Specify policies to support the development of agricultural cooperatives

Incorporating the opinions of National Assembly deputies, the draft Law on Cooperatives (amended) has been reviewed and revised synchronously, in which the principles, criteria and capital sources for implementing policies on collective economic development are more clearly defined and consistent with the State's ability to balance resources.

Chairman of the National Assembly 's Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh presented a report explaining, accepting and revising the draft Law on Cooperatives (amended) at the National Assembly's meeting on the afternoon of May 25. (Photo: DANG KHOA).

Synchronously implementing collective economic development policies

Continuing the 5th Session program, on the afternoon of May 25, the National Assembly listened to the report on explanation, acceptance and revision of the draft Law on Cooperatives (amended) at the plenary session in the hall.

Presenting the Report to the National Assembly, Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh said that the draft Law on Cooperatives (amended) had been considered and commented on by the National Assembly at the 4th Session, the National Assembly Standing Committee commented on it at the 21st Session, and full-time National Assembly deputies commented on it at the Conference of Full-time National Assembly Deputies; on April 21, 2023, it was sent to National Assembly delegations for comments as prescribed.

Based on the opinions of National Assembly deputies, National Assembly delegations, National Assembly agencies, the Government and relevant agencies, the National Assembly Standing Committee directed the agency in charge of appraisal, the agency in charge of drafting and relevant agencies to study, absorb and revise the draft Law.

The current draft Law consists of 12 chapters with 115 articles, an increase of 4 articles compared to the draft Law submitted by the Government to the National Assembly at the 4th Session and has basically met the viewpoints, goals and requirements set out when amending the Law.

Regarding the name of the draft Law, the National Assembly Standing Committee accepted the majority of opinions of National Assembly deputies, keeping the name of the draft Law as the Law on Cooperatives (amended), and at the same time reviewing, amending and supplementing the articles, clauses and redesigning the layout and structure of the draft Law to ensure consistency, synchronization and conformity with the name of the draft Law.

Regarding the institutionalization of the content of 8 policies in Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW, the National Assembly Standing Committee received, reviewed and revised the regulations on principles, criteria and capital sources for policy implementation, in which it affirmed that one of the principles for policy implementation is to implement synchronously with the Overall Program on collective economic development, in accordance with the State's ability to balance resources in each period.

Specifically, the contents of 8 policies have been supplemented and adjusted from 1 article in the draft Law submitted by the Government to the National Assembly into 8 articles regulating the contents of each policy, reviewing regulations to ensure conformity and institutionalizing the policy in Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW, especially perfecting regulations on land policies, access to capital, insurance, taxes, fees and charges, etc.

The draft also adds 1 article (Article 28) regulating policies to support activities in the agricultural sector; adds in Clause 2, Article 17 on the Government detailing the content, order and procedures for implementing State policies on developing cooperatives, cooperatives and cooperative unions to ensure feasibility and bring policies into life.

The National Assembly Standing Committee proposed not to legalize the contents on cooperative federations in the draft Law in accordance with the policy in Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW on "researching and piloting a number of cooperative federations operating with high specialization in a number of sectors and fields".

At the same time, the Government is requested to urgently develop and complete the dossier and submit it to the National Assembly for consideration and approval of the Resolution on piloting a number of cooperative federations in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents.

No limit on the number of members participating in the cooperative

National Assembly deputies working in the hall on the afternoon of May 25. (Photo: DANG KHOA).

Regarding cooperative members and cooperative unions, which are regulated in Chapter III of the draft Law, according to Chairman of the Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh, the draft Law provides regulations on conditions, rights and obligations corresponding to 3 types of members including official members, capital-contributing associate members and non-capital-contributing associate members.

Accordingly, the regulation stipulates that a cooperative must be established by at least 5 official members and a cooperative union must be voluntarily established by at least 3 official member cooperatives, in order to create conditions to encourage and facilitate the establishment of cooperatives and cooperative unions, especially in remote areas, ethnic minority areas and also suitable for cooperatives and cooperative unions operating under a simplified management organization.

To encourage membership development, the draft Law does not limit the number of members participating in cooperatives and cooperative unions; it stipulates conditions to expand the number of capital-contributing associate members and non-capital-contributing associate members.

The State's support policy also gives priority to cooperative groups, cooperatives, and cooperative unions that have policies to develop members and have a larger number of members; stipulates the obligation of cooperatives and cooperative unions to admit members when those members meet the conditions; allows cooperatives and cooperative unions to merge and consolidate with each other, in accordance with the management level and production and business needs at each period during operation.

Scene of the working session at the National Assembly hall on the afternoon of May 25. (Photo: DANG KHOA).

In addition to quantitative development, the provisions of the draft Law also focus on developing the quality of cooperative groups, cooperatives, cooperative unions and members such as the State's development policies for this sector; strengthening the connection between members; between cooperatives, cooperative unions operating in the same industry and field; between the cooperative sector and organizations of other economic sectors.

The National Assembly Standing Committee also accepted and revised the provisions in Article 73 on contributed capital, similar to the provisions on contributed capital in the 2020 Enterprise Law; supplemented a number of specific provisions for cooperatives and cooperative unions; reviewed, revised and supplemented the provisions on auditing cooperatives and cooperative unions in Articles 105 and 106 in the direction of encouraging the implementation of internal audits at cooperatives and cooperative unions; at the same time, proposed to only require independent audits for a number of cooperatives and cooperative unions whose financial activities have potential risks such as large-scale cooperatives and cooperative unions with 10 or more members, etc.

Chairman of the Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh said that based on the opinions of National Assembly deputies, the National Assembly Standing Committee will direct the agency in charge of the review to closely coordinate with the agency in charge of drafting and relevant agencies to study and complete the draft Law to submit to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.

It is expected that the National Assembly will vote to pass the Law on Cooperatives (amended) in the morning session on June 20.

According to: nhandan.vn

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