planning after amendment and supplementation.

Regarding the completion of procedures and documents to submit the draft Law on Forces participating in protecting security and order at the grassroots level; the draft Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety; the draft Law on Roads:

The Resolution stated that, based on the proposal of the Ministry of Public Security and the results of the consultation with Government members on April 16, 2022, the Government assigned the Ministry of Public Security to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to draft a Submission on the major contents of the draft Law on Forces Participating in Protecting Security and Order at the Grassroots Level; Submission on separating the Road Traffic Law into the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety and the Road Law for the Government Party Committee to consider and submit to the Politburo for direction.