The Speaker of the National Assembly called on the entire nation to unite in overcoming challenges.

This morning (October 20th), the 8th session of the 13th National Assembly opened at the Dien Hong Hall, the new National Assembly building, in Ba Dinh district, Hanoi. This session is considered the first comprehensive rehearsal of all aspects of operation for the new National Assembly building.

Overview of the opening ceremony of the 8th Session of the 13th National Assembly.

Socio-economic development is not yet sustainable.

In his opening remarks at the session, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung stated that the 8th session of the National Assembly is taking place at a time when the global economy is showing signs of recovery, albeit slowly; political security, armed conflicts, and epidemics in some areas are developing in a complex manner, negatively impacting the economic and political life of the region and the world. Domestically, the macroeconomic situation is stable, inflation is under control; the economy is shifting in a positive direction, growth is on the path to recovery, and budget revenue is quite good; social welfare and poverty reduction policies are being implemented comprehensively; national defense is strengthened, and political security and social order are maintained. Judicial reform, crime prevention, and combating social evils are being actively implemented. Foreign relations continue to expand, and Vietnam's position in the region and the world is being enhanced.

However, the Chairman of the National Assembly also noted that the socio-economic situation still faces many difficulties and weaknesses, threatening the sustainable development of the country; the overall restructuring of the economy remains uncertain and difficult to implement; aggregate demand is increasing slowly; inventories of goods remain high, and the economy's ability to absorb capital is weak; labor productivity and the competitiveness of the economy are still low; financial and monetary security is not yet stable; public debt, corporate debt, and budget balance lack effective and sustainable solutions; the production and business activities of enterprises and the lives of a segment of the population remain difficult. The situation regarding crime, social evils, political security, and social order and safety continues to be complex, causing public unease. The situation in the East Sea continues to be complex, significantly affecting the country's socio-economic development.

The Chairman of the National Assembly emphasized that this situation demands even greater determination from the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army, along with fundamental and comprehensive policies and solutions to further stabilize the macroeconomy, control inflation, restore growth momentum, develop infrastructure, improve the quality of education and training of human resources, accelerate administrative and judicial reforms, and perfect the institutional framework; the entire people must unite to overcome difficulties and challenges, successfully implement the socio-economic development plan for 2014 and the five-year plan for 2011-2015, and create momentum for rapid and sustainable development in the following years.

Consider and decide on important matters.

At this session, the National Assembly will consider and decide on several important issues. The National Assembly is expected to pass 18 draft laws and 3 draft resolutions, and provide feedback on 12 other draft laws, including many important laws on the country's organizational structure, human rights, and citizens' rights… to implement the new Constitution.

The Speaker of the National Assembly delivered a speech at the opening session.

The Speaker of the National Assembly stated that this session is the second time the National Assembly, on behalf of the people and voters, has assessed the confidence in the leadership positions of the Party and the State. The National Assembly will strive to fulfill its nhiệm vụ.

In addition, the National Assembly is also expected to consider the plan for reforming the curriculum and textbooks; and to review the major project of investing in the construction of Long Thanh airport.

The Speaker of the National Assembly requested relevant agencies to strengthen their responsibilities, prepare the agenda well, and urged delegates to promote a spirit of unity and responsibility, contributing to the quality of the session.

The Prime Minister reports to the National Assembly.

Following the opening remarks by National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung presented the Report on the socio-economic situation in 2014 and tasks for 2015.

In general, regarding the results of the economic development plan implementation, up to this point, out of the 14 targets set by the National Assembly, 12 targets are expected to be met or exceeded, 1 target (job creation) is close to being met, and 1 target (the percentage of trained workers) has not been met.

Over the past nine months, the economic situation has been assessed as continuing to improve in most sectors, with economic growth in each subsequent quarter exceeding that of the previous one. Industrial production, especially the processing and manufacturing industries, has experienced high growth. Agricultural production has developed steadily. The service sector has developed well, exports have maintained their growth momentum, and a trade surplus continues. Interest rates are trending downwards…

However, business operations remain challenging. Overall economic demand is weak, credit growth is low, and the handling of bad debts is slow and ineffective. The task of restructuring the economy, especially restructuring businesses and the commercial banking system, is progressing slowly…

The Prime Minister's report outlined several key solutions that need to be focused on in the remaining months of 2014, such as flexibly managing monetary policy tools to regulate market interest rates at a reasonable level; effectively implementing solutions to mobilize all resources and encourage social investment; accelerating the progress of construction and disbursement of capital for basic construction, especially from state budget funds, government bonds, ODA, etc.

According to chinhphu.vn