The National Assembly officially passed the Law on Citizen Reception.

Continuing the program of the 6th Session of the 13th National Assembly, on the afternoon of November 25, the National Assembly worked in the hall to vote to pass the Law on Citizen Reception and discuss the draft Law on Environmental Protection (amended).

It is necessary to amend the Law on Environmental Protection.

Delegates Do Thi Huyen Tam (Bac Ninh delegation), Duong Hoang Huong (Phu Tho delegation), Nguyen Duc Hien (Nghe An delegation), Trieu Thi Nai (Ha Giang delegation)... agreed with the necessity of amending the 2005 Law on Environmental Protection as stated in the Government's Submission.

According to delegate Do Thi Huyen Tam (Bac Ninh delegation), the amendment of the 2005 Law on Environmental Protection aims to overcome shortcomings and inadequacies in the process of enforcing laws on environmental protection; institutionalize the Party and State's guidelines, policies and strategies on environmental protection in the new situation, especially Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW of the 7th Conference of the 11th Party Central Committee on proactively responding to climate change, strengthening resource management and environmental protection.

However, delegates suggested that the Drafting Committee should continue to review and supplement regulations to overcome shortcomings in preventing, controlling and remediating environmental pollution; inspecting, examining and handling violations of environmental protection laws; new regulations on responding to climate change, green growth, environmental security, etc.

Delegate Truong Van Vo (Dong Nai delegation) suggested that the draft Law needs to review general requirements and must improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the State in resource management as well as proactively respond to climate change.

On the other hand, the draft Law needs to institutionalize individual responsibility in State management of environmental protection, especially institutionalizing the State's incentive policy for environmental protection activities.

There should be environmental protection planning.

Regarding environmental protection planning, delegates Truong Van Vo (Dong Nai delegation), Do Van Ve (Thai Binh), Le Thi Cong (Ba Ria-Vung Tau delegation) said that the draft Law on Environmental Protection (amended) has many provisions related to environmental protection planning but does not mention the content, level, responsibility for planning, appraisal, approval, organization of planning, planning period and planning adjustment. The delegates requested the Drafting Committee to explain more clearly on this issue.

According to delegate Nguyen Minh Lam (Long An delegation), environmental protection planning is a new content that is very necessary for environmental management and protection, and should be included in the draft Law on Environmental Protection (amended) to improve the effectiveness of State management as well as meet the practical requirements of localities on environmental protection today. Delegate Ma Thi Thuy (Tuyen Quang delegation) suggested that it is necessary to focus on environmental protection work associated with planning ecological functions for sustainable development.

Strengthening the effectiveness of State management on environmental protection

Regarding the scope of regulation, delegates Hoang Thi To Nga (Nam Dinh delegation) and Trieu Thi Nai (Ha Giang delegation) agreed with the scope of regulation of the draft Law on Environmental Protection (amended). However, compared to the scope of regulation of the 2005 Law on Environmental Protection, “households” have not been regulated in the scope of regulation of the draft Law, while households play a very important role in environmental protection.

Delegates said that the draft Law needs to emphasize and clarify the responsibility of State management in environmental protection. Therefore, delegates suggested that the Drafting Committee study and re-express Article 1 of the Draft Law to make it more appropriate.

Regarding environmental impact assessment, delegates Hoang Thi To Nga (Nam Dinh delegation) and Nguyen Minh Lam (Long An delegation) said that in practice, in recent times, there have been a number of projects that had to prepare investment reports and request investment policies, but after preparing environmental impact assessments, negative impacts on the environment were found, forcing the project to be suspended, causing waste for investors and society.

Therefore, it is necessary to stipulate two steps for environmental impact assessment for some large projects that have negative impacts on the environment by the Government.

However, it is recommended that the Drafting Committee study and review this regulation to ensure that there are no administrative procedures and to avoid causing waste to investors and society.

Delegates also suggested that the draft Law consider that the preliminary environmental impact assessment must seek the opinion of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment because it will cause difficulties for investors and businesses; at the same time, there will be a "request for" mechanism and negativity in the process of collecting opinions. On the other hand, this regulation will lead to overlapping functions and tasks between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and localities.

In addition, delegates discussed a number of contents such as the responsibilities of state management agencies on environmental protection; amendments and supplements to regulations on strategic environmental assessment, environmental impact assessment; environmental protection in scrap import; inspection and examination in environmental protection; prohibited acts...

Through the Law on Citizen Reception

With 84.14% of the votes in favor, the National Assembly passed the Law on Citizen Reception. Thus, the Law on Citizen Reception consists of 9 chapters and 36 articles, clearly regulating the responsibility for receiving citizens; the rights and obligations of those who come to make complaints, denunciations, petitions, and reflections; the organization of citizen reception activities at the Citizen Reception Office, citizen reception locations of agencies, organizations, and units, and the conditions to ensure citizen reception activities.

The Law on Citizen Reception also specifically stipulates that the reception of representatives of agencies and organizations coming to make complaints, petitions, and reflections, and the reception of foreigners coming to make complaints, denunciations, petitions, and reflections are carried out in the same way as the reception of citizens.

According to the agenda of the 6th session of the 13th National Assembly, on the morning of November 26, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Law on Marriage and Family; and at the same time voted to pass the Law on Bidding (amended)./.

According to VNA