Government News 7/5 NA Standing Committee prepares for plenary sitting The 38th session of the 12th National Assembly Standing Committee will discuss a number of important issues in Hanoi from May 11-15 in preparation for the 9th sitting of the 13th legislature. Lawmakers will offer opinions on the Government’s supplementary reports on the implementation of socio-economic development plans and the State budget in 2014 and early 2015 as well as solutions to allocating the funds exceeding the central budget collection last year and the 2013 State budget balance. They will discuss proposals and plans of the People’s Supreme Procuracy and the People’s Supreme Court on the organisation, missions, and power of units under these two agencies and the establishment of the high-level People’s Procuracy and People’s Court. Delegates will give feedback on preparations for the 9th sitting of the 13th National Assembly and the 2014 report on the practice of thrift and wastefulness prevention. Also on the agenda are Government projects on establishing the Duyen Hai town in Tra Vinh province; Long My town in Hau Giang province; Phu Rieng district in Binh Phuoc; Pho Yen town and Song Cong city in Thai Nguyen province; and Gia Rai town in Bac Lieu. The drafts of the revised Civil Code, Law on Referendum, Law on Hydrometeorology and Law on Veterinary will also be under discussion.- Thai princess visits central Quang Nam province Thai princess Maha Chakri Siridhom made a working trip to the central province of Quang Nam on May 6 as part of her visit to Vietnam as guest of Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan. Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Chin hailed the princess’ visit as an opportunity to bolster the cooperative ties between the two countries in general and between Quang Nam and Thai partners in particular. Quang Nam is home to three projects run by Thai investors with a total investment of 13 million USD. Taking advantage of the road running from Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani province through southern Laos to Quang Nam’s Nam Giang border gate, the province has been working with Thai partners on several projects in tourism, service, agriculture and forestry as well as trade and investment promotion. In addition, Quang Nam University and Thailand’s Ubon Rathachani Rajabhat university have signed a cooperation memorandum. Princess Maha Chakri Siridhom said her visit to Quang Nam aims to study the strength of the locality, particularly its ways to protect the environment and heritage. The princess took the occasion to tour the ancient streets and historical-cultural relics in the World Heritage site of Hoi An. Party Central Committee talks local governance model The 11th Party Central Committee discussed the local governance model during the third working day of the 11th session in Hanoi on May 6. The discussion came after Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said during the opening session that renovating local governments is a significant component of the country’s reform cause and important to enhance the efficiency of the socialist law-governed State. On May 5, the committee deliberated the number and allocation of delegates who will attend next year’s 12 th National Party Congress, the Party’s biggest meeting that takes place every five years. The Long Thanh international airport project in the southern province of Dong Nai province and the Politburo performance were also part of the agenda. The session will last until May 7. Dak Nong, Cambodia’s Mondulkiri province forge stronger defence ties The Military Command of the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong and Cambodia’s Mondulkiri province military sub-region have signed a memorandum of understanding, strengthening their partnership. According to the deal, which was reached during talks between the two provinces’ armed forces in Dak Nong on May 6, the two sides will regularly exchange information and support one another in the event of natural disasters, pandemics or forest fires. They will increase joint patrols along the shared border to prevent crimes, especially illegal border crossings, while creating favourable conditions and ensuring security for their joint working group on border demarcation. The Dak Nong Military Command will provide food and medical support to the disadvantaged in Mondulkiri while assisting the provincial military sub-region’s soldiers and their families to receive healthcare services at the Dak Nong General Hospital . The two sides also agreed to hold a ceremony to formally establish twin relations this June. Last year, the Dak Nong Military Command provided free health check-ups and medicine to more than 400 poor people in Mondulkiri and granted 450 gifts worth 225 million VND (10,714 USD) to poor households in Senmonrum commune, Ou Reang district in Mondulkiri.- NA deputies consider voter concerns National Assembly (NA) deputies from Tuyen Quang, Quang Nam, Phu Yen and Binh Duong provinces met with local voters to hear their opinions on a series of issues, focusing on socio-economic development, education and training, lawmaking and social welfare policies. Voters in northern Tuyen Quang province contributed a number of ideas on increasing investment in infrastructure facilities, building coordination mechanisms in forest management and border protection, improving the quality of education and training and ensuring job for labourers. They encouraged the NA and relevant agencies to pay more attention to improving living conditions for people in resettlement zones, improving the quality of medical services at the local level, upgrading electrical systems in rural areas, promoting agricultural production and seeking additional markets for farm products. Meanwhile, voters in the central province of Quang Nam emphasised the necessity of applying macro-management policies to the animal feed industry while intensifying support for domestic cattle feed producers to promote the sector’s development. They also suggested offering low-interest loans to farm households, encouraging farmers to join safe-food supply chains, incentivising enterprises to invest in agriculture and promoting the application of science and technology in agro-economic development. Increasing the efficiency of lawmaking was the major focus for voters in the coastal central province of Phu Yen. Voter Pham Ngoc Chi, former Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee, said Government leaders and local authorities should engage in regular dialogues with their constituents to design appropriate policies. She also gave her opinions on the revised Law on the Organisation of the Government. Local voters stressed the need to ensure the community’s opinions are gathered and considered in the drafting of legal documents, saying final laws should reflect the rights of individuals and benefit the community. They also expressed interest in policies for ethnic minority groups and revolutionaries and their families, among others. Voters in the southern province of Binh Duong voiced concern over stable markets for local farm products, traffic accidents, environmental pollution and controversies in applying the Law on Social Insurance.- VNA