National Assembly 9th session closes
Ha Noi, June 29 (VNA) -- The tenth National Assembly, NA, closed its ninth session in Ha Noi on June 29 after more than one month of sitting.
The NA passed the Law on Amendment and Supplementation to some Articles of the Land Law, the Road Traffic Law, the Fire Prevention and Fighting Law, the Customs Law, and the Cultural Heritage Law during the session. NA deputies discussed the draft Law on Amendment and Supplementation to some Articles of the Criminal Litigation Code and gave comments on the Social Insurance Law and the Law on Amendment and Supplementation to some Articles of the Labour Code.
Also during the session, the NA studied the Government's supplementary reports on the results of implementing socio-economic and State budget tasks in 2000 and the first four months of 2001 and on steps to be taken to fulfill those tasks in the remaining months of the year. NA deputies heard reports by the NA Standing Committee and the Council of Nationalities and other Committees of the NA, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuracy. They also reported on the settlement of voters' petitions and heard Cabinet members' interpellation, adopted resolutions on principles to build the Son La Hydro-electric Plant, and formed an ad-hoc Committee to amend and supplement some articles of the 1992 Constitution.
The NA elected a new Chairman and approved the appointment of several Government members.
Closing the session, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An noted that positive changes had been made in implementing yearly targets in the past six months, stabilizing the socio-economic situation. He said that the gross domestic product (GDP) was higher than that of the corresponding period last year, industrial and agricultural production continued to grow, services continued to improve, and foreign direct investment continued to increase.
The Chairman admitted that the economy developed unsteadily with a low competitive edge.
He, therefore, pointed to measures to be taken in the coming period to help the economy continue its upward trend:
"The National Assembly basically agrees with the six groups of measures as proposed by the Government. The National Assembly also stresses the continued exploitation and development of internal resources and capabilities of all economic sectors; the acceleration of economic re-structuring; and the development of highly-competitive products and outlets.
"Immediate support should be given to farmers in order to help them overcome difficulties in selling farm produce, and to the re-structuring of production to make it more suitable with market demands.
"Streamlining and renovating State-owned enterprises should be accelerated while removing difficulties and creating favourable conditions for enterprises to boost production and business operations.
"Investment should also be increased for the renovation of technology for industrial and agricultural production with a view to raising the competitiveness of domestic products while seeking ways to expand markets.
"It's necessary to readjust the structure of investment and increase investment from State budget allocations and credits; to rectify the running of the State budget and banks and at the same time to increase savings and exercise stricter control of State budget revenues and spending."--VNA
