Full text of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue's speech at the opening of the 6th Session of the 15th National Assembly

Dear Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam ,

Dear leaders and former leaders of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front ,

Dear Congress ,

Dear guests,

Dear compatriots and voters nationwide,

Today, the 15th National Assembly solemnly opened its 6th Session. On behalf of the National Assembly Standing Committee, I warmly welcome the leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front, National Assembly deputies, distinguished guests, representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, and international organizations who have attended the opening session of the Session. I respectfully send to all delegates, the entire people, voters, comrades, compatriots, and soldiers nationwide my greetings and wishes for health, happiness, and success.

Dear Congress,

Based on the meeting agenda approved at the preparatory session, within 22 days (phase 1 from October 23 to November 10; phase 2 from November 20 to November 28), the 15th National Assembly will consider and decide on the following important contents:

First, on socio-economics, state budget and deciding important issues of the country

As a mid-term session, the National Assembly will review the Government's reports on the results of the implementation of the socio-economic development plan and the state budget in 2023; review and decide on the socio-economic development plan, state budget estimates, and the central budget allocation plan for 2024, including the salary reform plan from July 1, 2024; review the implementation of the public investment plan in 2023, decide on the public investment plan in 2024; review the 3-year state financial and budget plan for 2024 - 2026; and at the same time, review mid-term assessment reports on the results of the implementation of the 5-year plans for the period 2021 - 2025 on socio-economic development, economic restructuring, medium-term public investment, national finance, and borrowing and public debt repayment.

In 2023, the world situation continues to have many rapid, complex and unpredictable changes; difficulties and challenges are more numerous and greater than opportunities, advantages and forecasts. Domestically, we must continue to face the "double impact" from negative external factors on a highly open economy like ours, and the inherent, accumulated and long-standing weaknesses and shortcomings of the economy continue to be revealed more clearly and severely in the process of overcoming the severe consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the results of the implementation of the socio-economic development plan, finance and budget in the first 9 months of the year and the estimated implementation for the whole year of 2023, based on the goals, targets, tasks and solutions set out in Resolution No. 68/2022/QH15 of the National Assembly, it is recommended that National Assembly deputies carefully study the reports, the Government's Submission, the inspection reports of the National Assembly agencies to analyze and evaluate realistically, objectively and comprehensively the results achieved; clearly point out the remaining shortcomings, limitations, weaknesses or inadequacies, objective and subjective causes; at the same time, propose and advise solutions to achieve the highest results in 2023; Review and decide on the goals, targets, tasks and solutions to implement the socio-economic development plan, finance and budget for 2024 in conjunction with the goals of the socio-economic development plan for the 2021-2025 period in transforming the growth model, restructuring the economy, improving the investment and business environment, enhancing productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness of the economy according to the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress and the Resolution of the National Assembly.

In addition, based on the Government's proposal, the National Assembly will consider and decide on adjusting a number of contents of Resolution 53/2017/QH14 on the Feasibility Study Report of the Land Acquisition, Compensation, Support and Resettlement Project of Long Thanh International Airport; consider the results of the implementation of Resolution 43/2022/QH15 on fiscal and monetary policies to support the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Program; and the results of the review of the legal system as required in Resolution 101/2023/QH15 of the 15th National Assembly.

Second, on legislative work

The National Assembly will consider and pass 09 draft laws, including: Land Law (amended); Housing Law (amended); Real Estate Business Law (amended); Water Resources Law (amended); Credit Institutions Law (amended); Identity Law; Law on Forces Participating in Security and Order Protection at the Grassroots Level; Law on Management and Protection of National Defense Works and Military Zones; Telecommunications Law (amended); give opinions and pass according to the procedure at a session of the National Assembly's draft Resolution on Piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies on investment in the construction of road traffic works. The National Assembly will also consider and give opinions on 08 other draft laws , including: Social Insurance Law (amended); Law on National Defense Industry, Security and Industrial Mobilization; Road Law; Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety; Law on Archives (amended); Law on the Capital (amended); Law on Organization of People's Courts (amended); Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Property Auction.

To prepare the contents of legislative work, especially the draft laws to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval at this session, immediately after the 5th Session, the National Assembly Standing Committee closely directed and requested the agency in charge of the review to closely coordinate with the drafting agency to research, absorb to the maximum, thoroughly and carefully explain the opinions of the National Assembly deputies; organize the 4th Conference of specialized National Assembly deputies, many conferences, seminars, talks, surveys, consultations with experts, managers, and affected subjects, and collect opinions from National Assembly delegations, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and relevant agencies and organizations. For the content of policy changes arising during the process of absorption and revision, the Government is required to provide written opinions and carefully assess the impact before including them in the draft law.

Regarding the draft Law on Land (amended), the National Assembly has commented twice at the 4th and 5th Sessions, widely collected opinions from all walks of life, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly and the Government have held many meetings to absorb, revise and perfect the draft and it has been submitted for comments at the Conference of full-time National Assembly deputies. Basically, the draft Law has been adjusted, supplemented and increasingly improved, many difficult, new and complicated contents have been gradually identified. However, the draft Law still has some important contents and issues that have not been agreed upon, there are still 02 options for National Assembly deputies to continue to comment. Accordingly, it is proposed that the National Assembly focus on giving in-depth comments on major, key issues or those with different opinions as stated in the report on reception and explanation of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly. For contents with 02 design options, it is recommended to clearly analyze the advantages, disadvantages, and impacts of each option, and consider objectively and comprehensively to choose the optimal option, ensuring the quality, stability, and long-term nature of this Law when it is passed by the National Assembly.

Regarding the draft Law on Housing (amended) and the Law on Real Estate Business (amended), it is recommended to focus on ensuring the strictness and feasibility of policies on resource mobilization and promoting housing development; removing obstacles and handling practical shortcomings in the management of multi-storey and multi-household housing; renovating and constructing apartment buildings; building social housing and workers' accommodation in industrial parks; improving investment and business procedures; overcoming speculation; strictly managing the real estate market... In particular, it is necessary to ensure consistency between the above draft laws and the draft Law on Land (amended), other relevant laws and draft laws; aiming to form a legal system on land, housing and real estate business that is truly synchronous, unified, strict, effective, feasible, and meets practical requirements.

Regarding the draft Law on Credit Institutions (amended), this is a difficult draft Law with many in-depth contents, directly affecting financial and monetary policies, macroeconomic stability and many subjects; therefore, it is recommended to closely follow the viewpoints, requirements and major policies set out when drafting the draft Law; carefully review, ensure consistency with the Civil Code, the Law on Enforcement of Civil Judgments, the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations, the Law on Tax Administration and related laws, refer to international experience and practices and ensure consistency with reality; give opinions to perfect regulations on policy banks; handling cross-ownership, manipulation and domination of credit institutions; early intervention, special control of credit institutions; regulations on bad debts and bad debt handling...

To ensure the quality of the above-mentioned draft laws, other draft laws and draft resolutions expected to be passed at this session, between the two sessions of the session, the National Assembly Standing Committee will meet to give opinions, receive and explain thoroughly to submit to the National Assembly for consideration and approval at the end of the session.

For the draft laws that the National Assembly has commented on for the first time, it is recommended that National Assembly deputies uphold their sense of responsibility, promote democracy, focus their intelligence, spend time researching, discussing thoroughly, and giving opinions on whether the draft law files comply with the provisions of the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents, especially impact assessment reports, drafts of detailed regulations, accompanying implementation instructions, political basis, legal basis, consistency and unity of the legal system, rationality, feasibility and specific regulations on each policy content amended and supplemented in each draft law, and contribute many in-depth opinions right from the beginning so that agencies have time to make adjustments, ensuring the highest quality when considering and approving at the next session.

Third, on supreme supervision activities

At this session, the National Assembly will listen to the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front report summarizing the opinions and recommendations of voters and people sent to the 6th Session of the 15th National Assembly; consider reports on corruption prevention and control, crime prevention and control, and law enforcement in 2023. Promoting the effectiveness of the 5th Session, the National Assembly will continue to spend time discussing in the Hall the report on the results of supervising the settlement of voters' recommendations sent to the 5th Session of the 15th National Assembly. At the same time, for the first time since the beginning of the term, the National Assembly will discuss in the Hall the results of citizen reception, handling of petitions, and settlement of citizens' complaints and denunciations in 2023.

The National Assembly will conduct thematic supreme supervision on "Implementation of the National Assembly's Resolutions on National Target Programs on New Rural Development for the 2021-2025 period, sustainable poverty reduction for the 2021-2025 period, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the 2021-2030 period". Based on the supervision results report, it is proposed that the National Assembly analyze and evaluate the achieved results, shortcomings, limitations, difficulties, and obstacles in the implementation of the 3 national target programs for the 2021-2023 period, and the objective and subjective causes; thereby, issue a resolution on supervision with feasible and practical recommendations and solutions to accelerate the progress and effectively implement the national target programs in the coming time.

The questioning and answering of questions at this session will be held for 2.5 days, focusing on implementing the promises, commitments and requests of the National Assembly to the Prime Minister, members of the Government, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme People's Procuracy, and State Auditor General in implementing thematic supervision resolutions and resolutions on questioning and answering of questions, following the motto of attaching importance to supervising issues after supervision.

Also at this session, the National Assembly will conduct a vote of confidence for positions elected or approved by the National Assembly. This is an important method of supervision, demonstrating the National Assembly's recognition and evaluation of the efforts, attempts and work results since the beginning of the term of those who are voted for confidence. Based on the report of the person voted for confidence sent to each National Assembly deputy, listening to the opinions of voters, from their own monitoring and supervision practices, it is recommended that each National Assembly deputy promote a high sense of responsibility towards the country, towards the organization and operation of the National Assembly and the state apparatus, and make fair, objective and accurate assessments in recording a vote of confidence for each position elected and approved by the National Assembly.

Dear Congress,

Thus, the workload of the 6th Session is very large, with many difficult and complicated issues, placing very high demands on the National Assembly, the National Assembly Standing Committee and each National Assembly delegate. The great success with many very basic and important decisions at the 8th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee, including policies that will be promptly institutionalized at this Session, affirms the determination and solid preparation for the whole country to enter 2024 - a breakthrough year, moving towards completing the 5-year plans according to the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Party. Responding to the call, expectation and earnest request of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in the closing speech of the Central Committee Conference, with the experience, knowledge and steadfastness accumulated and tempered through half of the National Assembly's term, I respectfully request that the National Assembly delegates continue to promote and more effectively perform the role and responsibility of the People's representatives; be more united, dedicated and responsible in performing the duties of National Assembly deputies; promote the spirit of democracy for each content of the session.

In that spirit, I hereby declare open the 6th Session of the 15th National Assembly. I wish the delegates of the National Assembly good health and a successful session.

Thank you very much Congress!