This is the assessment of the appraisal agency, before the proposal in the Draft Resolution of the National Assembly replacing Resolution No. 35/2021/QH15 on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Hai Phong City.
Continuing the Program of the 9th Session, 15th National Assembly, this morning, May 13, the National Assembly listened to the Submission and Report on the Examination of the Draft Resolution of the National Assembly replacing Resolution No. 35/2021/QH15 dated November 13, 2021 of the National Assembly on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Hai Phong City.
Minister of Finance - Nguyen Van Thang presented the Draft Resolution at the meeting - Photo: National Assembly Media
Authorized by the Prime Minister to report to the National Assembly on the Draft Resolution, Minister of Finance - Nguyen Van Thang said that Hai Phong City has a particularly important position in socio-economic development. In particular, institutionalizing the Party's guidelines, merging and expanding administrative boundaries will create a large development space, create room for acceleration and form an important growth pole for the North and the whole country. That further requires a superior mechanism, suitable to the characteristics to strongly promote the new potential and advantages of Hai Phong in socio-economic development.
The specific development policies proposed for Hai Phong City to be piloted are built according to 6 major policy groups with 41 specific policies, including: investment management (2 policies); State financial and budget management (4 policies); planning, urban, natural resources and environment management (9 policies); science and technology management, innovation (8 policies); income of cadres, civil servants and public employees under the management of Hai Phong City (1 policy); establishment and mechanisms and policies in the Free Trade Zone in Hai Phong City (17 policies).
Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee - Phan Van Mai presented the Report on the review of the Draft Resolution at the meeting - Photo: National Assembly Media
In particular, regarding the regulations on establishing a Free Trade Zone in Hai Phong City, a number of specific preferential policies are proposed such as: simplifying administrative procedures in investment and business procedures; import and export procedures; immigration procedures, temporary residence and work permits; land procedures, construction investment; optimizing investment incentives on land rent, water surface rent, taxes (clause 5); other investment and business activities in the Free Trade Zone and allowing foreign bank branches to open transaction offices in the Free Trade Zone outside the branch headquarters.
At the same time, to pilot the "one-stop, on-site" mechanism for the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone, the Draft Resolution stipulates that the Hai Phong Economic Zone Management Board is authorized to directly perform the State management function for the functional areas of the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone and assigns the authority to the Management Board to directly handle procedures for granting Certificates of Origin of goods; granting, exchanging, re-granting, adjusting, revoking Business Licenses, Licenses to establish retail establishments for investors and granting, re-granting, extending, revoking Work Permits and certifying foreign workers who are not subject to work permits in the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone.
In the report on the review of the Draft Resolution, Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee - Phan Van Mai said that the majority of opinions in the review body found that this provision is different from the provisions of the Law on Management and Use of Public Assets and the current Law on Bidding. However, Conclusion 96-NQ/TW of the Politburo allowed the issuance of a new Resolution to apply special, outstanding and breakthrough policy mechanisms, so the above provision has a political basis and legal basis...
Regarding the establishment of a Free Trade Zone in Hai Phong, Chairman of the Committee Phan Van Mai said that the pilot establishment of a Free Trade Zone is necessary, a political determination of Hai Phong City and the Government; there is sufficient political basis and legal basis. However, this is a big issue, not only economic in nature but also related to national defense, security, order and social safety.
Therefore, according to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Committee, it is necessary to assess the impact on economic growth, budget, society; regional spread... risk management mechanism, monitoring mechanism to ensure openness while maintaining financial safety, economic security, social order; responsibility in implementation of relevant individuals and organizations.
Regarding the pilot policy in the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone, the Economic and Financial Committee also proposed to review the authority of the Hai Phong Economic Zone Management Board to implement the "one-stop" mechanism to ensure simplification of administrative procedures; clarity, transparency, timeliness (short time limit); specificity in procedures; reasonable authority, ensuring organizational capacity for implementation.