Provincial People's Council Delegate: It is necessary to issue regulations on people's contributions.

(Baonghean.vn) - In response to voters' opinions on the collection of funds and mobilization of contributions at the grassroots level, some localities and sectors have not implemented well, the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council, leaders of the Provincial People's Committee and People's Council delegates have given their opinions on this issue.

Ms. Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Provincial People's Council delegate of Dien Chau unit:

Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council Cao Thi Hien speaks at the meeting. Photo: Duc Anh

In response to the opinion of the Provincial People's Council delegates recommending that the Provincial People's Council needs to issue a Resolution on mobilizing people's contributions and managing revenue and expenditure of all types of funds in the province, and at the same time develop a program to monitor the revenue and expenditure of all types of funds in localities; Ms. Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council, affirmed:

The Provincial People's Council will assign the Provincial People's Committee to study and submit to the Provincial People's Council to issue a Resolution on this issue in accordance with the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents and the Law on Organization of Local Government. Along with that, the Provincial People's Council will also assign the Standing Committee, Committees, Groups and Provincial People's Council delegates to strengthen the supervision of revenue and expenditure at the grassroots level.

Ms. Cao Thi Hien also said: The collection and disbursement of funds and people's contributions are also issues that voters are concerned about; therefore, in the coming time, the Provincial People's Council will also strengthen supervision of the implementation, and resolve voters' opinions and recommendations on this issue of the Provincial People's Committee, branches and localities.

Mr. Le Xuan Dai - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Provincial People's Council delegate of Nghia Dan district:

Mr. Le Xuan Dai said that in 2016, the revenue from infrastructure construction contributions was more than 252 billion VND; the revenue from school construction contributions was more than 238 billion VND; the revenue from various funds according to the Resolution of the People's Council at the commune level was more than 28 billion VND. The revenue from villages was more than 32.6 billion VND.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Xuan Dai spoke at the discussion session in the hall. Photo: Duc Anh

However, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that through inspection, it was found that in the process of implementing voluntary collection of mobilized funds, there were still localities and units that did not do well, there was still a situation of equalization, equal division according to per capita, the implementation of democracy at the grassroots level in wards, communes, towns, and schools had not been promoted much...

Therefore, after re-evaluating and identifying the shortcomings and limitations in this matter, in March 2017, the People's Committee issued an official dispatch on rectifying the shortcomings of revenue collection in State management and revenue and expenditure activities in mobilization and voluntary contribution funds. Recently, after reviewing, the province continued to issue a document to rectify the revenue collection according to the resolution of the People's Council at the commune level.

“Based on the recent review by the sectors of Finance, Education and Training, the Provincial People's Committee is determined to direct to ensure that fund collections and people's contributions are in accordance with the law, to the right subjects, suitable to people's contribution capacity and managed in the strictest manner” - Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Xuan Dai affirmed.

Priest Nguyen Dang Dien, Provincial People's Council delegate of Vinh City:

In the context of a difficult budget, but people's lives are also improved, Father Nguyen Dang Dien agrees with mobilizing people's contributions to develop and build schools and common facilities of society.

Priest Nguyen Dang Dien, Provincial People's Council delegate of Vinh City, discussed his views on mobilizing people's contributions. Photo by Duc Anh

"In my opinion, everything is under the leadership of the Party and the State, having departments that care for a better society is reasonable and we are ready to support them," - priest Nguyen Dang Dien shared.

However, at this session of the Provincial People's Council, many voters reflected on the issue of contributions to various funds and fees at the grassroots level; as well as statements by Provincial People's Council delegates showing that fund collection still has shortcomings.

As a representative of the Provincial People's Council, Father Nguyen Dang Dien sincerely suggested that the province should review the mistakes and not let them drag on. This would affect the common work and create conditions for unprogressive and extremist elements to take advantage and create "trouble".

Chairman of the Provincial Journalists Association Tran Duy Ngoan, Provincial People's Council delegate of Hoang Mai unit:

Currently, the socialization to mobilize revenue from people, economic organizations, businesses and communities to invest in social welfare infrastructure projects has been very successful, bringing very good results, especially in the construction of new rural areas, mobilizing people's contributions in terms of land, gardens, walls, fences, etc.

However, according to delegate Tran Duy Ngoan, at the grassroots level, there is still a situation of taking advantage of socialization in infrastructure construction and in some jobs to "give birth" to some unreasonable funds. In some places, those who are receiving social benefits also have to contribute some amounts.

Delegate Tran Duy Ngoan speaks at the hall. Photo by Duc Anh

In building national standard schools, there are schools that divide contributions equally, set a collection level for parents, are not public, and do not report on implementation results, which does not meet people's wishes; while in mobilizing, those who have more contribute more, those who have less contribute less.

The collection of contributions does not adhere to Decree 34 of the National Assembly Standing Committee on promoting democracy in communes, wards and towns, so at some establishments and sectors, people do not agree with the collection. If the people agree with the collection of funds, know about it, discuss it, contribute to it, do it, check it, and benefit from it, it would be great.

Therefore, delegate Tran Duy Ngoan hopes that the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments and branches will have instructions on seriously implementing the fund: "What can be collected, what should not be collected, how to collect, manage and monitor the revenue source and how effective is that revenue source?".

Ms. Thai Thi An Chung - Deputy Head of the Legal Committee of the Provincial People's Council, Provincial People's Council delegate of Tan Ky unit:

According to Ms. Thai Thi An Chung, besides the advantages and positive impacts from mobilizing funds and contributions from people, businesses and philanthropists in the province in recent times, this work still has some limitations and urgent issues.

Regarding the types of mobilization funds (children protection funds, gratitude funds), although these are voluntary funds; however, in practice, there is still a situation where superiors assign targets to subordinates and set collection levels for the people. This creates the feeling that the funds are compulsory. At the same time, these types of funds do not have regulations on spending levels, so spending is not consistent among localities.

Delegate Thai Thi An Chung speaks at the hall. Photo by Duc Anh

Regarding social and charity funds (elderly support funds, education promotion funds, Agent Orange victims funds), there are still some funds that have not been licensed to establish and have their operating charters recognized according to Decree No. 30/2012/ND-CP. Some types of mobilization funds and social and charity funds have overlapping beneficiaries.

Regarding contributions to infrastructure construction, Ms. Thai Thi An Chung also said that in some places, contributions to infrastructure construction were mobilized but there were no detailed project records, total project estimates, no investment phases, and no specific contributions...

On the other hand, the mobilization is being carried out according to demographics, including children, the elderly, people from poor households, and social groups who must also contribute.

Therefore, Ms. Thai Thi An Chung recommended: The Provincial People's Committee needs to direct departments, branches, and districts to strengthen information, propaganda, and mobilization work so that people clearly understand the purpose and meaning of contributing to various funds and mobilized funds for infrastructure construction.

Ms. An Chung also requested that competent authorities strengthen inspection and supervision, thereby correcting the mobilization, management and use of people's contributions; strictly handling violations if any. On the other hand, people's contributions are a local budget revenue according to the provisions of the State Budget Law 2015, so they need to be managed and used in accordance with regulations.

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