First NA Meeting Session in 2009: High Prospects

The first meeting session of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 2009 is set to start in May. The public is reportedly longing to see major solutions to Vietnamese social and economic issues like the delay of personal income tax, estimated at VND4,000 billion in the first months of this year. Many taxpayers are hesitant to spend their payables because they fear the National Assembly may decide to recollect. Mr Phung Quoc Hien, Head of National Assembly Committee for Finance and Budget, said in an interview with the press, that: “Vietnam has more than 50 million labourers. The tax policy levies on about 300 thousand people and 2 million individual business households. Has the delay or exempt tax been taking effect yet to serve to stimulate demand; or tax cut only for the rich, losing revenue to the state budget and lose chances for support welfare to the poor. However, the recollection of delayed taxes will lead to unpredictable subsequence.

 

Or the stimulus package worth US$8 billion gives a rise to queries that need to be addressed satisfactorily: Where will the money come from, who will approve it, how will it be used, how will it impact the budget deficit, is there any confusion in fiscal and monetary policy, and others?

 

Another burning issue is the exploitation of bauxite ores in the Central Highlands. The Politburo concluded that this project had to be written in the 2009 socio-economic report of the National Assembly. The public expects representatives to make an insightful study on this project, especially on their concerns of economic efficiency, environmental impact and other social issues.

 

The meeting agenda requires hard work of the National Assembly representatives from the opening to closing. For instance, Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) used many difficult-to-understand terms in its reports: NPV of Tan Rai project is VND1,477 billion and Nhan Co project is VND1,010 billion and IRR of these two projects is 11.43 per cent and 10.59 per cent, respectively. The members of Parliament need support from specialists to understand these terms and these projects.

 

Deputies, who represent their voters, will not be pleased with simple GDP growth because it does not exactly reflect real development. For instance, all understand that Ho Chi Minh City digs up its still-good roads and covers them with new bricks; it will contribute to GDP growth, create jobs and boost sales of commodities like cement, bricks and sand. But, many people point out that the so-called contribution to GDP growth may worsen urban flooding.

 

When deputies discuss amendments to the Land Law, they will weigh provisions to stop land abuse.

 

The higher the expectation, the higher the responsibility. The highest responsibility is to maintain the relationship between deputies and voters. Vietnam is now unable to provide private working offices and assistants for each deputy. At least, each provincial/municipal deputy delegation needs to have its own website to receive letters, queries and discussions from its voters.