Solve the problem of regular expenses

According to the Ministry of Finance, the estimated state budget expenditure for 2025 is about VND 2,548.9 trillion (including the amount used from the accumulated fund for salary reform of the central budget and the remaining fund for salary reform of the local budget until the end of 2024 transferred to arrange the 2025 budget of ministries, central and local agencies).

The estimated budget for development investment expenditure is VND 790.7 trillion, accounting for about 31% of total state budget expenditure. However, recently, according to feedback from ministries, branches and localities, the renovation and upgrading of small-scale facilities using public investment capital has encountered many difficulties because it is not included in the list of medium-term public investment plans. The State Budget Law does not prohibit the use of regular expenditure to purchase assets, but there are no clear regulations distinguishing between investment expenditure and regular expenditure for these activities. Meanwhile, the preparation of estimates, management and use of regular state budget expenditure to purchase assets and equipment; the renovation, upgrading, expansion and construction of new construction items in invested projects are facing many bottlenecks. This poses many difficulties and challenges for regular budget expenditure in 2025.

Mr. Hoang Van Cuong - National Assembly Delegate of Hanoi City said that the goal of the law is to help work objectively, fairly, justly and respond most appropriately to practical needs. However, life is always moving with many changes; legal tools can sometimes be slow, inappropriate or can overlap or have too detailed regulations. This makes those who enforce the law, because they have to comply with the law, unable to make reasonable and appropriate decisions to meet practical needs and better development needs.

Faced with the shortcomings that need to be resolved soon to create momentum for socio-economic development, the Government promptly issued Decree 138/2024/ND-CP regulating the preparation of estimates, management, and use of regular state budget expenditures for purchasing assets and equipment; renovating, upgrading, expanding, and constructing new construction items in invested construction projects. The Decree is expected to remove many bottlenecks that have existed for many years.

In addition, at the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc said that in this amendment and supplement to a number of articles of the State Budget Law, the Government proposed to amend and supplement the mechanism allowing localities to use local budgets to invest in the construction of infrastructure works of the direct superior budget in the locality, support other localities and provide aid. The Government also proposed to amend and supplement the regulations on state budget expenditures to carry out a number of tasks from both investment and regular expenditure sources such as preparing and approving public investment projects using ODA capital and preferential loans from foreign donors; purchasing, repairing, renovating and upgrading assets and equipment; spending on leasing goods and services; repairing, renovating, upgrading, expanding and constructing new construction items in projects that have been invested in and constructed...

The Deputy Prime Minister said that such a proposal is very appropriate. In particular, Decree No. 138/2024/ND-CP was issued very promptly and immediately met practical needs, resolving arising requirements that have been stuck in recent years. The Decree demonstrates the spirit of companionship of the management agency. From here, ministries, branches and localities will proactively use regular expenditures to carry out tasks and projects outside the approved medium-term public investment plan, and be proactive in carrying out assigned tasks, especially tasks related to socio-economic development.

Source: https://thoibaonganhang.vn/go-kho-cho-chi-thuong-xuyen-157359.html