The specific mechanism must be strong enough and different enough to solve the "bottleneck"

Delegates registered to speak at the morning session on December 8. (Photo: DUY LINH)

Continuing the 10th Session program, on the morning of December 8, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Resolution of the National Assembly amending and supplementing a number of articles of Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City and the draft Resolution of the National Assembly amending and supplementing a number of articles of Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15 on the organization of urban government and piloting specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Da Nang city.

Ho Chi Minh City needs a wider "mechanism coat"

At the discussion session, delegate Hoang Van Cuong ( Hanoi ) commented that Ho Chi Minh City needs a separate, broader institution to freely create and develop, instead of applying the same "shirt" like other localities.

The delegate pointed out three points that need to be adjusted in the draft resolution. First, remove the restrictive regulations. It is necessary to review and remove the regulations that allow the City People's Council to use the budget but with conditions of compliance with legal regulations. "If we comply with legal regulations, there is no need to request a special mechanism," the delegate said.

Delegate Hoang Van Cuong (Hanoi) speaks. (Photo: DUY LINH)

Second, delegate Hoang Van Cuong also said that the draft should not list projects in a rigid manner, because new projects will arise in the future, leading to the need for adjustments. Instead, the principles and criteria should be stipulated and the City People's Council should decide for itself.

Third, the delegates proposed adding a mechanism similar to Hanoi to the Resolution of Ho Chi Minh City. If necessary, the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City has the right to decide on measures different from current legal regulations, report to the Government and the National Assembly Standing Committee for consideration, then report to the National Assembly.

According to delegate Hoang Van Cuong, this empowerment will truly turn Ho Chi Minh City into an "institutional laboratory", creating a space for innovation and breakthroughs for the whole country.

Contributing to the discussion session, delegate Thach Phuoc Binh (Vinh Long) expressed his support for the policy of allowing Ho Chi Minh City to retain 100% of revenue from exploiting land funds in TOD areas (urban development model with public transport system as the center) for reinvestment.

However, to be feasible, delegates recommended clarifying the scope of the TOD area (400-800m radius from the station, based on the experience of Tokyo - Japan) and applying density zoning to avoid boundary disputes. In particular, delegates proposed that this revenue should be put into an independent fund, only spent on urban railways and connecting infrastructure (learning from the model in Hong Kong - China).

Delegate Thach Phuoc Binh (Vinh Long) speaks. (Photo: DUY LINH)

Regarding the payment of BT contracts using land funds, delegate Thach Phuoc Binh warned of the risk of loss if not strictly controlled, because public land in large cities is a "non-renewable asset".

Delegates recommended that payments must comply with the following principles: Land valuation must be close to market price, independent audit must be mandatory, and the list of land funds for payment must be made public. "All transactions with the private sector must be absolutely transparent," the delegate emphasized.

Regarding the issue of land reclamation (amended Article 6), delegates expressed concerns about the social impact when Ho Chi Minh City currently has more than 32,000 households living in riverside and canal areas. Delegates suggested that land reclamation must have clear criteria (spillover impact, job creation, environmental and social standards...) to avoid widespread reclamation.

At the same time, it is necessary to mandate dialogue with affected communities before administratively reclaiming land, similar to the practice of Korea or Germany.

Special mechanism for Da Nang: Need to be strong, substantial and breakthrough

Delegate Duong Khac Mai (Lam Dong) speaks. (Photo: DUY LINH)

Discussing the draft Resolution of the National Assembly amending and supplementing a number of articles of Resolution 136/2024/QH15 on the organization of urban government and piloting special mechanisms and policies for the development of Da Nang city, delegate Duong Khac Mai (Lam Dong) expressed high consensus with the policy of amending the resolution.

Delegates analyzed that when issuing a special mechanism for Da Nang in the past, the National Assembly identified this as the leading center of the region, playing a leading role in the socio-economic development of the region and the whole country.

However, delegates said that some contents of the current Resolution 136 are being limited by specialized legal regulations, making "the specificity not strong enough to create a breakthrough".

The biggest bottleneck at present is that many contents still require "central approval", while the goal of the special mechanism is to give more autonomy to localities.

From there, delegates suggested that it is necessary to thoroughly revise the points that are "institutional bottlenecks", and at the same time, it is necessary to clearly identify which contents need to go beyond current legal regulations and must be stipulated right in the resolution, instead of continuing to refer to specialized laws.

Delegate Nguyen Tam Hung (Ho Chi Minh City) speaks. (Photo: DUY LINH)

Regarding urban development according to the TOD model, delegate Nguyen Tam Hung (Ho Chi Minh City) agreed with the proposal to allow Da Nang to decide on technical planning indicators in TOD areas, develop multi-functions on station and depot land, as well as retain 100% of the generated revenue to reinvest in urban railways. This is considered a mechanism in line with international practices and creates momentum to form new growth poles.

However, the delegate also warned that without accompanying requirements on social infrastructure and population control, it is easy to lead to hot and spontaneous development. At the same time, it is necessary to make the entire land and financial mechanism transparent, control the quality of planning and increase the accountability of the People's Council.

Regarding the shortening of planning procedures in Clause 1a, Article 11, delegate Hung expressed support for the mechanism that allows simultaneous establishment of tasks and detailed planning, one-time consultation, and allows investors to participate in planning once selected.

According to him, this is a major reform step, in line with the 2024 Law on Urban and Rural Planning and the practices of dynamic cities. This mechanism helps Da Nang speed up planning, shorten project preparation time, reduce administrative procedure costs and attract strategic investors.

TRUNG HUNG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/co-che-dac-thu-phai-du-manh-du-khac-biet-de-giai-quyet-diem-nghen-post928755.html