Be mindful of urban and rural planning gaps.

The reviewing agency argues that allowing simultaneous planning while excluding urban and rural planning could create a legal loophole in the application of the law.

Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang presents the draft law amending and supplementing several articles of the Planning Law. Photo: QUANG PHUC

On the morning of May 9th, at the plenary session of the National Assembly , Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang presented a proposal on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Planning Law.

The Minister stated that the draft has finalized the planning system, adding technical and specialized planning to the system; and supplementing regulations allowing national-level planning, regional planning, provincial planning, and technical and specialized planning to be developed simultaneously.

Urban and rural planning shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law on urban and rural planning.

According to the draft, the planning content has been simplified to improve efficiency and feasibility; specifically, it will only include framework regulations that provide guidance.

The list of planned important projects and priority investment projects in the planning is transferred to the plan implementation plan, and the authority to approve the implementation plan for national sectoral plans and provincial plans is delegated to ministers and chairpersons of provincial People's Committees.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Vu Hong Thanh presides over the session. Photo: QUANG PHUC

In his remarks during the review, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Committee, Phan Van Mai, stated that the draft law's provision allowing simultaneous planning but excluding urban and rural planning (which is governed by the law on urban and rural planning) could create a legal loophole in the application of the law. This is because the 2024 Law on Urban and Rural Planning only permits the simultaneous preparation of general plans, and does not yet allow the simultaneous preparation of urban and rural plans with other plans.

We suggest that the drafting agency carefully study and evaluate the above principle to ensure both its rigor and to fully anticipate any plans that may be developed simultaneously, avoiding difficulties and obstacles during implementation.

- The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Committee delivered a speech.

Regarding the policy of strengthening decentralization and delegation of power in state management of planning, the draft has delegated the authority of the Government to the Prime Minister to organize the preparation of the national marine spatial plan and the national land use plan; and delegated the authority of the National Assembly to the Government to determine the areas requiring regional planning and to decide on the national marine spatial plan and the national land use plan.

The authority to decide on the list of priority investment projects in the implementation plan of national sectoral and provincial planning, which previously belonged to the Prime Minister, will be decentralized to ministers, chairpersons of provincial People's Committees, etc.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee has the authority to approve adjustments to the provincial planning after the Provincial People's Council approves the policy of adjusting the planning for the period 2021-2030, in order to meet the requirements for administrative unit rearrangement.

A view of the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly. Photo: QUANG PHÚC

While generally agreeing with the regulations as presented in the report, Mr. Phan Van Mai emphasized that some opinions within the reviewing body suggested that the National Assembly should not yet delegate the authority to the Government to decide on national marine spatial planning and national land use planning, especially in cases where these plans are newly created.

“In terms of political and legal aspects, both of these plans are strategic, comprehensive, and have a nationwide impact. They need to be placed under the supervision and decision-making of the highest state agency to strengthen control over power and guide sustainable development. Therefore, there is insufficient basis to propose amending the delegation of authority from the National Assembly to the Government to decide on the creation of new national marine spatial plans and national land use plans in this draft law,” Mr. Phan Van Mai stated clearly.

ANH PHUONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/than-trong-voi-khoang-trong-quy-hoach-do-thi-va-nong-thon-post794408.html