VietNamNet Bridge – Many National Assembly deputies yesterday, June 18, agreed that sanctions in the amendments to the Law on Thrift Practice and Wastefulness Prevention were not punitive enough, which tended to make the law unfeasible.

Researchers at the Viet Nam Petroleum Institute. The National Assembly yesterday approved the revised law on Science and Technology, earmarking more funding for the development of the sector. Participants at the meeting also discussed the draft Law on Thift Practice and Wastefulness Prevention.

Deputy Huynh The Ky from central Ninh Thuan Province said that wastefulness should be considered as a type of crime because the consequences caused by wastefulness were not measurable.

Over the past few years, the Party and State had issued many regulations and organised campaigns to encourage people to practise thrift, showing their determination to prevent wastefulness. However, the solutions had brought little change.

In corruption cases, investigation would help find who were involved in bribery and how much State money was lost. But wastefulness was still hard to deal with it.

Deputy Tran Van Tan from the southern province of Tien Giang said wastefulness must be quantified. People which caused serious wastefulness must take criminal liability.

Deputy Ngo Thi Minh from northern Quang Ninh Province said that many real estate projects, factories and ports had been developed without planning, many schools were opened but education quality was not ensured.

This was a huge waste of State money and assets, she stressed.

Deputy Trinh Ngoc Thach in Ha Noi said it was necessary to have stricter punishments for uneconomical use of the State budget, natural resources, labour and working time.

Deputy Tran Hong Tham from the southern province of Can Tho said the national natural resources were not limitless. People nationwide were very much concerned over the illegal exploitation of forest products, sand in rivers and minerals, she said.

Planning of natural resource exploitation must take into account long-term effectiveness and sustainability, to avoid wastefulness and a negative influence on the environment, she added.

Deputy Than Duc Nam of central Da Nang City said lingering construction projects were not only a waste of time but also a waste of money because each time the project was rescheduled, its investment was raised.

This was a common type of wastefulness, he said.

Deputy chairman of the NA Economic Committee Nguyen Duc Kien attributed the waste in State money to the improper decentralisation in the State administration system.

He cited that while investment in some projects was allocated by the Government, local authorities were allowed to grant investment licences as well, which led to difficulties in laying the blame.

The solution was that the Government should allocate capital to localities each year, and localities must take responsibility for choosing investment projects and using State capital, as well as having to report to the Government on the projects' progress.

Lawmaker from central Thanh Hoa Province Cao Thi Xuan suggested the situation "everybody's business is nobody's business" must be addressed if the Government was to deal with wastefulness.

The draft law is expected to be approved in the 13th National Assembly's sixth plenary session by the end of the year.

Science and technology

The revised science and technology law was overwhelmingly approved by the National Assembly yesterday, gaining backing from 89 per cent of deputies.

The law regulates State policies on science and technology development with priorities and state resources allocated for field development. Human, social and natural, technical and technology sciences would be developed comprehensively under the revision, with science and technology development dovetailing to support the country's socio-economic progress.

It would also prohibit behaviours that take advantage of science and technology advances to violate the State's interests, legal rights and the interests of individual and groups; to damage natural resources, the environment and people's health, morality and the nation's customs.

According to the law, the country would now mark the annual Viet Nam Science and Technology Day on May 18.

Discussing the revision and amendment of the emulation and reward law, deputies agreed the changes aimed to unify reward forms in the political and social system.

Deputy Tran Thanh Hai from HCM City, along with many others, said the law should add groups and individuals from non-State areas into reward subjects due to the importance of this labour force in society.

Deputy Nguyen Minh Phuong from Can Tho City said emulation and reward would be a driving force for the country's development and important measure for developing the workforce.

According to the Government's statement, the law's revision and amendment aimed to confirm the relationship between emulation and reward. Every group or individual participating in emulation movements would be considered for rewards following set standards and regulations. Those having made great contributions to the country's development and defence would be praised and awarded.

Deputies said State honours, titles and rewards, such as "Hero of Labour" or "People's Armed Forces' Hero", should be considered as offerings to groups or individuals at the National Emulation Congress every five years, instead of every one or two years, to improve the significance of the honour.

The law is expected to be adopted at the sixth session of the National Assembly.

Source: VNS