Hanoi (VNA) – National AssemblyChairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has called on the Party, people and army tostrengthen solidarity to overcome challenges to fulfilling 2017’ssocio-economic development missions.

The top legislator made the appeal in heropening speech at the third plenary session of the 14th legislature that openedin Hanoi on May 22.

She urged the nation and people to promote unityof thought and action to implement resolutions adopted at the 12th NationalParty Congress, particularly resolutions passed at the fifth meeting of the12th Party Central Committee.

Despite positive socio-economic development,Vietnam faces innumerable difficulties, she said.

The economic growth is not sustainable, whilesome basic targets have been missed, she said, pointing to difficulties inindustrial production and agriculture as well as damage caused by climatechange.

Legal violations in exploiting natural resourcesand mining have provoked public concern, as has environmental pollution in manyplaces, she said.

Infringements of food safety and hygiene laws,poor land use and management, along with corruption and wastefulness are stillof public concern, she added.

With solidarity, creativity and actions tobenefit the people, the legislature will work hard to handle a lot of work atthe third sitting, Ngan said.

She asked legislators to make activecontributions to the discussions at the session to meet the requirements andaspirations of people across the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh laterpresented a report on the supplementary evaluation of the implementation of socio-economicdevelopment plans and State budget in 2016 and early 2017. Law making will be a major focus duringthe 22.5-day sitting, with 13 bills and five draft resolutions expected to beconsidered and adopted, and five other draft laws to be discussed.  Among the bills scheduled to be passedat this session are the law on adjusting, supplementing a number of articles ofthe 2015 Penal Code, the law on support for small and medium-sized enterprises,the law on management and use of State assets (revised) and the law on theState’s responsibility for compensation.  The session will also examine a numberof important socio-economic matters and evaluate the implementation of laws andpolicies on food safety in 2011-2016. A report from the Vietnam FatherlandFront Central Committee on petitions and opinions of voters and the public willbe submitted to the session, and the NA Standing Committee will report on itssupervision of the settlement of voters’ petitions that were sent to the legislature’ssecond plenary session.  Three working days during the sessionwill be devoted to the questioning of cabinet members. The third plenary session is scheduledto conclude on June 21.-VNA