Assigning the authority to grant architectural practice certificates to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee is inappropriate.

On the afternoon of May 21, Member of the National Assembly Standing Committee, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Phan Xuan Dung presented a report explaining, accepting and revising the draft Law on Architecture.

Delegates discussed in the hall a number of contents with different opinions of the draft Law on Architecture. The submitting agency and the agency in charge of reviewing the report clarified the issues raised by National Assembly delegates.

Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An Province Tran Van Mao spoke at the discussion in the hall. Photo: Thanh Loan

Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province, Tran Van Mao, spoke to discuss some contents of this draft Law.

Accordingly, Clause 1 and Clause 2, Article 27 of the draft Law on Architecture stipulates that the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee has the authority to grant practice certificates, extend, revoke, and reissue local architectural practice certificates.

Delegate Tran Van Mao said that this authority should be assigned to the Department of Construction because it is consistent with the functions and tasks of this department and consistent with decentralization and management authority, and on the other hand, it reduces the workload for the provincial People's Committee chairman.

In addition, Clause 7, Article 3 stipulates that a practicing architect is a person with an architectural practice certificate performing architectural services.

“Such a regulation does not cover the work of architects. In reality, are architects who do planning work considered practicing architects?”, delegate Tran Van Mao analyzed and suggested that the drafting committee review the content of the explanation of the words in this clause.

The delegate of Nghe An delegation suggested that the district level should be empowered to organize and approve architectural management regulations to reduce the burden on the Provincial People's Committee and ensure greater feasibility.

Currently, construction planning work is often established and adjusted alternately, so it is not feasible to assign only the provincial People's Committee to organize, establish and adjust the architectural management regulations.

On the other hand, the draft law stipulates that "an architect practicing as an individual is a person who does not belong to an architectural practice organization and performs architectural services on his or her own behalf."

"Thus, for architects who are part of an architectural practice organization, are they allowed to practice as individuals?", delegate Tran Van Mao asked and suggested that the law should be more clearly defined.