15th NA Standing Committee convenes seventh session

The seventh session of the National Assembly Standing Committee opened in Hà Nội yesterday. VNA/VnExpress News Photo

HÀ NỘI — The 15th National Assembly Standing Committee on Tuesday opened its 7th session, discussing issues that are to be submitted to the National Assembly at its 3rd session in May this year.

Chairing the meeting, National Assembly chairman Vương Đình Huệ said during the two-day session, the National Assembly Standing Committee would discuss important issues relating to the draft of the amended law on Emulation and Reward, a proposal to add the draft NA’s resolution on piloting the model of labour organisation and vocational training for prisoners outside prison into the NA’s law-building programme for 2022.

The NA Standing Committee also planned to discuss the periodic report of the NA’s Ombudsman Committee.

The committee would also give opinions on the addition of foreign capital investment plans from the unallocated and adjusted capital, the proposed medium-term public investment plan funded by the central budget in the 2021-2025 period for project portfolios of ministries, central and local agencies (phase 2).

Huệ said that at this session, the NA Standing Committee gave opinions about the first extraordinary session of the 15th National Assembly that took place earlier this month.

According to the NA Chairman, the successful organisation of the first extraordinary session was a valuable lesson in making other “extraordinary” sessions “normal” activities of the National Assembly in order to respond to the urgency of the current situation.

“Naming the first extraordinary meeting of the 15th NA implies that there may be a second or third of its kind so the NA can study and solve pressing and important issues or meet the urgent need to develop laws and ordinances,” he said.

Conclusion No. 19-KL/TW of the Politburo on the orientation of the law-making programme for the 15th National Assembly term posed a high workload with 137 legislative tasks, Huệ said, adding that if there were only two meetings a year, a maximum of 73 laws would be issued in an NA term.

Huệ said he expected the NA Standing Committee to draw lessons so that other meetings, if necessary, would open and produce positive results.

Bill on Emulation and Reward

On Tuesday morning, NA vice chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn chaired a discussion about the draft of the amended law on Emulation and Reward.

The bill was discussed by the National Assembly at its 2nd Session, receiving 268 opinions in group discussions, 34 opinions in the NA hall and eight written opinions sent to the law compiling agency.

The vast majority of National Assembly deputies agreed and highly appreciated the bill submitted by the Government and carefully considered by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly. The verifying agency has repeatedly worked with the drafting agency on the bill.

At Tuesday’s discussion, members of the NA Standing Committee agreed to add a new reward “Glorious Youth Volunteer Medal”.

The medal would be awarded or posthumously awarded to young volunteers during periods of war resistance, national construction and protection if they meet one of the following criteria including volunteering to participate in the resistance wars against France and the United States, undertaking international missions to help Laos and Cambodia, completing their missions, or having served in the army for at least two years.

Young people volunteering to participate in the period of national construction and defence, complete tasks, having served in the army for at least five years; or for volunteer youth managers who have served in the army for nine years or more will also be considered.

In case of sacrifice or injury while on duty, in which they have been recognised as a martyr, wounded soldier, or sick soldier, having served in the army for one year or more, they will be considered for the “Glorious Youth Volunteer Medal”.

The NA Vice Chairman requested the Government to submit reports to the NA Standing Committee on the draft. At the same time, if necessary, agencies can organise more conferences to consult with full-time National Assembly deputies to get more opinions.

The National Assembly’s Social Committee continues to actively coordinate with the law drafting Committee, the Law Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Ethics Council, the Committees of the National Assembly and relevant agencies to fully absorb and further receive relevant opinions so that the law project would be ready for submission at the 3rd session of the 15th National Assembly which is expected to open in May. — VnExpress News