Overview of the National Assembly questioning the Ministers.

Over the two days of June 11-12, four ministers—Agriculture and Rural Development; Industry and Trade; Science and Technology; and Education and Training—took turns answering questions from delegates and voters.

On the afternoon of June 12th, Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan appeared before the National Assembly to answer questions directly.

The responses to questions from the Minister of Education and Training, Pham Vu Luan, included: Measures to effectively implement Resolution No. 88/2014/QH13 of the National Assembly on reforming the curriculum and textbooks for general education; the reform of the organization of national examinations and the assessment of primary school students in 2015, the difficulties encountered, and measures to ensure stable implementation and application in the future.

Ready to organize the national high school graduation exam.

Regarding reforms to the organization of the national high school graduation exam, the Ministry of Education and Training stated that in 2015, almost all universities and colleges used the results of the national high school graduation exam for admissions. Of these, more than 200 universities and colleges only considered the national high school graduation exam results for admission; 179 schools used both the national high school graduation exam results and high school academic performance for admission.

With decisive direction from local authorities and coordination from ministries, sectors, and educational institutions nationwide, exam preparations have been completed; along with that, support services for candidates are ready.

Besides the national high school graduation exam organized by the Ministry of Education and Training, some universities have their own admission methods, such as: the aptitude test of Hanoi National University; preliminary selection and admission for candidates of FPT University; post-selection by Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, Academy of Journalism and Communication, etc., aiming to conduct supplementary assessments in combination with the results of the national high school graduation exam for admission.

In the coming period, the Ministry will continue to coordinate with other ministries, sectors, localities, and universities and colleges to direct the organization of the high school graduation examination and university and college entrance examinations according to the plan. At the same time, it will conduct a review and draw lessons from the 2015 national high school examination to improve and organize the national high school examination in a stable manner in subsequent years; and develop a plan to reform the high school graduation examination and university and college entrance examinations in accordance with the new curriculum and textbooks (expected to be applied from after 2021).

The Minister of Education and Training answers questions.

Minister Pham Vu Luan stated that, in implementing Resolution 88/2014/QH13 on reforming the curriculum and textbooks for general education, the Ministry of Education and Training, in coordination with other ministries and agencies, has finalized the draft plan for reforming the general education curriculum and textbooks, which was submitted to the Prime Minister for approval in Decision No. 404/QD-TTg dated March 27, 2015.

In organizing the development and finalization of the draft of the overall general education curriculum, the Ministry of Education and Training mobilized nearly 200 teachers, scientists, and education experts from high schools, universities, research institutes, etc., to participate in designing and developing the draft of the overall general education curriculum.

This draft overall program has been submitted for comments from educators, education administrators, scientists, and several associations under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (through workshops or by sending written requests for comments directly)...

At this point, the overall general education program has basically received high consensus and agreement. The Ministry of Education and Training is finalizing it before submitting it for widespread public consultation in July 2015.

At the same time, the Ministry is actively preparing to begin developing subject curricula based on the draft overall general education curriculum.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan answers questions.

On June 12th, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan appeared before the National Assembly to answer questions directly.

The Minister of Science and Technology directly answered questions regarding solutions to overcome current limitations, difficulties, and shortcomings in order to effectively apply scientific research results to serve life, production, and social management, especially in agricultural production.

At the same time, Minister Nguyen Quan also answered questions about the responsibilities of the science and technology sector in meeting the requirements of increasing labor productivity, supporting businesses to invest in technological innovation, developing the science and technology market to enhance competitiveness and sustainable development; the implementation of the transformation of science and technology organizations according to the mechanism of autonomy and self-responsibility; and the efficiency of using the science and technology budget.

Promoting the development of the science and technology market.

Concluding the question-and-answer session with Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung emphasized that science and technology, along with education, are top national priorities. The Party and State pay special attention to this field due to its crucial importance to the national economy.

According to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the country's scientific and technological research has achieved many successes. Researchers in various fields, including intellectuals, workers, farmers, officials, and soldiers, are all engaged in scientific research and have made many positive applications.

However, this field still faces many shortcomings in terms of policy mechanisms, science and technology market development, product pricing, and the implementation of autonomy in science and technology…

To address these shortcomings, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung requested the Minister of Science and Technology to research and advise the Government and the National Assembly on policies to: Develop a comprehensive science and technology market that truly functions as a market.

In this model, the key stakeholders are the scientific researchers (sellers) and the technology users (buyers); determining the value of scientific and technological products and establishing the science and technology market as a platform to connect these stakeholders, thereby bringing research products into production and daily life.

At the same time, the Chairman of the National Assembly requested the Minister of Science and Technology to continue coordinating with leaders of relevant ministries and sectors to develop national products of high quality and reasonable price, accepted by domestic and international markets. He emphasized the need to resolutely implement autonomy (organization, personnel, finance, etc.) in scientific and technological research. He also stressed the importance of continuing to improve the relevant mechanisms and institutions, creating conditions for economic sectors to participate in and invest in the development of science and technology... so that science and technology truly becomes a top national priority.

Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang

* On the afternoon of June 11th and the first half of the morning of June 12th, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang appeared before the National Assembly to answer questions.

The Minister's responses to the questions focused on solutions for developing domestic and international markets in the context of Vietnam having participated in and signed numerous trade agreements and currently negotiating to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

At the same time, the Minister also answered questions regarding the responsibilities and solutions for addressing the surplus of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products and the decline in export turnover; promoting the circulation of goods produced in Vietnam, especially agricultural products; implementing the "Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods" program; the current situation and solutions for developing the electricity network for rural areas; and the responsibility of state management regarding electricity prices while protecting consumer rights.

In addition, during the questioning session, Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang also participated in clarifying some related issues.

Concluding the question-and-answer session with the Minister of Industry and Trade, the Chairman of the National Assembly stated that Minister Vu Huy Hoang had directly answered 29 questions in the Assembly Hall. The people and voters nationwide closely followed this session and highly appreciated the questions from the delegates as well as the answers from the Ministers.

Minister Vu Huy Hoang has repeatedly answered questions before the National Assembly, demonstrating a deep understanding of the issues assigned to him. However, in the field of Industry and Trade, there are still many difficulties and many areas where the desired goals and plans have not been achieved. The Minister has accepted responsibility before the National Assembly and the voters nationwide.

According to questions raised by National Assembly deputies, several issues have emerged that require continued and decisive action in the coming period.

Revitalize the market; develop supporting industries.

First, the Speaker of the National Assembly proposed continuing to accelerate market restructuring, in the spirit of fully recognizing opportunities and challenges in the process of promoting integration.

According to the Speaker of the National Assembly, this is an opportunity to revitalize the market. Our goal is to ensure that every citizen, every business, regardless of their sector, and all state management agencies from the central to local levels, as well as the entire political system, fully understand the opportunities and challenges when accelerating integration.

Accordingly, the market must be streamlined from production and distribution to consumption; our market must operate efficiently and responsively. Therefore, all unnecessary administrative procedures should be eliminated to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese products to improve their quality and competitiveness, and reach the market. In addition, the campaign encouraging Vietnamese people to use Vietnamese goods should be further promoted.

Secondly, it is essential to develop supporting industries and create a strong transformation in this area. This is an extremely important sector, affecting not only domestic production but also significantly impacting import and export. Therefore, policies and plans must be developed simultaneously, along with scientific calculations, to ensure this initiative is effectively implemented.

Promoting openness and transparency.

Thirdly, regarding the management of electricity, gasoline, and some other commodities prices according to a market mechanism with state control, the Chairman of the National Assembly stated that we have done, are doing, and have done relatively well, so we must continue to do it well.

He emphasized the need for transparency and openness in these markets. All input factors, accounting for the factors that determine product prices, and output prices must be made public through announcements by state management agencies, production and business units, and mass media outlets so that the public understands and trusts them. At the same time, strict control is needed to prevent price manipulation.

Fourth, we must create positive change and prevent and combat smuggling, counterfeit goods, and fake products.

Fifth, continue implementing Resolution 62 of the National Assembly on dam safety; ensure the lives of resettled people. Continue the program to bring electricity to islands and rural areas, and operate the power grid safely.

Minister Cao Duc Phat answers questions from National Assembly deputies.

* Earlier, on the morning of June 11th, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat "opened" the questioning session before the National Assembly. There were 36 instances of deputies asking questions to the Minister.

At the meeting, Minister Cao Duc Phat directly answered four fundamental questions: the situation regarding the implementation of the national target program for building new rural areas; existing shortcomings and limitations, and solutions for overcoming them in the future; the current state of the "four-party linkage" and solutions for stabilizing the output of agricultural products; solutions for product consumption and planning for the sustainable development of industrial crops in Vietnam; and solutions to support fishermen in exploiting aquatic resources, protecting and developing fishing grounds.

Exactly what the people expected.

Concluding the question-and-answer session with Minister Cao Duc Phat, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung assessed that the questions from National Assembly deputies were very relevant to the fields of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas, addressing existing problems as well as looking at the development strategy of the agricultural sector and the farming and rural workforce to move towards successful integration.

According to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the National Assembly's greatest concern is the competitiveness of agricultural products and their ability to successfully integrate into the international market, not only domestically but also internationally. Members of the National Assembly, as well as the general public, are most concerned about production costs, prices, and whether the livelihoods of those engaged in production will improve and become prosperous. Therefore, these concerns have been raised by the National Assembly members.

Commenting on Minister Cao Duc Phat's response, the Chairman of the National Assembly said: "Our Minister is not only a macro-policy expert in this field, but also a very profound and knowledgeable expert in agriculture. He has an exceptional memory, remembering every hectare of forest, every hectare of rice field, every hectare of converted land, down to every type of plant and animal, and he is well aware of all the difficulties in the situation."

The Speaker of the National Assembly stated that the Minister had taken responsibility for the shortcomings in this area and in this sector, and had proposed solutions and demonstrated determination to implement them. "This is exactly what we discussed and what the people expected," the Speaker said.

In addition, the Chairman of the National Assembly also outlined several requirements that need to be continued in the fields of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas, such as: Taking decisive measures to successfully restructure the agricultural sector; conducting a thorough review of the "four stakeholders" policy; promoting support for the new rural development program, linked to agricultural restructuring; fundamentally reorganizing agricultural and forestry farms with a planned program; and continuing to review and reconsider state support policies for farmers, salt producers, foresters, and fishermen, especially those engaged in offshore fishing.

Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

The investment in rural areas as it has been recently is appropriate.

* Participating in further explanation regarding investment in agriculture and rural areas, Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung stated that, in implementing Resolution 26 of the Central Committee on investment in agriculture and rural areas, in recent years, from various central and local sources, the rate of increase in spending on agriculture and rural areas has been higher than the rate of increase in the state budget.

Specifically, the rate of increase in spending on agriculture and rural areas is 20.1% per year, while the increase in the state budget is 16.1% per year. In addition, the proportion of spending on agriculture and rural areas in the total state budget expenditure has also increased.

The minister stated that, given the current budget constraints, the support and investment in rural areas as provided recently is appropriate.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung delivered the opening remarks at the question-and-answer session.

* On the morning of June 11th, the National Assembly began its question-and-answer session. In his opening remarks, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung stated that the selection of four topics for the question-and-answer session was very appropriate and relevant to the current reality.

According to the Speaker of the National Assembly, amidst the overall growth trend, several issues have emerged that affect the quality, productivity, and competitiveness of the economy... Therefore, the National Assembly is focusing on Industry and Agriculture, two fundamental issues of the economy; and Science and Education, two national policy issues, in conducting questioning and answering sessions.

National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung emphasized that these are strategic issues; resolving the problems of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers has no other purpose than to ensure the interests of over 70% of the population. Solving the problems of agriculture, farmers, rural areas, and rural industries aims to improve productivity and product quality, reduce costs, thereby increasing people's income and improving their living standards.

The Chairman of the National Assembly stated that the Party, the Government, the National Assembly, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front have no other goal than to resolve the people's issues. Therefore, he requested that National Assembly deputies, when asking questions, get straight to the point, keep it concise and clear, and avoid self-commenting on their own questions.

In the same spirit, the Speaker of the National Assembly requested that Ministers and members of the Government answer directly, concisely, and clearly, offering practical and effective explanations and solutions, clearly stating the tasks, responsibilities, solutions, and implementation timelines. Only then can the National Assembly issue a resolution on the interpellation that ensures quality.

The report states that there were 1,943 recommendations to the Government, ministries, and ministerial-level agencies, focusing on the issuance of tax solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles and promote business development; fisheries development; resettlement of people displaced by hydropower projects; monetary policy with green credit growth; investment in transportation infrastructure development; and new rural development... Among these, some issues repeatedly raised by voters have been considered and resolved as follows:

Better meeting the needs of resettled people.

Regarding production and the lives of people resettled when the State builds hydropower projects: The Government has issued an Action Program, directing ministries, sectors, and localities to review the implementation of hydropower projects. Accordingly, 439 projects have been eliminated; the investment approval for 47 projects is being considered for revocation; 178 potential locations have not been included in the planning; and 13 projects have been granted temporary extensions.

Simultaneously, research and surveys were conducted on the actual living conditions of resettled people; based on this, the overall resettlement plan for the Son La hydropower project; Huoi Quang, Ban Chat (Lai Chau) were adjusted; the project for stabilizing the population and developing the socio-economic conditions of the resettlement area along the Da River was approved; and obstacles related to resettlement for the Tuyen Quang hydropower project; Ban Ve, Hua Na (Nghe An); Dong Nai 3 (Dak Nong), An Khe - Ka Nak (Gia Lai)... were considered and resolved.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister issued a specific policy on migration and resettlement for irrigation and hydropower projects, with many new provisions that better met the needs of the people, including policies to support the stabilization of people's lives and production after resettlement.

However, the lives of people in resettlement areas still face many difficulties; the poverty rate remains high; land acquisition and allocation for production in some projects are slow, the land is of poor quality, and in some places, insufficient production land has been allocated; vocational training and retraining are ineffective, and the employment rate after training is very low...

4.5 trillion VND to support fishermen.

Regarding the production and livelihoods of fishermen: along with implementing the policies already issued, the Government has revised and supplemented regulations on supporting post-harvest loss reduction; issued new policies on fisheries development; allocated 4,500 billion VND to support fishermen; increased investment in fisheries infrastructure development from 2015-2020 by at least double compared to the 2011-2014 period; implemented preferential credit for fishermen to build large-capacity offshore fishing vessels; provided financial support for purchasing crew insurance and hull insurance; covered crew training costs; and implemented preferential tax policies…

To date, 23 out of 28 coastal localities have approved the list of ship owners eligible for loans, with 818 vessels over 400 horsepower; including 731 newly built vessels and 87 upgraded vessels; loans have been disbursed for the construction and upgrading of 52 vessels, totaling 525 billion VND; working capital loans have been provided to 89 customers in 7 provinces, totaling nearly 24 billion VND; insurance has been provided to 1,837 vessels over 90 horsepower and 23,604 crew members; the total insured value is 2,983.687 billion VND; vocational training has been organized for approximately 86,540 fishermen; and 3,400 fishing teams and 64 fishing unions have been established.

However, investment in the construction of fishing ports, jetties, and storm shelters in many projects has been untimely, scattered, and lacking in coordination; some regulations of Decree 67 on fisheries development policy are unsuitable and need to be amended and supplemented; the establishment and management of groups, teams, and cooperatives in localities are slow and lack strict control; and there is no policy to attract people to learn fishing and marine resource exploitation skills...

785 communes have met the standards for new rural areas.

Regarding the New Rural Development Program: The National Assembly has decided to allocate an additional 15,000 billion VND to the National Target Program for New Rural Development, a threefold increase compared to the 2011-2013 period.

The government has implemented numerous policies to mobilize resources and remove obstacles in the implementation of the Program; prioritizing particularly disadvantaged communes, border communes, security zone communes, and coastal communes... with investment levels at least twice as high as other communes; reviewing and adjusting some criteria for new rural areas; and issuing directives requiring localities not to over-burden the people...

To date, 97% of communes have had their new rural planning approved, 87% of communes have had their projects approved, and over 9,000 models have been put into production; on average, each commune has met 10 criteria, an increase of 5.38% of criteria per commune compared to 2010 and an increase of 2.13 criteria compared to 2013, with no communes failing to meet any criteria; 785 communes have achieved new rural standards, accounting for 8.8%, and four district-level units, including Xuan Loc district and Long Khanh town in Dong Nai province; Dong Trieu district in Quang Ninh province; and Cu Chi district in Ho Chi Minh City, have all their communes meeting new rural standards.

However, the implementation of the Program has sometimes lacked thoroughness and efficiency in capital utilization; there has been a lack of proactive mobilization of social resources; some criteria are not suitable for different regions; results have not been achieved uniformly; and some mechanisms that have been issued have been slow to be implemented...

Therefore, it is necessary to review, adjust, and supplement some criteria to ensure they are consistent with the actual conditions of the locality, especially in disadvantaged and special areas; clearly identify mandatory criteria; and identify criteria that can be applied to facilitate the implementation of the Program, bring practical results, and improve the lives of the people.

Many transportation projects have been put into operation.

Regarding investment in transportation infrastructure: In recent years, the State has mobilized resources to invest in and develop transportation infrastructure, including roads, railways, waterways, and air routes; it has focused on renovating and upgrading National Highway 1 and many other key transportation routes; and it has paid attention to building bridges for local communities in ethnic minority areas and remote regions.

To date, 187 pedestrian suspension bridges have been constructed in 28 provinces. Active inspections and monitoring have been carried out to promptly resolve difficulties and obstacles, improving the quality of the projects. In the past year, many projects have been completed and put into operation, promptly serving the transportation needs of the people and contributing to socio-economic development, security, and national defense.

However, the implementation of road projects still lacks coordination between bridge and road load capacities; between transportation infrastructure and electricity and water infrastructure; and between national highways and local roads.

Although traffic accidents have decreased, the situation remains complex, with serious accidents still occurring. This requires continued decisive action, the development of practical and specific solutions, and coordinated efforts to minimize all three criteria: the number of accidents, the number of deaths, and the number of injuries.

Minimize procedures and paperwork as much as possible.

Regarding credit policy: The government has implemented numerous solutions, creating a positive shift in the credit structure, focusing on production and business sectors, especially those prioritized for development. Many documents have been issued, and credit institutions have been decisively directed to implement comprehensive solutions to address difficulties and obstacles related to loan conditions and procedures.

For rural areas, procedures and paperwork have been streamlined to the maximum extent; many new credit programs have been implemented to suit the characteristics and situation of different types of businesses and localities; credit regulations have been issued for some specific target groups with simpler lending procedures; the ceiling interest rate for short-term loans in VND has been adjusted downwards; credit institutions are required to regularly review and adjust lending interest rates to the current level; and lending to farmers without requiring collateral has been expanded. By the end of May 2015, the estimated outstanding loan balance reached VND 798,000 billion, an increase of approximately 7.17% compared to December 31, 2014, accounting for about 19.3% of the total outstanding loans to the economy. Compared to the end of 2009, the outstanding credit balance for this sector has increased 2.5 times.

To further support the development of agriculture and rural areas, it is necessary to expand the scope of eligible customers to include those operating in the agricultural sector; consider increasing the unsecured loan limit and extending the loan term; regulate seasonal lending methods suitable for households and individuals engaged in seasonal agricultural production; encourage businesses to produce according to linkage models, apply high technology in agricultural production, and establish insurance and risk management mechanisms...

According to Chinhphu.vn