Hanoi, (VNA)🌄 – The National Assembly’s Financial and BudgetaryCommittee commended the Government for drastic leadership in promoting thriftand fighting wastefulness in 2016 when reporting on its examination andverification of the Government’s report in this field.

At the April 19 sitting of the 9th meeting of the NA StandingCommittee, the Financial and Budgetary Committee noted that the Government haspromulgated many resolutions designed to remove outstanding problems, bolstereconomic growth. The management and use of State capital, funds and assets hasimproved towards stricter fiscal policies and financial discipline, and greaterefficiency and transparency. The promotion of thrift and reduction ofwastefulness has resulted in greater resources for carrying out socio-economictasks and ensuring social welfare. Alongside positive changes, shortcomings remain, the committee reported,noting that when inspecting more than 750 trillion VND in the State budget’sregular spending in 2016, or 90 percent of the yearly estimates, the Statetreasury system detected 28,800 items of improper expenditure. Those itemsincluded the wasteful spending on anniversary ceremonies and the purchase of vehiclesand equipment by State-owned agencies. The committee also mentioned the violations of legal regulations onbidding in public purchase, leading to unreasonable high costs particularly inhealth care, in some localities such as Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Bac Kan, and thewasteful exploitation of natural resources in Hung Yen, Ha Nam, Bac Ninh, KhanhHoa and Kien Giang. The committee cited as example the worsening illegal sandmining and deforestation that caused public concern recently. The Government’s report said ministries, agencies and local authoritieshave made great efforts in practicing thrift and reducing wastefulness. Specifically,73 ministries, agencies and local administrations have announced the lists ofassets subject to concentrated purchase while the check of public cars has beencarried out actively. The ministries, agencies and localities have also strengthened managementof criteria and quotas in investment in building new or upgrading offices. Themanagement of natural resources exploitation and use has received moreattention and the system of laws on natural resource, the environment, sea andislands continued to be improved. The Government also reported on the 10 solutions it has drafted in orderto effectively enforce its programme on promoting thrift and fightingwastefulness in 2017. The NA Standing Committee approved the Government’s proposed solutions, notingthat the supervision of the enforcement of the Law on Thrift Practice andWastefulness Prevention should be tightened, especially in the fields of construction,management and use of land and natural resources, and the purchase and use of publicassets. The Government should accelerate the building of criteria and quotas toprovide the basis for preventing wastefulness The Committee also agreed that the NA should allocate time duringplenary sessions to discuss the Government’s report on the enforcement of theLaw on Thrift Practice and Wastefulness Prevention.-VNA