VietNamNet Bridge – A lively Q&A session developed as Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung replied to queries by deputies on November 19 after he read a 90-minute report on the Government’s work. Initial questions focused on anti-corruption work.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung in the Q&A session on November 19.

The PM’s report responded, he said, to many of the 254 written questions from members of the National Assembly.  Other questions have been referred to various members of the Cabinet.

Dung said that the improvement of the domestic and international economies in October and November contributed to the Government’s confidence about the country’s ability to fulfil the goals for 2009 and the prospects for 2010. 

The Prime Minister addressed deputies’ concerns in three groups: 1/ solutions for recovery of vigorous growth and preventing the return of high inflation; 1/ management of urgent social problems; 3/ administrative effectiveness.

The Economy

The PM forecast that 2010 will be a difficult year for Vietnam. To achieve 6.5 percent of GDP growth rate in 2010 and 7-8% in subsequent years, it is necessary to continue suitable economic stimulus measures to give strength to entereprises and the economy.

 “The Government has agreed to continue assistance and stimulus policies to support growth recovery and foster a change of economic structure,” Dung said. “The government will announce specific assistance policies for 2010 in December.”

Financial and monetary policy will continue to be implemented through open market tools and obey market principles, the PM said.  The state budget for 2010 will increase spending for trade promotion. The “Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods” campaign will be intensified.

Along with the stimulus policy, the Government will continue support job creation in enterprises, to assist workers who lose jobs, and provide unemployment insurance.

Social Issues

PM Dung addressed a range of social concerns including reduction of poverty, public health, rural development and consumer protection.

The Government will give special attention to the implementation of plans to build up the network of universities and colleges in Vietnam, where there are currently many shortcomings. It will severely and promptly punish violations related to enrolling students and opening new schools .

Noting that many deputies had expressed concern over the risks posed by hydro-power plant reservoirs, the PM said that the Government has instructed agencies to urgently work out the procedures for operating reservoirs and to inspect the construction and operation of reservoirs thoughout the country.

Referring to the National Targets for Response to Climate Change that were approved this year, the PM said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has published scenarios for climate change and sea level rise. Ministries and provinces have been instructed to evaluate and build plans to cope with these threats.

Vietnam remains intent on building international cooperation on climate change and has asked for international assistance to mitigate the impacts of climate change on Vietnam.  The international community is considering funding nearly $3 billion in projects against climate change for Vietnam up to 2015.

Administrative Management

The campaign to reduce administrative procedures by 30-40 percent continues together with preparations for the 12^th Party Congress. PM Dung said the Government and provinces are developing specific programmes and plans that set deadlines and assign missions and place responsibility to each task.

The Government values the NA Steering Board’s report on the operation of state-owned economic groups and corporations and intends to implement the proposals therein.

Dung underlined Party and the Government determination to deal effectively with corruption. The Central Steering Board against Corruption has instructed agencies to investigate and bring to court all corruption cases that are discovered.

Deputies’ questions center on corruption

Deputy Le Van Cuong (Thanh Hoa) posed a question after hearing the Prime Minister’s report. “Corruption is getting complicated,” Cuong said. “The investigation of many corruption cases proceeds slowly.  The Central Party Inspection Committee recently released a list of many local officials who commit mistakes. Among them there is a provincial chairman who didn’t obey the PM’s instructions five times. These people’s responsibility must be considered.”

“I will check the case of the provincial chairman who didn’t obey my instruction five times,” the PM replied. 

Deputy Cuong continued, asking if the shortcomings in the anti-corruption campaign that have been acknowledged in Government reports and NA oversight could be related to the practice of putting provincial chairmen at the head of the local steering board against corruption? Wasn’t that tantamount to putting the fox in charge of the henhouse, Cuong asked. The deputy added that the chairman who didn’t observe the PM’s guidance five times is the Chairman of Ha Giang province.

The PM replied that there are different views about naming provincial and municipal chairmen as the chiefs of the newly established steering boards against corruption. This is something the Government needs to study.

Deputy Nguyen Minh Thuyet noted that “In the PCI scandal, we found that Vietnamese law doesn’t make any provision for the use foreign evidence.  In Vietnam’s ‘integration process,’ how does the Government plan to deal with corruption involving foreigners paying bribes or money laundering?”

The PM said that he has asked competent agencies to cooperate with Japan to investigate the case. The crime that Vietnamese agencies discovered and for which there was clear evidence has been judged already.  Our basic principle is to judge such cases under Vietnamese law, with evidence Vietnam collects. When there is foreign information about corruption related to Vietnamese officials, Dung added, the government always asks related agencies to work with foreign agencies to investigate. A recent case concerning the decision to order polymer banknotes is an example of such cooperation..

“As the head of the Central Steering Board for Combating Corruption, I’m also anxious when I that the investigation of corruption cases is slow,” the PM said. “Through reports, I see that related agencies are working together seriously, using the right procedures. However, this joint work must be faster.”

PV