On the morning of May 22, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam solemnly held the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd session, the 14th National Assembly at the National Assembly Building, Hanoi. In the first important speeches, the issue of Natural Resources & Environment was paid special attention by the Party, National Assembly, Government and voters.
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan delivered a speech to open the session.
At the opening session, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said that the domestic economy was basically stable, economic growth continued to recover; industrial, agricultural, forestry and fishery production kept developing; tourism continued to grow; investment and business environment was improved.
However, the violations of law in the exploitation of natural resources and minerals are evolving complexly and causing serious public opinion; environmental pollution occurs in many places but the recovery and improvement is slow.
* Awareness about environmental protection has evolved dramatically
At the opening ceremony of the 3rd session, the 14th National Assembly, on behalf of the Government, Politburo Member - Standing Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh presented the report evaluating the implementation results of the socio-economic development plan and the state budget in 2016; the implementation of the socio-economic development plan and the state budget in the first months of 2017.
Regarding to environmental protection, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said that the Government had instructed ministries to strengthen the management and implementation of environmental protection measures; to close down natural forests firmly; to review hydropower projects in the Central Highlands, prevent from licensing hydropower projects that may have a negative impact on the ecological environment.
The government would focus on reviewing the planning, strictly controlling the environmental impact assessment; resolutely stop licensing and investment policy for projects with high risk of pollution; strictly handling violations of environmental law.
The government would direct ministries to resolutely handle the illegal exploitation of stones and sand. The marine environment in the four provinces of Central Vietnam has returned to normal with the recovery of production, business and fisheries and a large number of domestic and foreign tourists have been attracted.
“Awareness and action on environmental protection have made significant changes, both for the regulatory authorities, the business community and the whole society”, said Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh.
However, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, the situation of environmental pollution in many places is still complicated. Dealing with environmental breaches is still inadequate; sanctions are not serious enough. Illegal logging, mining, and graveling are still occurring in many locations. Coastal landslides occur severely in some provinces in the Mekong Delta.
In the coming time, the Government would continue to focus on the improvement of the policy mechanism and criminal sanctions related to environmental violations; to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of state management; strengthen the inspection, examination, investigation and supervision of law enforcement; to clearly define the responsibilities of organizations and individuals and strictly handle violations.
In addition, the Government would also have effective solutions to mobilize social resources to address environmental issues, especially waste treatment & recycling, green development and clean energy. The Government would complete technical regulations; develop a set of criteria and perform quality rating of environmental protection. Moreover, the Government would strictly implement the planning related to the environment, including planning on the treatment of solid and hazardous waste.
The Government would focus on improving the quality and handling of environmental pollution, especially in river basins, craft villages, industrial clusters, economic zones and population quarters in rural areas. The Government would strengthen observation and monitoring of the environment, water resources and marine resources.
The Government would strictly shut down natural forests as well as protecting and developing forests; resolutely prevent the illegal exploitation of resources and minerals; prevent the hijackers from abusive behavior; well perform information and communication work to raise the awareness of the business community, the people and the capacity of the functional agencies, cadres and civil servants in executing the tasks of environmental protection.
As climate change directly affects our country more and more rapidly, the Government directs the focus on drastic and effective implementation of both immediate and long-term measures to actively respond to and adapt to climate change, prevention of natural calamities, storms, floods, droughts, saline intrusion, landslides, especially in Central Vietnam, the Central Highlands and the Mekong River Delta; strengthen international and regional cooperation; speed up the implementation of anti-flood projects to gradually overcome the flooding in some big cities...
* Voters recommend the implementation of waste treatment program in rural areas
Presenting the report synthesizing the opinions and proposals of the voters and people at the opening ceremony of the 3rd session, the 14th National Assembly, Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, Politburo Member – Chairman of the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF), said that voters and people proposed the Government to instruct local People’s Committees together with relevant ministries and agencies to develop and implement the domestic and livestock waste management plans in the countryside.
According to Chairman of the Central Committee of VFF Nguyen Thien Nhan, in order to prepare for the 3rd session of the 14th National Assembly, the Presidium of the Central Committee of VFF in collaboration with the Standing Committee of the National Assembly has compiled 3,288 opinions and recommendations of voters and people throughout the country to the National Assembly, including 741 comments and recommendations of voters reflected through the National Assembly delegations and 2,547 comments and recommendations of the people through the VFF levels.
Regarding comments and suggestions of residents and people involved in resource management and environmental protection, Chaiman of VFF Nguyen Thien Nhan said that voters and people recognized the efforts of the Government on the improvement of policies and laws to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of natural resource management and environmental protection; the Government had drastically directed the verification and disciplined the responsible person in state management that had caused serious incidents of marine environmental pollution in Central Vietnam;
Voters and people also noted that the Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment and relevant ministries and agencies had strengthened environmental inspections and coordinated with VFF to monitor the development and operation of coal-fired thermal power plants in some localities.
Recently, leaders of some localities such as Ha Noi city, Bac Ninh province have drastically directed and coordinated with functional agencies and VFF to inspect and supervise the illegal sand mining for initial limit and control of this situation in the areas.
However, voters and people in many places are very concerned about the situation of illegal sand mining still happening blatantly, regardless of the law, which is a fundamental cause of serious erosion along the river banks and coastal areas in many localities, especially in the provinces of Central and Southern Vietnam, which directly affects people's life and production; the indiscriminate deforestation in some localities is seriously affecting the ecological environment.
The Presidium of the Central Committee of VFF has repeatedly reported to the National Assembly and the Government on illegal sand mining and deforestation, which has been recommended twice to the Government in 2013, 2014 and 4 consecutive reports at the sessions of the 13th and 14th National Assembly in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly instructed the ministries and local authorities to rectify this situation, but the illegal sand mining and deforestation is still occuring with the high level of sophistication and challenges to the local authorities and public opinions.
Voters and People demand clear responsibilities and strict treatment of heads of localities that have not taken measures to handle them, although the National Assembly and the Prime Minister have directed many times. The people and the media have repeatedly reflected, asked the Government and the Prime Minister to direct more drastically the functional agencies, authorities at all levels to investigate the responsibility of any individual or “advocacy group” related to illegal sand mining and deforestation that are challenging the law, together with short-term and long-term solutions.
“Regarding to rural environmental pollution, especially the fact that untreated domestic and livestock wastes seriously polluted the environment in many localities, voters and people proposed the Government to direct the local People's committees together with relevant ministries and agencies to develop and implement plans and programs to deal with the treatment of household and animal wastes...”, Chairman of VFF Nguyen Thien Nhan emphasized.
Viet Hung