Strongly innovate legislative work, unleash resources for development
Nghe An Newspaper respectfully introduces the speech of General Secretary and President To Lam at the opening session of the 8th session of the 15th National Assembly.
“Dear Congress,
Dear leaders, former leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, revolutionary elders, international guests, distinguished delegates,
Dear compatriots, soldiers and voters nationwide!
Today, the 15th National Assembly solemnly opened its 8th Session. According to the program, this is the session with the largest workload since the beginning of the term and is also the first session responsible for institutionalizing the Resolution of the 10th Central Conference of the 13th tenure, urgently putting the Party's policies into practice, solving many other important issues of the country, creating the premise, and immediately preparing in all aspects to bring the country into a new era - the era of the Vietnamese people's rise.
On behalf of the Party and State leaders, I respectfully send greetings and wishes for health, happiness and success to the leaders and former leaders of the Party, State and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, National Assembly deputies, distinguished guests, representatives of the Diplomatic Corps and international organizations attending the opening session of the Session, and to all voters, people, compatriots and soldiers nationwide and our compatriots abroad. I wish the Session great success.
Dear comrades and ladies,
Recently, the 10th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee was a great success; the Politburo and the Secretariat also organized a national conference at the grassroots level to disseminate and implement the Resolution of the 10th Central Conference. With a spirit of innovation, solidarity and unity, the 10th Central Conference discussed and decided on many important contents; unified awareness and action to focus on leadership and direction to accelerate, break through, and complete the goals and tasks of the 13th Congress term; and prepare for the 14th National Party Congress.
At the Conference, the Central Executive Committee assessed: Since the beginning of the 13th Congress term, the world and regional situation has had many complicated developments, with issues beyond forecast, unprecedented, posing many difficulties and huge challenges to the task of building and defending the Fatherland; the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a great loss, leaving behind infinite sorrow among the people and soldiers of the whole country.
In such a difficult context, our Party has demonstrated its resilience, being a unified bloc in will and action, promptly perfecting the Party and State leadership with high consensus, thereby leading and directing the entire political system to make efforts and continue to achieve great and comprehensive achievements in all fields. The main goals and tasks of 2024 have basically been completed and exceeded the set targets, including many positive highlights. Socio-political stability; economic growth is high compared to the region and the world, major balances are ensured (we increase wages but do not increase prices), attracting foreign investment increases; Culture and society continue to develop, the material and spiritual life of the people is increasingly better met (movements to eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses, support people to overcome the consequences of typhoon Yagi have demonstrated the good nature of our regime, the spirit of mutual love, national love, and compatriotism are strongly aroused in difficult times). National defense and security potential is strengthened, the Fatherland is firmly protected; foreign relations continue to be expanded and upgraded, demonstrating Vietnam's proactive and positive contributions to world politics, global economy and human civilization. Those important achievements have further consolidated the country's foundation, potential, position and international prestige over 40 years of renovation, creating a new appearance, new position and strength so that we can be self-reliant, confident, self-reliant, self-reliant, and proud of the nation, leading the country into an era of self-improvement in the coming time.
In the country's overall achievements, there are very important contributions from the National Assembly in general, and the 15th National Assembly in particular. In recent times, the activities of the National Assembly have been innovated, becoming more substantial and effective. The National Assembly has increasingly promoted its role as the highest representative body of the people, the highest State power body with 3 important functions: (i) Regarding legislation, since the beginning of the term, the National Assembly has passed 43 laws, more than 60 resolutions; the National Assembly Standing Committee has issued 45 resolutions and 03 ordinances. Right in this 8th session, the National Assembly is expected to continue to pass 15 bills, 3 Resolutions and give opinions on 13 draft laws, including 01 law amending 03 laws in the field of investment; 01 law amending 07 laws in the field of finance and asset management, there are very new Law projects in line with development trends such as the Law on Data and the Law on Digital Technology Industry, demonstrating the high sense of responsibility of the National Assembly, the Government has promptly grasped and immediately implemented the policy of the 10th Central Conference. These documents have made an important contribution to perfecting the legal system, removing difficulties and obstacles, overcoming bottlenecks, adjusting aspects of socio-economic life, ensuring human rights and serving national development. (ii) The National Assembly's supervisory activities have been constantly improved, focusing on pressing issues of life, contributing to perfecting policies and laws, ensuring discipline and order, and promoting State agencies to better perform their tasks. (iii) The National Assembly has accompanied the Government in deciding and promptly promulgating many important policies and guidelines, which are of great significance to the country's socio-economic development, taking care of people's lives, especially in difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. (iv) The National Assembly's foreign relations have been expanded with many outstanding activities, and the National Assembly has been elected to many important positions at major and prestigious forums around the world.
However, frankly admitting that there are still shortcomings and limitations in the organization and operation of the National Assembly that need to be overcome soon. Of the three biggest bottlenecks today, which are institutions, infrastructure and human resources, institutions are the “bottleneck” of “bottlenecks.” The quality of law making and improvement has not met practical requirements, some newly issued laws have had to be amended; regulations are not really consistent, still overlap, many regulations are difficult, hindering implementation, causing loss and waste of resources; have not created a truly favorable environment to attract resources from domestic and foreign investors, and to unlock resources from the people. Administrative procedures are still cumbersome, online public services have been improved but are not convenient and smooth; the organization of law and policy enforcement is still a weak link. Decentralization and delegation of power are not thorough, responsibilities are not clear; Arrange and consolidate the State administrative apparatus to be streamlined, operate effectively and efficiently, reduce the number of focal points and intermediate levels that are still inadequate, some parts are still cumbersome, overlap between the legislative and executive branches, and do not really meet the requirements of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of management. The shortcomings and limitations that have existed for many years need to be urgently overcome, not to hinder development, cause waste, and miss opportunities for national development in the new era. This is the responsibility of the entire political system, but a great responsibility rests on the shoulders of the National Assembly, the agencies of the National Assembly and the Government.
In addition, through the work, it has been shown that hostile and reactionary forces always thoroughly take advantage of the process of building and perfecting institutions and laws to influence, steer, and even sabotage, identifying this as the "shortest" and "fastest" path to transform Vietnam's politics; criminals and interest groups also seek every way to influence for their own benefit. If they are not truly wise, courageous, and for the common good, inappropriate institutions can cause turning points in the country's development.
From the above issues, to meet the requirements of national development in the new era, I respectfully request the National Assembly to continue to strongly innovate its organization and operations in the spirit of Resolution No. 27-NQ/TW dated November 9, 2022 of the 6th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee on continuing to build and perfect the socialist rule-of-law state of Vietnam in the new period. In particular, I would like to emphasize 3 issues:
Firstly, strongly innovate legislative work, including: (i) Transforming the thinking of law-making towards both ensuring the requirements of State management and encouraging creativity, liberating all productive forces, and unleashing all resources for development. Management thinking is not rigid, resolutely abandoning the thinking of "if you can't manage, then ban". (ii) Legal provisions must be stable and have long-term value; the law only regulates framework issues and issues of principle; it does not need to be too long. Practical issues that fluctuate frequently are assigned to the Government and localities to regulate to ensure flexibility in management. Absolutely do not administrativeize the activities of the National Assembly; legalize the provisions of Decrees and Circulars. (iii) Innovate the process of law-making and implementation. Stick to reality, stand on the ground of Vietnamese reality to build appropriate legal provisions; learn from experience while doing; do not be hasty, but also do not be perfectionist, so as to miss opportunities; (iv) Take people and businesses as the center and subject; regularly evaluate the effectiveness and quality of policies after promulgation to promptly adjust inadequacies and conflicts, minimize loss and waste of resources; proactively detect and quickly remove "bottlenecks" caused by legal regulations. (iv) Promote decentralization and delegation of power with the motto "locality decides, locality acts, locality takes responsibility"; thoroughly reform administrative procedures, reduce compliance costs, create the most favorable conditions for people and businesses. (v) Focus on controlling power in law-making, tighten discipline, promote responsibility, especially the responsibility of leaders, resolutely fight against negativity and "group interests". (vi) Proactively, actively, and urgently build a legal corridor for new issues and new trends (especially issues related to the 4.0 revolution, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, green transformation, etc.) to create a legal framework to successfully implement the digital transformation revolution, creating a breakthrough for the country's development in the following years.
Second, better perform the function of supreme supervision and decide on important issues of the country. It is necessary to promptly study and clearly define the method and form of supreme supervision of the National Assembly in accordance with reality, avoiding overlapping with the activities of other State agencies, causing waste. Continue to improve the quality of questioning, explaining, and supervising legal documents; focus on monitoring, reviewing, and urging the implementation of recommendations after supervision. Innovate the process of deciding on the State budget to ensure substance, go hand in hand with supervising the implementation of the budget, gradually replacing the issuance of resolutions with laws on finance and budget.
At this session, the volume of work on supervising and deciding on important national issues is also very large, the reality is posing, voters are looking forward to (such as assessing the socio-economic situation in 2024 and the tasks of socio-economic development, finance, and budget in 2025; supervising the topic "Implementation of real estate market management policies and social housing development from 2015 to the end of 2023"; considering and deciding on investment policies for the National Target Program on cultural development, investing in the North-South high-speed railway project, establishing Hue City directly under the Central Government...), requesting the National Assembly and National Assembly deputies to promote their roles and responsibilities in discussing and deciding on these important issues.
Third, strongly innovate the organization and operation of the National Assembly, ensure effective and efficient operations; improve the quality and efficiency of the implementation of tasks and powers of National Assembly deputies, considering this one of the key factors of the key to innovate the activities of the National Assembly. The activities of the National Assembly, its agencies, and National Assembly deputies must be "in tune with their roles and know their lessons"; clearly define the functions, tasks, and relationships between agencies, especially those of the National Assembly and the Government, ensuring closeness and harmony in the national governance process. The National Assembly and its deputies need to be highly unified and exemplary, take the lead, and make positive and important contributions to building the country's development institutions with the spirit of innovation, reform, wholeheartedly serving the Fatherland and the people; regularly cultivate, practice, maintain moral qualities, discipline, and order, and improve their working qualifications and capacity; Maintain close contact, honestly reflect the opinions and recommendations of voters and be subject to their supervision. Always keep in mind and carry out the advice of the great President Ho Chi Minh to National Assembly deputies: "must strive to maintain the independence of the Fatherland, strive to seek happiness for compatriots, must always remember and practice the saying: For the benefit of the country, forget the benefit of the family; for the common good, forget the personal benefit". Arrange and perfect the Council of Nationalities and the Committees and agencies of the National Assembly to ensure effective and efficient operations. Continue to expand and improve the effectiveness of the National Assembly's foreign affairs work, contributing to enhancing the role and position of Vietnam in the international arena.
Dear comrades and ladies,
The world is in a period of epochal change, the country is standing at the historic door to enter a new era, an era of national growth. The country's burning reality is posing urgent issues that need to be resolved. The people are waiting and expecting the decisions of the Party, the State and the National Assembly. I request the National Assembly, its agencies, and its deputies to promote the spirit of solidarity, responsibility, innovation, and breakthrough to excellently fulfill their responsibilities, contributing to the solidarity of the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army to strive to soon successfully build a socialist Vietnam, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers as the wish of the great President Ho Chi Minh and the aspiration of the entire nation.
Once again, I wish good health to the leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front; National Assembly delegates, distinguished guests, and all comrades.
Thank you very much!