Through the Resolution approving the investment policy of the National Target Program on Cultural Development

The resolution approving the investment policy of the National Target Program on Cultural Development for the 2025-2035 period was passed by the National Assembly on the morning of November 27, with 430 delegates in favor, accounting for 89.77% of the total number of National Assembly delegates.

The National Assembly passed a Resolution of the National Assembly on investment policy for the National Target Program on Cultural Development for the 2025-2035 period. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA

Protect and promote the value of cultural heritage

Reporting on the reception and explanation of opinions of National Assembly deputies and the revision of the draft Resolution, Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Education Nguyen Dac Vinh said that by the end of March 2024, the country had 66 Cultural Centers (63 provinces and cities had Cultural Centers, of which Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong had 2 Cultural Centers), 41 museums and 54 provincial libraries. Thus, many provinces and cities do not have enough of the 3 types of institutions mentioned above, so setting a target for investment in building types of institutions (goal number 2 by 2030) as in the draft Resolution is extremely necessary.

Regarding the 2030 target, for target number 3, there are opinions suggesting to only carry out restoration and embellishment of degraded relics; there are opinions suggesting to carefully review and evaluate data and current status of relics to ensure comprehensiveness and predictability for relics that can be ranked and upgraded.

The National Assembly Standing Committee believes that the objective of the Program is to protect and promote the value of cultural heritage, including the restoration and embellishment of national relics and special national relics. Accordingly, degraded relics at risk of destruction will be invested in for restoration and renovation; other relics can be restored to enhance their usability, exploitation, and value, contributing to the promotion of tourism and cultural industry development.

Currently, many relics are in a state of serious degradation and there are not enough resources for restoration. Therefore, the National Assembly Standing Committee recommends that the Government, in the process of developing the Feasibility Study Report and implementing the Program, carefully review the current status of relics, carry out restoration and embellishment in the direction of prioritizing seriously degraded relics, ensuring effective, focused, key investment, practicing thrift, fighting waste and promoting the value of relics.

Some opinions say that goal 5 "implementing digital transformation, applying achievements of the 4th Industrial Revolution" is still general, suggesting more specific regulations to ensure feasibility; some opinions suggest amending "units operating in culture and art" to "public service units in the field of culture and art". The National Assembly Standing Committee accepts and adjusts in the direction: "Strive for 100% of cultural and art units to be computerized, digitally transformed, and apply achievements of the 4th Industrial Revolution". Computerization and digital transformation are carried out for cultural and art units, including both the public and private sectors, not just public service units.

The National Assembly approved the full text of the National Assembly Resolution on investment policy for the National Target Program on Cultural Development for the 2025-2035 period. Photo: Phuong Hoa/VNA

Building flexible response principles

Regarding the funding for the implementation of the Program, Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Education Nguyen Dac Vinh said that regarding local budget capital, there are opinions that many localities have difficulties in arranging counterpart capital from the local budget, suggesting to build a more flexible counterpart principle, paying attention to supporting these localities. There are opinions suggesting to increase the central support rate, reduce the local counterpart rate.

The National Assembly Standing Committee accepted the delegates' valid opinions and expressed them in Point d, Clause 4, Article 1 of the draft Resolution. According to the provisions of the Law on Public Investment, after the National Assembly approves the investment policy of the Program, the Prime Minister will issue a decision on the principles, criteria, allocation norms and counterpart capital ratio of the local budget to implement the Program, which will take into account the differences between localities participating in the Program and the local budget balancing capacity. The National Assembly Standing Committee proposed that in the process of developing the Feasibility Study Report, the Government direct relevant agencies to closely coordinate with localities to determine the appropriate counterpart ratio.

Regarding other capital sources, there are concerns about the content of other capital sources and that the total other capital sources proposed in the Program accounts for 12.4%, which is still high and lacks feasibility for localities with difficulties.

According to the National Assembly Standing Committee, other capital sources mobilized to implement the Program include capital from enterprises, organizations, and individuals participating in project implementation, capital mobilized through investment attraction policies according to the provisions of the law on investment, voluntary contributions from people (money, in kind, working days) and other capital sources according to the provisions of the law. The rate of 12.4% is the average rate nationwide; for localities with developed socio-economic conditions, especially localities developing cultural industries, the rate will be higher; for localities with difficult socio-economic conditions, it is possible to mobilize contributions from people in the form of working days, in kind, etc. When the Program is effectively implemented, the Program's activities will bring benefits to the community itself, attracting contributions from the residential community and businesses.

Regarding the planned capital allocation and progress, there are opinions suggesting reviewing and evaluating the ability to arrange the budget and disburse capital in 2025. Regarding this issue, the National Assembly Standing Committee said that according to the Investment Policy Proposal Report, the Program plans to allocate capital in 2025 at 400 billion VND, of which the central budget is 150 billion VND and the local budget is 250 billion VND/63 provinces and cities. The National Assembly Standing Committee found that this amount of capital is completely within the budget's balance capacity.

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