The container ship YM Wellhead with a capacity of 160,000 TEUs, docked at Tan Cang Port in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port complex in Ba Ria - Vung Tau. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - A law on foreign trade management is needed to bettermanage foreign trade activities as Vietnam integrates deeper into the globaleconomy, said lawmakers while discussing the draft law at the ongoingthird session of the 14th National Assembly (NA) on May 25.
NA deputies said the law would serve as a tool for the State to better manageforeign trade activities to ensure transparency and compliance withinternational law as well as increasing economic competitiveness.
However, they said some articles of the draft should be adjusted to ensure theefficiency of the law, particularly regulations relating to issues on Statemanagement responsibility on foreign trade, import and export quotas, theappointment of border gates for import-export, the management of licences, aswell as procedures and policies.
Deputy Pham Van Tuan from the northern province of Thai Binh said the draft lawshould clearly regulate the responsibilities of the Government, ministries andlocal authorities, particularly the responsibility of the Ministry of Industryand Trade, in issues like administrative procedure reform, management of andgranting of export licences, to ensure transparency.
“It is also necessary to have clear criteria relating to lists and amount ofproducts that are licensed for export to support businesses, organisations andindividuals,” he said.
Deputy Nguyen Thanh Thuy from the Mekong Delta’s Hau Giang province said thelaw is related to many current laws such as laws on commerce, tax and customsso the law should be built carefully to prevent overlaps.
Regarding regulations on products banned from import and export, many deputiessaid there should be clear principles and criteria on the lists of theseproducts in line with Vietnam’s international commitments, including theGeneral Agreement on Tariff and Trade.
Based on these criteria and principles, the Government will have detailed listsof products banned from export and import to protect national interests innational defence, security, health, environment and traditional customs, theysaid.
To develop foreign trade activities, many deputies pointed to the necessity tohave policies promoting foreign trade and empowering localities and Vietnameserepresentative agencies abroad to hold trade promotion activities.
Deputy Dinh Cong Sy from the northern province of Son La said the draft lawshould add principles of establishing organisations specialising in doing tradepromotion activities and have clear regulations on the operation of theseorganisations.
Some deputies said measures to support businesses in foreign trade activitieswere also needed.
Earlier the same day, lawmakers heard a Government report on the draft revisionof the 2009 Law on Public Debt Management.
The report said after seven years of implementation, the law has created alegal framework for socio-economic development, contributing to stabilising themacro-economy and promoting growth and the development of the domestic capitalmarket.
However, public debt management still has shortcomings, so revising the law isnecessary to deal with them and to concretise Party and State policies andguidelines, it said.
Under the draft revision, public debt still includes Governmentdebt, debts underwritten by the Government and debts incurred byprovincial and municipal authorities as regulated by the current law. Debtsincurred by State-owned enterprises are not counted as public debt.
Later the same day, NA deputies discussed the implementation results of thesocio-economic development plan and State budget in 2016; the implementation ofthe socio-economic development plan and State budget in early months of 2017;and State budget balance of 2015.-VNA
NA deputies said the law would serve as a tool for the State to better manageforeign trade activities to ensure transparency and compliance withinternational law as well as increasing economic competitiveness.
However, they said some articles of the draft should be adjusted to ensure theefficiency of the law, particularly regulations relating to issues on Statemanagement responsibility on foreign trade, import and export quotas, theappointment of border gates for import-export, the management of licences, aswell as procedures and policies.
Deputy Pham Van Tuan from the northern province of Thai Binh said the draft lawshould clearly regulate the responsibilities of the Government, ministries andlocal authorities, particularly the responsibility of the Ministry of Industryand Trade, in issues like administrative procedure reform, management of andgranting of export licences, to ensure transparency.
“It is also necessary to have clear criteria relating to lists and amount ofproducts that are licensed for export to support businesses, organisations andindividuals,” he said.
Deputy Nguyen Thanh Thuy from the Mekong Delta’s Hau Giang province said thelaw is related to many current laws such as laws on commerce, tax and customsso the law should be built carefully to prevent overlaps.
Regarding regulations on products banned from import and export, many deputiessaid there should be clear principles and criteria on the lists of theseproducts in line with Vietnam’s international commitments, including theGeneral Agreement on Tariff and Trade.
Based on these criteria and principles, the Government will have detailed listsof products banned from export and import to protect national interests innational defence, security, health, environment and traditional customs, theysaid.
To develop foreign trade activities, many deputies pointed to the necessity tohave policies promoting foreign trade and empowering localities and Vietnameserepresentative agencies abroad to hold trade promotion activities.
Deputy Dinh Cong Sy from the northern province of Son La said the draft lawshould add principles of establishing organisations specialising in doing tradepromotion activities and have clear regulations on the operation of theseorganisations.
Some deputies said measures to support businesses in foreign trade activitieswere also needed.
Earlier the same day, lawmakers heard a Government report on the draft revisionof the 2009 Law on Public Debt Management.
The report said after seven years of implementation, the law has created alegal framework for socio-economic development, contributing to stabilising themacro-economy and promoting growth and the development of the domestic capitalmarket.
However, public debt management still has shortcomings, so revising the law isnecessary to deal with them and to concretise Party and State policies andguidelines, it said.
Under the draft revision, public debt still includes Governmentdebt, debts underwritten by the Government and debts incurred byprovincial and municipal authorities as regulated by the current law. Debtsincurred by State-owned enterprises are not counted as public debt.
Later the same day, NA deputies discussed the implementation results of thesocio-economic development plan and State budget in 2016; the implementation ofthe socio-economic development plan and State budget in early months of 2017;and State budget balance of 2015.-VNA
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