National Assembly deputies suggest avoiding formalities when consulting people in urban and rural planning.

On the morning of October 25, at the National Assembly House, continuing the 8th Session, under the chairmanship of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, the National Assembly held a plenary discussion in the hall on a number of contents with different opinions of the draft Law on Urban and Rural Planning. Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai chaired the meeting.

The National Assembly delegation of Nghe An province was led by comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council.

Previously, at the 7th Session, the National Assembly deputies gave their opinions in groups and in the hall. The National Assembly Standing Committee also organized a conference of full-time National Assembly deputies to discuss the draft law. The draft law was also sent to the Government and National Assembly delegations for comments to be absorbed and completed.

Presenting the report on receiving, explaining and revising the draft Law on Urban and Rural Planning, Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh said that based on the opinions of National Assembly deputies, National Assembly agencies and the Government, the National Assembly Standing Committee has directed relevant agencies to study, receive and revise the draft Law. The draft Law after being received, revised and completed includes 6 chapters and 65 articles; 2 articles were removed and 2 articles were added compared to the draft Law submitted to the National Assembly at the 7th Session.

In particular, the draft Law has been revised in the direction of clearly defining the general planning, zoning planning and detailed planning with the nature of gradual concretization and detailing; at the same time, clearly defining the contents of the general planning to be specified in the zoning planning, the contents of the zoning planning to be specified in the detailed planning. The contents, requirements and principles of concretization must be clearly defined and stipulated in the planning, ensuring clarity and convenience for the implementation process.

In response to the opinions of National Assembly deputies, the draft Law has been revised to clearly stipulate cases related to planning scope and administrative boundaries in the direction of minimizing the number of plans that must be established; supplementing regulations on allowing simultaneous establishment of general plans; in cases where the general plan is approved by a different authority, the general plan with a higher authority is approved first; in cases where the general plan is approved by the same authority, the general plan that is established and appraised first is approved first...

At the working session, the National Assembly deputies discussed and raised many opinions, including the need for open regulations at all planning levels; additional requirements on urban and rural planning; clear regulations for areas that do not require detailed planning; ensuring consistency with the Housing Law 2023 and the Land Law 2024...

In particular, delegate Duong Khac Mai - National Assembly Delegation of Dak Nong province agreed on the need to have regulations to collect opinions from the community, in order to demonstrate democracy, publicity, transparency and best completeness for planning.

However, delegates said that urban and rural planning is specialized, has many terms, drawings, etc., the level of education is not similar and not all people understand it clearly. Access to planning by people in remote areas is still limited.

Therefore, in order to have good planning, ensure people's consensus, and avoid formalities in collecting opinions, delegate Duong Khac Mai suggested that in addition to regulating the collection of community opinions on urban and rural planning as in the draft, it is necessary to consider adding agencies and organizations that are responsible for classifying specific contents that need to be collected opinions, transforming simpler contents, identifying key issues on technical infrastructure, social infrastructure works, housing, etc. associated with residential areas so that people can have opinions.

Concluding the discussion session, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai stated that the delegates highly appreciated the preparation of the report on reception and explanation of the National Assembly Standing Committee, agreed with many contents of the draft law; at the same time, contributed many specific and accurate opinions to complete the draft law, especially on the contents: scope of regulation, subjects of application, urban and rural planning system, interpretation of terms, planning for new urban areas, underground space planning, planning time limit and periods, consistency and synchronization with related laws.

The National Assembly Standing Committee will direct the drafting agency, the reviewing agency, and relevant agencies to study and fully absorb comments to complete the explanatory report, absorb and revise the draft law, and complete the draft to submit to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.