Delegation of National Assembly of Nghe An province collects comments on draft Law on Railways (amended)
On the afternoon of April 23, the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province held a conference to collect comments on the draft Law on Railways (amended) and the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on efficient and economical use of energy.
Comrades: Thai Thi An Chung - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Tran Nhat Minh - full-time delegate of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province chaired.
As an important legal document, however, after more than 7 years of implementation, the 2017 Railway Law has revealed shortcomings and inadequacies that require early research, amendment and supplementation to meet practical requirements. At the conference, delegates basically agreed with the contents of the draft Railway Law (amended), and contributed some opinions to improve the draft law.
According to the representative of the Nghe An Union of Science and Technology Associations, the National Assembly has approved the policy of investing in a high-speed railway on the North-South axis, opening an important step for the railway industry. Conclusion No. 49-KL/TW dated February 28, 2023 of the Politburo also set out key tasks, emphasizing the application of science and technology, strengthening international cooperation, especially in the development of urban railways and high-speed railways.
To make the policies more feasible, a representative of the Nghe An Union of Science and Technology Associations said that the draft law needs to add regulations and principles on financial mechanisms to support scientific research in the railway sector, such as the fund for science and technology development in the transport sector.
In addition, it is necessary to specify in detail the method of compulsory technology transfer in important railway projects, to avoid the situation where foreign contractors carry out ad hoc or incomplete technology transfer.
At the conference, delegates also commented on the requirements for railway infrastructure in Article 10 of the draft law. This is a new content compared to the provisions of the current 2017 Railway Law. Therefore, to ensure clarity and transparency, it is recommended to consider adding requirements for each type of railway according to the classification of the Vietnamese railway system.
Regarding the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade hopes that businesses participating in the meeting will pay attention to the additional provisions on financial support tools and incentive mechanisms for businesses investing in projects on energy efficiency and conservation, in order to meet the requirements of the export market through the fund mechanism.
The representative of the Department of Industry and Trade also proposed to consider adding content to Article 8 (Prohibited acts) on the act of "Failure to implement regulations, technical standards, energy use norms, management measures and mandatory energy-saving and efficient technology in design, construction, installation and use of equipment to save energy" to comply with current regulations.
Commenting on the draft law, the representative of the Department of Agriculture and Environment suggested that the drafting agencies should review the provisions to avoid conflicts and overlaps in the legal system. In addition, the drafting agencies should coordinate with ministries, branches, localities, experts, and practitioners to review and evaluate the administrative procedures and processes as well as internal procedures between state agencies in the draft Law, in order to minimize procedures and processes; thereby, contributing to reducing the cost of legal compliance of relevant entities; ensuring feasibility and suitability with practice as required by the Government in Resolution No. 240/NQ-CP.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An Province, Thai Thi An Chung, thanked the delegates for their specific and in-depth comments, thereby contributing to the completion and improvement of the quality of the draft laws. The opinions and recommendations raised at the conference will be collected and selected by the National Assembly Delegation of the province to synthesize and complete for submission to the National Assembly at the upcoming 9th Session.
