Ensure social supervision in practicing thrift and fighting waste

Photo caption — Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai speaks. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA

Chairing the discussion session, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai said that the National Assembly had previously discussed in groups with 68 opinions expressed, basically agreeing with the necessity of promulgating the Law on Thrift and Anti-Wastefulness and approving many contents of the draft law. Delegates focused on discussing key issues such as the scope of regulation, subjects of application, interpretation of terms, regulations on wasteful behavior, handling of violations, regulations on publicity, inspection, auditing, supervision, as well as the responsibilities of the head and coordination mechanism.

At the discussion session in the hall, delegates continued to highly agree on the necessity of promulgating a law to overcome the shortcomings and limitations of the current Law on Practicing Thrift and Combating Wastefulness.

Giving specific comments on the contents of the draft law, delegate Nguyen Tam Hung (Ho Chi Minh City) expressed his high agreement with the necessity of enacting the law to overcome institutional loopholes, handle scattered resources, enhance the responsibility of leaders and promote a culture of thrift. To make the draft law feasible and clear about responsibilities, the delegate suggested adding and clarifying many contents.

Regarding wasteful behavior, delegates proposed to clearly add the behavior: "not using or ineffectively using scientific and technological research results and digital transformation projects that have been invested by the state budget". According to delegates, reality shows that many projects to digitize data, management software, applied research results... worth hundreds of billions of VND have not been put into operation or are operating at a low level, causing great and prolonged waste. Clearly adding this group of behaviors will increase the effectiveness of supervision, avoiding the investment life cycle being forgotten.

Regarding public savings and anti-waste, delegates proposed to add the requirement to publicize the actual expenditure estimates, the savings level by sector and by agency, and clarify the mechanism for publicizing the addresses of waste. Delegates said that only when public disclosure is complete, transparent, targeted, and has specific data can pressure be created to improve the quality of governance and strengthen supervision by the people and elected agencies.

Delegate To Van Tam (Quang Ngai) agreed with the draft law and the review report; proposed to add provisions prohibiting acts such as providing false or fabricated information on waste, exaggerating information on waste, or inciting, inciting, or forcing others to provide anti-waste information. Regarding the practice of thrift and anti-waste among the people, the delegate said that the draft law should only stop at the level of encouragement; proposed to study and add to Article 19 provisions on the social responsibility of citizens in practicing civilized lifestyles (in weddings, funerals, festivals, tourism) instead of legal responsibility.

Delegate To Thi Bich Chau (Ho Chi Minh City) suggested that it is necessary to add the principle that savings must go hand in hand with efficiency, ensuring quality and sustainability. The delegate also suggested that the draft law should add regulations on the focal agency to receive and process information and an anonymous mechanism for information on waste detection.

Regarding the content of publicity on thrift and anti-waste, delegate To Thi Bich Chau said that this content is still too general; it is recommended that there should be regulations on the time limit and form of mandatory publicity on electronic information portals of state agencies associated with the responsibility of the head. In addition, the publicity needs to be standardized in terms of periodic forms and accessible to the people, ensuring the right of social supervision and limiting the situation of publicity being only a formality.

Explaining and accepting the opinions of the delegates, Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang said that the Ministry accepted and added specific regulations on wasteful acts and violations in the organization of waste prevention and control right in the draft law, in order to fully institutionalize the guidance of the Central Steering Committee on preventing and combating corruption, waste and negativity. The Minister said that the drafting agency is continuing to research and review to add more acts according to the opinions of the National Assembly delegates.

Minister Nguyen Van Thang also agreed with the delegates' opinions on continuing research to add more cases of incorrect reflection, stereotypes, deliberate fabrication, and slander. The drafting agency also accepted and revised the regulations on the rights and responsibilities of those fighting against waste, handling information, ensuring clarity according to the Politburo's regulations on protecting those fighting against corruption, waste, and negativity.

Minister Nguyen Van Thang affirmed that the consistent viewpoint of the draft law is to only regulate cases where organizations and individuals in the State and private sectors directly manage and use public resources. For production, business and consumption activities of the people, the law only provides regulations of an encouraging and directional nature, in accordance with the 2013 Constitution and inherits the provisions of current laws.

At the end of the discussion session, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai said that the dedicated and responsible opinions of the National Assembly deputies will be directed by the National Assembly Standing Committee and the Government to be carefully studied by the drafting agency and the verification agency to absorb and complete the draft law to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval at this session.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/dam-bao-quyen-giam-sat-cua-xa-hoi-trong-thuc-hanh-tiet-kiem-chong-lang-phi-20251127142918874.htm