According to Chairman of National Assembly, Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue, under the framework of the new rural construction plan, some rural districts in Hai Phong City need to be inextricably linked with the urban development so as to prevent waste.
Chairman of National Assembly, Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue speaking. (Photo: Doan Tan/TTXVN)
In the morning of August 5, Chairman of National Assembly, Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue and Hai Phong City’s delegation to the National Assembly had an online meeting with about 5,000 constituents of urban districts, rural districts and island districts of the city from over 200 connected places.
Vice Head of Hai Phong City’s delegation to the National Assembly, Mr. La Thanh Tan reported on outcomes of the first session of the 15th National Assembly, and activities of the city’s delegation to the National Assembly at the session.
In the view of Mr. Duong Anh Dien, constituent of Hai Phong City, although the first session of the 15th National Assembly occurred amidst the complexity of COVID-19 pandemic, the National Assembly outstandingly showed Chairman Ho Chi Minh’s Thought on “firm in objectives, flexible in strategies and tactics” (“dĩ bất biến, ứng vạn biến").
According to the constituent, “firm in objectives” here is guidance and resolutions of the Party, interests of the Country, the people, and laws upholding. “flexible in strategies and tactics” here is that, the National Assembly was very responsive, closely tracking the country’s situation and flexibly, responsibly added into the first session’s Resolution unprecedented content, handing over to The Government, The Prime Minister necessary legal grounds to be more proactive and flexible in leading and guiding the fight against COVID-19.
Save regular expenditure to focus on investment and development
After listening to ideas of 8 constituents and representative of the city’s delegation to the National Assembly, Chairman of National Assembly, Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue said that he would seriously implement the action plan of the upcoming 05-year term as he had presented during the campaign and meeting with the city’s constituents prior to the election in May 2021.
The Chairman reported to constituents on innovations in the organization and operation of the National Assembly, particularly in the first session of the 15th National Assembly, in which the National Assembly innovated the session’s secretary works, thus upgrading the quality of reporting on groups’ discussions, which is conducive to the reception, explanation, avoiding duplication of speeches at the meeting.
The National Assembly and Government devised an important legal initiative, taking place in around 03 days that added to the program with 100% of attending members passing Resolution No. 30, which accomodates critical contents that give the Government and Prime Minister peculiar mechanisms to be more proactive and flexible in guidance to cope with currently complicated and probably prolonged situation of COVID-19 pandemic.
Responding to constituent’s comments relating to urban strategy, particularly in the case of Hai Phong – the city has done well in new rural construction, and being on course to new rural model, Chairman of National Assembly said in the 13th Congress documents of the Party, a very new point was to continuously place emphasis on rural affairs, agriculture, farmers, new rural construction program; meanwhile attaching great importance to strategies, thinking, vision, tools, policies to implement urban development and urban economy.
Agreeing with constituent’s opinion that “only prioritizing industrialization and modernization without stressing the importance of urbanization makes it hard for industrialization and modernization to be linked to each other and be successful”, Chairman of National Assembly said, strategies, thinking, vision, tools and policies for urban development being tied to urban economy has been a big matter to the country. Relevant units have been active in preparation so that a submission of a related scheme could be viable in this year.
Constituent Duong Anh Dien shared opinion on Resolution 45 of the Politburo regarding construction and development of Hai Phong City, which sets goal for the city to become a modern, smart, sustainable industrial city in Southeast Asia leading up to 2030.
The Chairman of National Assembly took into consideration constituent’s proposals regarding the selection of cities having conditions and consciousness on development that meet requirements to get peculiar and superior policies to become pioneers and momentums not only for the region but also the whole country.
Hai Phong focusing on development of three pillars of its economy
At the same time, Chairman of National Assembly requested the City Party Committee, local authority and relevant departments and units to swiftly compose peculiar resolution including research on urban government model (like Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City have been doing); peculiar policies on finance and budget; and other peculiar policies on planning, land management, etc.
Constituent Nguyen Hoang Long proposed maintaining division percentage between central budget and the city’s budget (for the period of 2022-2025).
Taking into consideration the constituent’s suggestion, Chairman of National Assembly said, as regulated in Law on State Budget, after each budgetary period requires a review with the tendency of increasing the share of tax revenue payable to the central government and reducing that left for the locality.
This term is expected to see the number of localities with tax revenue payable to the central government increase from 16 to 18 or possibly 20, including Hai Phong.
Chairman of National Assembly said monitoring some localities reveals current expenditure as a share of total expenditure is still way too large. Hence, Chairman of National Assembly hoped that Hai Phong City would be working towards reducing current expenditure so as to concentrate on capital investment.
Regarding comment of Transport Department’s constituent on amendment of Public Investment Law, Chairman of National Assembly said the Public Investment Law had just been revised in 2019, would be effective in 2020. On the grounds of current legalities, the whole nation has been concentrating on speeding up the rate of public investment disbursement.
Hai Phong is amongst the top cities in terms of disbursement and its economy is enjoying growth; in 6 months of 2021, the city’s GRDP increased 13,52%, that was 2.4 times higher than the average of the whole country, ranking the 4th place in the country and the 2nd place of key economic area of the Northern region.
The city needs to continuously review laws on public investment, private investment, PPP investment, business, entrepreneurs, …, and if necessary, it is possible to consider the establishment of one law to amend other laws.
Any problem in scope of decree would be handled with the use of a decree to amend other decrees; to solve any issues of a circular, ministries would work under the guidance of the central government that government levels must address any issues that lie within their remit.
New rural construction plan needs to go with urban development
Responding to Hong Bang district’s constituent’s point on planning and development, Chairman of National Assembly considered Hai Phong amongst the earliest city in the whole country to lodge its submission of master plan mission to the Central Government after Law on Planning was effective.
On September 15, 2020, Prime Minister issued Decision no. 1412 on approving Hai Phong’s planning mission for the period of 2021-2030, vision to 2050.
Multisectors – integrated plan would be the most critical tool to realise thinking, vision, general and specific goals according to Resolution 45 of the Politburo, in which Hai Phong was identified as the leader in industrialization and modernization, a momentum for development of the Northern region and the whole country.
The Chairman of National Assembly asked the City People’s Committee to soon do its implementation and said that, in 2022, National Assembly would choose planning to be a key priority, one out of two areas to carry out supreme monitoring (implementation of saving, avoiding waste, and master plan work according to Law on Planning).
“If the master plan is not soon implemented, planning on sectors and use of land management, …will bring obstacles to socio - economic development” stressed Chairman of National Assembly.
Relating to the master plan, Chairman of National Assembly also mentioned, as some rural districts in Hai Phong planned to be upgraded to urban district level, the new rural construction plan needs to get inextricably linked with urban development to avoid waste; scheme and peculiar, detailed mechanisms are required to address the issue of resources when upgrading rural district to urban district or rural district to city level.
Chairman of National Assembly, Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue, and members at the online meeting (Photo: Doan Tan/TTXVN)
Also, the city needs master plan related to the environment of industrial parks, processing parks, gathering and treatment of urban and rural sewage, waste using new technology, clean water supply for urban and rural areas.
At the online meeting, sharing with comment of constituent Tran Quang Tuong from Bach Long Vy Island district on tourism and maritime economy, Chairman of National Assembly said, Hai Phong has great potentials including Cat Ba, Do Son, Bach Long Vy. This has three points that merit attention: i) tourism infrastructure, ii) tourism environment, iii) tourism entrepreneurs with tourism products.
Speaking of the meaning of creating unique tourism products, Chairman of National Assembly noted, Hai Phong should not forget eco-tourism, particularly when Cat Ba is a world’s biosphere reserve, a marine protected area with national forest (3 in 1), thus Hai Phong needs to protect those values.
Bach Long Vy is the most offshore island in the Northern Gulf. Hence, in marine economy development, tourism has to be attached to economy and defense combination, biosphere protection and rare natural values. The City needs to have a master plan and guidance for entrepreneurs to build up chains of outstanding and unique tourism products in order to attract tourists, and to avoid “hot development”.
Regarding the construction of Bach Long Vy to become a fishing logistics hub in the Northern region, Chairman of National Assembly informed, there had been intent of constructing a Type-1 fishing port here in 2020. As the island’s terrain has annually suffered various catastrophes such as storms, tropical depression, etc., the port's facilities have not been able to shelter ships and boats from storms. Thus, upgrading the port to become Type-1 port, a shelter from storms for ships and boats in the region is urgently needed.
Chairman of National Assembly requested Bach Long Vy Island district to work with Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to compose a scheme for submission to Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to review, evaluate and submit to the Central Government for approval.
The city’s delegation to The National Assembly would pay attention to foster and soon realise this issue./.