National Assembly session opens
Ha Noi, May 22 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's tenth National Assembly begins its ninth session in Ha Noi on morning, May 22.
In his opening speech, National Assembly Chairman Nong Duc Manh said that the month-long session would discuss and pass six draft laws such as the Law on the Amendment and Supplementation to the Land Law; the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting; the Law on Cultural Heritage; the Law on Customs; the Law on Land Traffic; and the Law on Amendment and Supplementation to the Criminal Litigation Code.
The session would also discuss the amendment and supplementation to the 1992 Constitution's articles on the organization of the State apparatus and decide the formation of a committee for revising the Constitution; and discuss the draft Law on Social Insurance and the draft Law on Amendment and Supplementation to the Labour Code.
According to Mr. Manh, the National Assembly will review a supplementary report on the implementation of socio-economic tasks and the state budget in 2000 as well as the deployment of socio-economic tasks and the state budget for 2001.
It will also hear reports from the National Assembly's Standing Committee, the Council for Nationalities, and other committees. National Assembly deputies will hear reports from the Directors of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuracy.
The National Assembly will hear a report on the handling of voters' petitions and answers by cabinet ministers during a hearing session in order to decide a number of important issues.
Also this morning, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung presented a supplementary report on the implementation of socio-economic tasks and the state budget last year and the deployment of socio-economic tasks and the state budget for 2001.
The report said that progress was made in last year's socio-economic development, thus helping to halt the slow-down of economic growth and register a higher growth rate. All major economic targets were fulfilled or surpassed, with better results than those announced at the last National Assembly session.
Last year's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was 6.75 percent instead of 6.7 percent as reported at the last session and between 5.5-6 percent at planned, the Deputy PM said.
The growth rate recorded in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries was 5.64 percent instead of 4.9 percent as announced at the last session and 3.5-4 percent as planned, while that of industrial production was 15.7 percent instead of 15.5 percent as reported at the last session and 10.5-11 percent as planned.
Last year, Viet Nam produced 35.7 million tonnes of food (in rice equivalent) as against 33.5-34 million tonnes as planned.
The service sector obtained a growth of 6 percent compared to 5.0-5.5 percent as planned, while last year's export value rose by 25 percent instead of 21.3 percent as announce at the last session and 11-12 percent as planned.
The budget deficit was 4.95 percent, or 0.05 percent higher than that announced at the last National Assembly session and 0.05 percent less than planned. Meanwhile, last year's price index was minus 0.6 percent instead of 1.0 percent as reported earlier and 6 percent as planned.
The poverty rate was 10 percent instead of 11 percent as announced at the last National Assembly session and 10-11 percent as planned
About 1.3 million people were provided with jobs and 792,000 others with vocational training last year, the same figures as reported earlier. Birth rate reduction met the target of 0.05 percent last year, the report says.
On socio-economic development in the first four months of this year, the report says that agricultural production continued developing comprehensively. Industrial production value saw an increase of 14.4 percent over the same period last year while the domestic market remained stable. Total retail sales and services in the past four months rose 7.5 percent as compared to the corresponding period last year.
Export turnover in the reviewed period increased 17.7 percent or 29.2 percent of the yearly plan. The foreign-invested sector (excluding oil and gas enterprises) saw an export growth of 10.4 percent.
On foreign investment, the report notes that official development assistance (ODA) through signed agreements reached USD 710 million in the January-April period, representing 60 percent of the same period last year. Of the total sum, USD 442 million were disbursed.
A total of 112 foreign invested projects worth USD 415 million were licensed in the above-mentioned period, or year-on-year increases of 18 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, the price index in the first four months of 2001 dropped 0.5 percent as against December 2000, the report adds.
It points out the Government's six major goals for 2001: the boosting of production, product consumption, and export; the tapping of internal social resources; the spurring of demand and an increase in investment; the strengthening of the financial-monetary system; the implementation of social policies; and the continuation of political and social security.--VNA
