In scheduled 19 days of work, the legislature will consider and make decisions on important issues, and review the performance of State, NA and Government agencies over the past five years, along with lawmaking issues. Leading State positions, including the President, Prime Minister and National Assembly (NA) Chairman, are scheduled to be elected during the session as well.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said that in the context of complicated regional and international situations, the 11th meeting offers a chance to look back on the past five years, assess the country’s socio-economic, defence, security, diplomatic and judicial affairs, and put forward works that need to be done in 2016 and in the following years.
He asked the Government, the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs, NA Committees and agencies to submit thorough reports to the legislature, intensify coordination to ensure the meeting agenda takes place as scheduled. He also requested that NA deputies contribute quality ideas to make the meeting a success.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on behalf of the Government, delivered a speech on a report on supplementary assessments of the implementation of the 2015 socio-economic development plan, a socio-economic development plan for 2016 and a report on socio-economic development plans for 2016-2020.
The last session of the 13th NA will also spend time reviewing the five-year performance of State, NA and Government agencies. Additionally, the legislature is expected to scrutinise and approve the draft law on information access; the revised law on signing, joining and implementing international treaties; the revised press law; the revised law on child protection, care and education; the revised law on pharmaceuticals; and the revised law on export and import duties. The agenda also includes a draft law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the laws on value added tax, special consumption tax and tax management.
Responding to a question about the draft law on demonstration not included in the agenda, he said the Government discussed this draft and recorded great differences in viewpoints on some major issues. It needs more time to appraise and will submit the draft law to the NA when the drafting is finished.
