State budget 2025: Prioritizing salary reform, science and technology and tuition exemption - Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television

The voting results showed that 436 delegates approved, accounting for 91.21%. (Photo: VNA)

With high consensus, the National Assembly officially passed the Resolution on adjusting and supplementing the State Budget estimate for 2025 at the meeting on May 17.

The resolution aims to create strong momentum for reform programs, support workers and promote the country's scientific and technological development.

During the discussion and voting session in the hall, the Resolution received strong support from the National Assembly delegates. The voting results showed that 436 delegates approved, accounting for 91.21% of the total 438 delegates participating in the vote, equivalent to 91.63% of the total number of National Assembly delegates.

Effective use of salary reform funds

Previously, Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang, authorized by the Prime Minister, briefly presented the proposal to supplement the central budget estimate for 2025. The main objective of this supplement is to pay for regimes and policies for cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers in the process of restructuring and perfecting the organizational apparatus.

According to the report, the expected funding requirement to pay for the regimes and policies for these subjects in 2025 is about 59 trillion VND. Of which, the local budget is expected to contribute about 15 trillion VND, the remaining 44 trillion VND will be taken from the central budget (including 14.2 trillion VND of targeted additional funds for localities and similar implementation sources according to the salary reform mechanism).

The National Assembly officially passed the Resolution on adjusting and supplementing the State Budget estimate for 2025 at the meeting on May 17. (Photo: Vietnam+)

To ensure resources for new policies, the Government has submitted to the National Assembly a plan to use VND 15.71 trillion from the remaining salary reform fund in 2024. This fund will be transferred to 2025 to supplement the budget estimates for ministries, central and local agencies, to pay for regimes and policies for subjects specified in Decree No. 178/2024/ND-CP and Decree No. 67/2025/ND-CP.

In addition, the Government also proposed to add VND 28.29 trillion to the central budget revenue estimate in 2025 from the accumulated source for salary reform; Add correspondingly to the central budget expenditure estimate in 2025 to support ministries, central and local agencies in implementing the payment of regimes and policies for employees according to the salary reform mechanism.

The National Assembly has assigned the Government to implement this VND 44,000 billion budget in accordance with the provisions of the State Budget Law (amended and supplemented by Law No. 56/2024/QH15). In case this budget is not sufficient, the Government will submit to the National Assembly for consideration the use of the remaining accumulated fund for salary reform expenditure of the central budget in 2024 and report the implementation results at the nearest session.

Support free tuition and organizational arrangement

Another important content of the Resolution is the transfer of the unallocated 2024 central budget regular expenditure estimate to 2025. The purpose of this is to create resources to implement the tuition exemption policy and resolve tasks arising from the restructuring of the apparatus.

According to estimates, the central budget funding requirement to support localities in implementing the tuition exemption policy is about 10 trillion VND. In 2025 alone (4 months of the 2025-2026 school year), this figure is about 4.5 trillion VND. In addition, there is a need for funding to relocate new headquarters, repair headquarters and upgrade information infrastructure systems for ministries, central and local agencies after the merger.

The Government has submitted to the National Assembly permission to transfer approximately VND6,623 trillion from the 2024 central budget's regular expenditure estimate that had not been allocated at the beginning of the year to 2025. This funding source will be used to implement the tuition exemption policy and tasks arising from the organizational arrangement.

National Assembly deputies highly appreciated the flexibility, proactiveness and determination of the National Assembly Standing Committee and the efforts and responsibility of the Government in submitting to the National Assembly adjustments and supplements to the State budget estimate for 2025. (Photo: VNA)

Allocate 3% of total budget expenditure for science and technology, innovation and national digital transformation

The Resolution also specifically emphasizes the need to balance and allocate 3% of the total State budget expenditure in 2025 for science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation. This is an important step to meet the requirements of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo and the direction of General Secretary To Lam in Notice No. 03-TB/BCĐTW.

To achieve this goal, the central budget needs to be balanced and supplemented with about 25 trillion VND. The Government plans to submit to the National Assembly Standing Committee a plan to allocate this funding source from the increased central budget revenue in 2024. In case the increased central budget revenue in 2024 is not enough, the Government will submit to the National Assembly for permission to adjust and arrange within the scope of the central budget expenditure estimates for 2025 that have not been allocated at the beginning of the year to ensure a minimum allocation of 3% for science and technology.

Before the National Assembly passed the Resolution, Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee Phan Van Mai presented the verification report. The report showed that the majority of the Committee's opinions basically agreed with the contents submitted by the Government and the Conclusion Notice No. 1261/TB-VPQH of the National Assembly Standing Committee.

The Economic and Financial Committee also requested the Government to carefully consider the use of the remaining salary reform fund in 2024 in case VND 44,000 billion is used up and the adjustment of budget allocation for contents under the authority of the National Assembly.

In general, National Assembly deputies highly appreciated the flexibility, proactiveness and determination of the National Assembly Standing Committee and the efforts and responsibility of the Government in submitting to the National Assembly the adjustment and supplementation of the State budget estimate for 2025. This decision is considered timely to provide resources to implement breakthrough tasks, overcoming the situation of having policies but lacking funding, affecting the effectiveness of policies.

Delegates also requested the Government to promptly allocate and assign budget estimates to ministries, central and local agencies immediately after the National Assembly passes the Resolution, and at the same time organize implementation to ensure no policy problems occur, use funds economically and effectively, and prevent corruption, waste and negativity./.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/ngan-sach-nha-nuoc-nam-2025-uu-tien-cai-cach-tien-luong-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-va-mien-hoc-phi-5047370.html