Hanoi (VNA) – The 40th session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee opened in Hanoi on December 10.

Presiding over the session, NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man emphasised that this is the last meeting of the committee in 2024 and scheduled to take place over two days.

During the session, the committee will review the recently concluded eighth session of the parliament.

It will also address a number of key issues, including a resolution on its working programme for 2025, its external affairs programme for the year, as well as external relations and international cooperation activities for the NA’s Ethnic Minority Council, NA committees, the NA General Secretary, parliamentary friendship groups, the NA Office, and agecies of the NA Standing Committee.

The NA Standing Committee is scheduled to approve a draft ordinance on litigation cost and discuss the inclusion of six new bills in the legislative agenda for 2025, namely the draft revised Bankruptcy Law, the draft revised Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents, the draft Law on Personal Data Protection, the draft revised Press Law, the draft revised Law on Lawyers, and a draft resolution of the NA on exempting agricultural land use tax.

It will review the administrative restructuring of district and commune-level units in Ninh Binh province for the 2023 - 2025 period. To date, 50 out of 51 provinces and cities have completed this process, and Ninh Binh is the last to carry out the work.

Alongside, the committee will debate six important issues related to finance and budget, including adjustments to the medium-term public investment plan for the 2021 - 2025 period of ministries, central agencies and localities.

At the same time, it will give opinions on the ombudsman work in November, including those left from October, and review a draft decree on the establishment, management, and use of the investment support fund. Additionally, the committee will discuss the authority to impose administrative penalties for certain positions.

Should relevant agencies be able to submit the required documents, the committee will also decide on the budget for managing social insurance and unemployment insurance for the 2025 - 2027 period.

NA Chairman Man underlined the need to promptly prepare for the enforcement of the laws approved at the NA’s eighth session, demanding the swift issuance of 122 documents related to these laws, including 60 decrees, six decisions from the Prime Minister, and 56 circulars.

🥃 He ordered quickly completing proposals on amendments to relevant laws, while speeding up the restructuring and streamlining of the NA organisational apparatus to enhance efficiency and effectiveness./.