Speaker of the National Assembly: 'Any paperwork that is burdensome for the people should be eliminated.'

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung emphasized that cumbersome paperwork for citizens should be eliminated in the draft Law on Citizen Identification.

On the morning of July 14th, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Social Affairs, Truong Thi Mai, expressed concern about how many documents would be eliminated and how many would remain in use after the enactment of the Citizen Identity Card Law. Ms. Mai also stated that these issues need to be clarified by the delegates and the drafting committee.

In addition, the Head of Social Affairs also expressed concern and questioned how much this policy would cost to implement.

The Law on Citizen Identity Cards, upon its enactment, is expected to reduce the number of documents required from citizens.

Sharing information about the draft law, Major General Tran Van Ve, Deputy Head of the Drafting Committee for the Citizen Identity Card Law, said that according to Project 896 currently being implemented, when this law is implemented, many types of documents such as household registration and birth certificates will be abolished.

Mr. Ve stated that, based on pilot programs in Hai Phong, Hanoi, etc., it can be confirmed that the national population database project will be successful. The identity card database is already complete and only requires approval for data entry. The database only stipulates 16 of the most basic pieces of information; identifying characteristics and fingerprints are not included.

Chairman of the National Security and Defense Committee Nguyen Kim Khoa also strongly agreed that the enactment of the Identity Card Law would reduce procedures and paperwork for the people. Mr. Khoa gave an example: “I had to go through the process of getting land and house documents in Thanh Xuan district for 8 months to complete. They demanded everything from birth certificates to marriage certificates… Administrative reform is a very significant innovative idea. This is not just a personal request, but one that the entire population is concerned about.”

Mr. Khoa also stated that on July 1, 2014, the Prime Minister requested focused direction to quickly establish a shared national database, avoiding fragmentation and localization. Therefore, this Law on Identity Cards should be implemented if it benefits the people and ensures formal and professional standards.

Meanwhile, Professor Dao Trong Thi – Chairman of the Committee on Education for Youth, Children and Adolescents – believes that the national population database is a connecting link for accessing and utilizing information online.

Mr. Thi gave the example of birth certificates, stating that when a child is born, the information is immediately updated in the national database without going through any other channel. Successful application of information technology will solve this problem.

Professor Dao Trong Thi stated that whether it's called a birth certificate or an identity card, it's just a name. However, regardless of the name, only one type should be issued. Professor Thi believes that identity cards issued to children under 14 years old should include the names of both parents.

Agreeing with the proposal to issue identity cards from birth, the Chairman of the Legal Committee, Phan Trung Ly, stated that if implemented successfully, it would be a revolution, reducing paperwork for the people.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung believes that burdensome paperwork for citizens must be eliminated.

Responding to the contributions of the delegates, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung also stated that the draft law is a major reform of administrative procedures, creating favorable conditions for the people and reducing unnecessary paperwork. However, the National Assembly Chairman also expressed concern about the potential impact of the law once it is enacted.

The Speaker of the National Assembly agreed with the view of many delegates that identity cards should be issued from birth and that birth certificates should not be required.

"It needs to be clear and concise. What does the national database contain? What does the civil registration system contain? When do we have to declare it?...”, the Speaker of the National Assembly requested the drafting committee to clarify.

"Replacing birth certificates with identity cards is the right thing to do. Even the elderly are asked for birth certificates, and they're asked for tickets too. That's an abuse of power, and this law must eliminate all of that," the Speaker of the National Assembly emphasized. Therefore, the Speaker believes that documents that cause inconvenience to citizens should be abolished.

"It must be prepared in advance so that people can receive their identity cards as soon as they complete the application process. That's how we should serve the people!" the Chairman of the National Assembly reminded the drafting committee of the bill.

According to VTC.news