General Secretary To Lam: 'Science is a barren land' that needs bold exploration.

On February 15th, during the Group 1 discussion session (Hanoi Delegation), General Secretary To Lam emphasized that the National Assembly's consideration of the draft Resolution on piloting policies to remove obstacles in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation is a very important and urgent matter. Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthroughs in national science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation was issued at the end of 2024, but for the Resolution to be implemented, it cannot wait for amendments to related laws (expected to be completed by the end of 2025) because the spirit of Resolution No. 57 would then lose its meaning.

This requirement necessitates a document to address existing issues and expedite the implementation of Resolution 57. The process of amending the Law on Science and Technology and related laws is time-consuming, potentially taking a year. Therefore, the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on piloting certain policies to resolve obstacles in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation has been submitted to the National Assembly at this extraordinary session.

According to General Secretary To Lam, the scope of this issue is too broad; any aspect of national science, technology, and digital transformation faces difficulties due to existing regulations. This is a lesson showing that institutions are a bottleneck. If institutional obstacles are not removed, the Party's guidelines and viewpoints will not be implemented effectively. The National Assembly's pilot resolution was also issued with the goal of urgently resolving the obstacles in the legal system.

The delegates' opinions also indicated that these are urgent issues that need to be addressed. The resolution cannot specify all the particular problems that are currently causing difficulties; therefore, the draft resolution only outlines three groups of issues that need to be focused on. This also reflects the spirit of "running while queuing."

"The lines are already very neat, but we still have to run," General Secretary To Lam emphasized.

Furthermore, General Secretary To Lam analyzed the value and necessity of developing science and technology. According to him, the lack of development in this field in the past was due to obstacles in the legal system, including laws such as the Law on Science and Technology, the Law on Bidding, the Law on Public Investment, the Law on Enterprises, and the Law on Intellectual Property… Therefore, the General Secretary emphasized that the choice of technology must be modern, advanced, and "leapfrog-first," otherwise we will fall behind the world. If we only choose cheap technology and machinery (as stipulated in the Law on Bidding), we will become a "technological dumping ground."

"I was deeply moved to hear the Prime Minister report on tax exemptions and reductions, which have resulted in increased tax revenue because they encourage development. Lowering bank lending interest rates has enabled more people to borrow, and banks have earned more interest," the General Secretary shared.

Based on this experience, the General Secretary suggested studying regulations on how to effectively encourage scientific and technological activities, innovation, and digital transformation. Furthermore, he emphasized that the goal of the Resolution is not just to remove obstacles, but to encourage them.

"Science is a wild and uncharted territory; whoever finds the right path will succeed. Resolution 57 of the Politburo recognized this and has issued specific guidelines," the General Secretary said.

Based on that, General Secretary To Lam requested that the National Assembly's Resolution focus on fundamental issues, avoiding overly complex regulations, while the legal system will need further amendment and synchronization, starting with the Law on Science and Technology and related laws.