'Some localities lack respect for the oversight activities of the National Assembly.'

While acknowledging the difficulties faced by the localities, the Speaker of the National Assembly emphasized the need for strict criticism of those localities that lack seriousness in their approach.

On the morning of January 11th, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly discussed and voted to approve the Resolution of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly promulgating the Regulations stipulating the procedures for conducting certain activities related to the supervision of the National Assembly, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, and the National Assembly delegations.

Publicly disclose what works well and what doesn't.

"In reality, many localities are not taking this seriously, even large localities disregard the supervisory activities of the National Assembly, including the supreme supervisory activities," the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly frankly stated, mentioning that a delegation led by the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly went to supervise food safety and hygiene, but the locality only had one Vice Chairman and a few other deputy-level officials present.

"Having worked in the National Assembly for many years, I've seen this situation exist, especially in large localities – where inspections inevitably reveal problems. Clearly, there are instances of misconduct, and if necessary, a few cases should be brought before the National Assembly for public, transparent, and clear accountability. We must respect the oversight of the highest authority; they are also representatives of the people conducting oversight, and we must enforce it seriously," said Mr. Phung Quoc Hien.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan

While acknowledging the difficulties faced by localities in receiving numerous delegations each year, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan also emphasized the need for strict criticism of localities that exhibit unserious attitudes and a lack of respect.

“Local authorities must respect the oversight activities of the National Assembly. The oversight must be like supreme oversight, thereby significantly improving the operation and management of the State apparatus. Each Ministry, through oversight, should review its needs, shortcomings, and whether it has implemented its policies correctly. Then, it should publicly and transparently disclose what has been done well and what has not,” the National Assembly Chairman noted. “National Assembly deputies say we speak very well, but the responsibility is unclear; it’s very vague. There must be a list of localities that have performed well.”

It's not advisable to have a large, continuous stream of people heading down to the local area.

Concerned about the regulation setting a limit on the number of delegations sent to a locality, the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Le Thi Nga, argued that the quality and working methods of the supervisory delegation are what truly matter. She explained that while localities may complain, clearly no one wants functional agencies to conduct supervision because, psychologically, a supervisory delegation only comes if there are problems, or the possibility of problems, or mistakes.

The delegates suggested that when the monitoring delegation visits a locality, there should be no need for elaborate receptions, as the delegation can cover its own expenses without bothering the local authorities. During the working session, if local leaders are busy, arrangements can be made to work with the relevant specialized agencies.

"If we only visit 10 localities, for example, where the situation isn't particularly pressing or problematic, we won't be able to solve the problem. For the remaining localities, we request reports, but in reality, when they report, shortcomings are downplayed, and strengths are emphasized, resulting in a monitoring report that is mostly praise," Ms. Nga stated, emphasizing that while praise is good if it's accurate, she fears voters might disagree.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien

Besides emphasizing the need to coordinate the number of supervisory delegations sent to each locality, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Phung Quoc Hien noted that too many delegations should not be sent.Recently, regulations have been implemented limiting each inspection team to three vehicles, with only the team leader having a private car while the rest travel in shared vehicles, and this is being strictly enforced. Upon arrival, they split into teams to conduct inspections, which is a positive change.

Regarding this issue, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu stated that more supervision does not necessarily mean better quality. It must be based on actual conditions, with macro-level supervision being the primary focus, and visits to localities serving to demonstrate whether the supervision is being carried out effectively.

"If our supervision is effective and impactful, then even fewer supervisions will have a greater impact than many supervision teams. There are still many opinions that our supervision activities are not very effective," said Mr. Uong Chu Luu.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan also emphasized that supervision must be of high quality, not just sending a large delegation that yields no results. She stressed the importance of coordinating delegations to avoid having too many supervisory delegations in one province, which could negatively impact local work. She also stated that delegations with large numbers of members should not be approved.

"The idea that a single article can be more effective than a full oversight is worth considering. How can oversight demonstrate the power that the people have entrusted to the National Assembly and its agencies?" – the Chairwoman said.

According to VOV