NA deputies press buttons to vote on the draft law on SMEs support on June 12 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The National Assembly (NA) approved adraft law on support for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during thesitting on June 12.
As many as 83.5 percent of the NA deputiespresent at the sitting voted for the bill, which comprises four chapters with35 articles.
Before voting, the legislators heard a report onfurther explanations of the draft law. The NA Standing Committee said supportin the draft law is provided based on business sizes. Companies which are setup, operate in accordance with the Enterprise Law, and satisfy SME criteria inthis SME support law will receive assistance.
However, if the bill stipulates support for manytypes of businesses, such as non-public education and training establishmentsand businesses employing the disabled or investing in environmental protection,it will overlap the scope of other laws, the Standing Committee noted.
It added among beneficiary SMEs, the draft law providesgreater assistance to smaller businesses. It included some regulations likeArticle 10 and Article 13 on support for micro and small companies. Concretetax aid will be proposed to the NA for consideration when tax-related laws arerevised, and micro and small enterprises are set to benefit from higher tax aidlevels.
With 88.8 percent of approval votes, theparliament also passed a draft resolution on its supervision programme in 2018.
Accordingly, at its fifth session next year, theNA will look into the Government’s supplementary report on the outcomes of theimplementation of the socio-economic development and state budget plan in 2017,along with a report on the realisation of the socio-economic development andstate budget plan in the first months of 2018.
It will also consider a report on the statebudget balance in 2016 and other reports of relevant agencies.
At the fifth session, the NA is set to carry outquestion-answer sessions and supervise the implementation of policies and lawon managing and using State capital and assets at businesses, as well as theequitisation of State-owned enterprises from 2011 to 2016.
The morning session of the NA on June 12 wasattended by President of the National Assembly of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez,who also delivered a speech at the event.-VNA
The Small- and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) Development Fund has launched a financial aid package worth 560 billion VND for SMEs, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
Support provided to SMEs will not be in cash, but rather take the form of favourable conditions in order for SMEs to grow, said a senior officials from the Ministry of Investment and Planning.
How businesses can benefit from the law on supporting small and medium sized enterprises is a concern for the business community, especially in the context of international integration.
Ha expressed his hope that cooperation in science and technology, agriculture, and natural resources would emerge as new focal points and engines of growth in Vietnam–China relations.
Giang said he believes that building on the solid foundation nurtured over the past half-century and the strong determination of both nations, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will continue to grow in a more robust, comprehensive, and extensive manner, thus bringing more practical benefits to the two nations' people.
Highlighting the transformative potential of the draft law in revitalising Vietnam’s railway industry, Hoang Van Cuong, a deputy of Hanoi, expressed his support for Article 39, which empowers the Prime Minister to issue a list of railway-related goods and services to be assigned or ordered from domestic enterprises for production.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, Hoan, formerly Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, is under investigation for allegedly taking bribes in connection with a case involving the Hoang Long Construction and Manpower Supply JSC and related units.
Chairing a national conference on the organisation of the examination on June 18, the PM highlighted the historical significance of the examination, as the restructuring of provincial-level administrative units is underway and the two-tier local administration model is set to officially begin operations on July 1.
Right on the same day, the ministry issued its highest-level travel warning, urging Vietnamese citizens not to travel to Israel or Iran, and advised those already in these countries to swiftly consider evacuation or relocation plans.
From the struggles against colonialists and imperialists to the period of Doi moi (renewal) and international integration, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has always played a pioneering role on the ideological and cultural front, he said.
The Party leader's working session with the standing boards of the Party Committees of HCM City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau and Binh Duong, the VNA General Director's remarks on the occasion of the 19th OANA General Assembly, the launch of new NIC - Google initiatives aimed at bolstering AI entrepreneurship and digital literacy in Vietnam are among news highlights June 18.
Vietnam and Indonesia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism as it remains a threat to peace, security, and stability across their respective nations, the broader region, and the international community.
The Vietnamese representative also emphasised the shared responsibility of relevant parties to build trust, enhance cooperation, and jointly manage the risks of conflict, thus safeguarding long-term peace and stability in the East Sea.
The National Assembly on June 18 passed the law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality, with 408 out of 420 participating deputies voting in favour, accounting for 85.36% of the total.
The Party leader asked the new HCM City to embrace a multi-centre and integrated urban ecosystem where each development pole functions as a link complementary to and intelligently connected with each other in a harmonious whole.
The resolutions issued by the PM as well as ministries and ministry-level agencies reassign responsibility for 346 administrative procedures - 18 from district to provincial levels, 278 to commune level, and 50 eliminated.
Legislators are due to pass several amended laws, including the Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy, and the Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality.
Vietnamese localities' readiness to implement the two-tier local administration model, the evacuation of 18 Vietnamese citizens from Iran, Petrovietnam's 11th ranking in the 2025 Fortune Southeast Asia 500 are among news highlights on June 17 evening.
The General Secretary underlined the resolve to achieve a growth rate of at least 8% in 2025, laying the groundwork for double-digit growth in the following period. He noted that these are mandatory targets, with no alternative path to success.
Restructuring and improving the quality of officials, civil servants, and public employees is no longer a choice, but an urgent requirement to transition from administrative management to governance in service of the people.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel has advised Vietnamese people living there to proactively prepare and seek ways to leave the country via land border crossings, especially toward Jordan or Egypt, when security and safety conditions allow.
NA deputies press buttons to vote on the draft law on SMEs support on June 12 (Photo: VNA) 
