How bills are passed into law

Senate Committee approves trade bill (02-08-2006) HA NOI — The US Senate’s Finance Committee has voted in favour of legislation that would grant permanent normal trade relations with Viet Nam. Eighteen members of the committee voted for the bill with two abstentions. The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Senator Max Baucus, immediately issued a statement saying that Congress should now successfully conclude the reconciliation process between the two countries that began 15 years ago. The US should grant Viet Nam permanent normal trade relations before its admittance to the World Trade Organisation and take the opportunity to participate in the country’s rapidly growing economy, he said. The normalisation of trade between Viet Nam and the US began with the signing of the Bilateral Trade Agreement between the two countries in 2000. The House of Representatives would consider the bill in September, said Ha Noi-based American Chamber of Commerce director Adam Sitkoff. … [Read more...] about Senate Committee approves trade bill

Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokeswoman Lê Thị Thu Hằng. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Khang HÀ NỘI — The Law on Cyber Security conforms with the Constitution and does not hamper the implementation of international treaties to which Việt Nam is a party, Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokeswoman Lê Thị Thu Hằng said on Thursday. She made the remark at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press conference in response to reporters’ questions about the recently adopted Law on Cyber Security. She said the law was approved on Tuesday with the majority of votes after many rounds of discussions which took into account the opinions of National Assembly deputies and the public in a widespread and transparent manner. Cyber security is an important issue that greatly affects national security, Hằng said, noting that it has become of special concern for many countries and international and regional organisations in recent years. Attacks on the cyber environment have grown fast in both form and scale and … [Read more...] about VN cyber security law does not hamper int’l treaties

NA aims to pass 14 laws this fall (29-08-2005) HA NOI — The National Assembly plans to pass 14 laws and one resolution at a meeting scheduled for October 18 in Ha Noi, according to a communique released at the end of the 32nd session of the NA Standing Committee in Ha Noi from August 22-27. The laws include the Law on Environmental Protection (revised), the Law on Bills of Exchange, the Law on Intellectual Property, the Law on e-Transaction, the Law on Housing, the Law on Youth, the Law on People’s Police, the Law on Practice of Thrift and Anti-Corruption, the Enterprise Law, and the Investment Law; and the resolution is on a law and ordinance programme for 2006. During the meeting, the NA will also offer comments on nine bills and hear reports on the implementation of the State Budget in 2005, in addition to the orientation, tasks and and estimation of the State Budget for 2006. During last week’s meeting, the Standing Committee debated seven draft laws: the draft … [Read more...] about NA aims to pass 14 laws this fall

NA to pass 14 laws, one resolution at 8th session (15-10-2005) HA NOI — The 11th National Assembly (NA) will discuss and pass 14 laws, one resolution and debate nine draft laws at the 8th session, announced Chairman of the NA Office Bui Ngoc Thanh yesterday. The parliament, Thanh said, would also reform its style of discussions to encourage more deputies take part and improve the quality of debates so as to enhance the laws to be passed. Deputies were expected to register for debates over laws they are interested in, Thanh told a press conference yesterday. The 14 laws and one resolution to be passed included the revised Law on Environmental Protection, Law on Bill of Exchange, Law on Intellectual Property, Law on E-transaction, Law on Housing, Law on Youth, Law on Anti-corruption, Law on Complaints and Denunciations, Law on Bidding, and the resolution for a programme to build laws and ordinances for 2006. In addition, Thanh said the NA would discuss nine draft … [Read more...] about NA to pass 14 laws, one resolution at 8th session

Talking Law (19-10-2005) Amendments to Law on Credit Institutions Looking at the economies of developed countries, we can see most of them have efficient capital markets. And, credit institutions play a key role in these markets. Becoming aware of the importance of a capital market and credit institutions for socio-economic development, the Vietnamese Government has been going about establishing a legal framework for the functioning of credit institutions, including revised Law on Credit Institutions. The Law on Credit Institutions was passed by the National Assembly on December 12, 1997, and took effect on October, 1998. Five years on, the law has been exposed as having severe limitations in fostering Viet Nam’s industrialiaation and modernisation, economic integration, and administrative reform. It also has a number of regulations that allow intervention by State authorities in the professional operation of credit institutions, rendering them ineffective. … [Read more...] about Amendments to Law on Credit Institutions

Investment, enterprise laws reviewed by NA (03-11-2005) HA NOI — The National Assembly early this week heard a series of reports on legislative work, including drafts of the long-awaited laws on investment and enterprise. Speaking at the 11th NA session, the Minister of Planning and Investment (MPI) Vo Hong Phuc affirmed that the new Enterprise Law would continue to nurture, expand and develop the rights and freedoms of the business sector. "The ask-and-give mechanism, unreasonable permits and other inconvenient procedures for enterprises will be removed, and business registration will replace the current licensing regime," Phuc said. NA approves 2006 budget The National Assembly on Tuesday passed the budget estimate resolution for next year, with overspending bound to not exceed 5 per cent of gross domestic product. The minister added that the Enterprise Law, applicable to businesses of all types, set a four year deadline for equitisation of … [Read more...] about Investment, enterprise laws reviewed by NA

Laws passed on thrift, waste, commercial paper (17-11-2005) HA NOI — The National Assembly gathered yesterday to ratify the Law on Practising Thrift and Combating Waste and the Law on Negotiable Instruments. Although there were still differing opinions, the NA approved both draft laws; the law on thrift and waste was passed with 71 per cent of votes, and the law on negotiable instruments passed with 70 per cent. According to the Director of the NA Committee for Economic and Budgetary Affairs, Nguyen Duc Kien, members voiced varying different opinions on 25 of the total 86 articles of the law on thrift and waste. Some asked for supplements to the articles on practising thrift and combating waste to avoid damage to offices, individuals and society, and asked that a number of organisations must have added responsibility to practice thrift and combat waste. Regarding the proposals, the NA Standing Committee concluded that, to limit overlapping of sectors, offices … [Read more...] about Laws passed on thrift, waste, commercial paper

Vocational Training bill debated by NA (20-10-2006) HA NOI — National Assembly (NA) delegates yesterday discussed the draft Sports Law and draft Law on Vocational Training, with delegates divided over which particular ministry should manage the nation’s vocational training sector. During discussions, NA delegates noted that the law had been effectively drafted with only six among 92 articles of the draft needing guides for implementation. However, many deputies said the draft law needs to identify a particular ministry that would manage vocational training systems. Bui Sy Tieu from Thai Binh Province said that in the past years, two systems of vocational training were used simultaneously. There are the vocational colleges and vocational high schools which are managed by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA); and colleges and professional high schools managed by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET). This caused an overlapping situation between … [Read more...] about Vocational Training bill debated by NA

US Congress passes bill to normalise trade relations (11-12-2006) WASHINGTON — Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung on Saturday hailed the passage by the US Congress of a bill granting permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to Viet Nam as an important step to boosting bilateral ties between the two nations. "The event is of primary importance in Viet Nam-US ties, marking a full normalisation in commerce and trade," said Dung. The US Senate on Saturday approved the bill by a vote of 79-9 during an all-night session. Earlier on Friday, the US House of Representatives passed the bill by a much narrower vote of 212-184. The bill now awaits the signature of US President George W. Bush before becoming law. The law would repeal the Jackson-Vanik Amendment which was imposed by the US in 1974 and would ensure equal treatment of goods exported from Viet Nam into the US, as well as equal market access for the US in Viet Nam, alongside other WTO members. Dung said passage … [Read more...] about US Congress passes bill to normalise trade relations

State should draft high-tech bill not Assembly: chairman (19-04-2007) Ha Noi — National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong has suggested that the bill on high technology be drafted by the government not the National Assembly Committee on Science, Technology and Environment. Speaking at a meeting of the NA Standing Committee yesterday at which it was debated whether the ordinance on high technology needed to be revised into a law, Trong said there was an imperative need to have such a law to accelerate the nation’s rapid hi-tech development. Nguyen Duc Kien, director of the NA Committee for Economics and Budget, said that to create breakthroughs in the hi-tech development it was necessary to give priority to four areas: taxation, land, access to capital sources and labour policies. Kien argued that, if the existing ordinance were not revised, it would be supplanted by provisions in other relevant laws. Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Van Phong … [Read more...] about State should draft high-tech bill not Assembly: chairman