Submit to the National Assembly for consideration the Law on National Defense Industry, Security and Industrial Mobilization; Law on People's Air Defense

With the majority of delegates in favor, the National Assembly passed the Resolution on the Law and Ordinance Development Program for 2024, adjusting the Law and Ordinance Development Program for 2023.

In particular, the Law on National Defense Industry, Security and Industrial Mobilization will be submitted to the National Assembly for comments at the 6th Session (October 2023); submitted to the National Assembly for approval at the 7th Session (May 2024).

The draft Law on People's Air Defense will be discussed by the National Assembly at the 7th Session and approved at the 8th Session (October 2024).

At the Seventh Session, the National Assembly passed the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Guards (according to the procedure at a session).

The National Assembly discussed the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on People's Public Security. Photo: VPQH

Proposal to increase service term in the People's Public Security

Through discussion, National Assembly deputies agreed that it is necessary to amend the Law on the People's Public Security to institutionalize the Party's guidelines and policies, remove difficulties and obstacles, and meet the requirements of protecting national security and ensuring social order and safety. Delegates focused on discussing the maximum service age of police officers, non-commissioned officers, and workers; regulations on the time limit for consideration of promotion from colonel to major general; regulations on criteria and standards for outstanding achievements to be considered for promotion to general before the deadline; and on supplementing regulations on the highest ranks for a number of positions and titles of People's Public Security officers.

According to the delegate, the 2018 Law on People's Public Security has created a relatively complete and comprehensive legal basis for the People's Public Security force to perform its functions and tasks. The implementation of regimes and policies for the People's Public Security and the conditions to ensure public security activities have been improved; the movement of the entire people to protect national security has had deep and steady developments...

However, in addition to the advantages and achievements, the implementation of the 2018 Law on the People's Public Security has revealed a number of difficulties and shortcomings, such as the maximum service age of officers, non-commissioned officers, and public security workers. Because currently, according to the Labor Code, the retirement age of employees in normal working conditions is adjusted according to the roadmap until reaching the age of 62 for men in 2028 and the age of 60 for women in 2035. Therefore, the gap in retirement age between public security officers and soldiers and employees has increased. Therefore, it is necessary to amend the current regulations on the maximum service age of officers, non-commissioned officers, and public security workers accordingly.

The 2018 Law on People's Public Security stipulates that the highest service age of non-commissioned officers and officers of the People's Public Security is as follows: Non-commissioned officer: 45; lieutenant: 53; major, lieutenant colonel: Male 55, female 53; lieutenant colonel: Male 58, female 55; colonel: Male 60, female 55; general: 60. According to the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on People's Public Security, the highest service age of public security workers is: Male 62, female 60; non-commissioned officer: 47; lieutenant: 55; major, lieutenant colonel: Male 57, female 55; lieutenant colonel: Male 60, female 58; colonel: Male 62, female 60; general: Male 62; Female 60. Thus, the draft law supplements regulations and increases the maximum service age of police officers (males increase by 2 years, females increase by 5 years).

Opinions emphasized that the provisions in the draft law are consistent with the Party's policies and guidelines, the provisions of the Constitution, and basically ensure feasibility and correlation with working age as prescribed in the Labor Code. There are opinions suggesting a thorough assessment of the gender impact of the adjustment to increase the maximum service age for female lieutenant colonels to 3 years and female colonels to 5 years; clarifying the needs and nature of work associated with the health of female People's Public Security officers to have an appropriate adjustment to increase the service age.

Proposal to specify criteria and conditions for promotion to general rank before deadline

Regarding the regulations on the time limit for consideration of promotion from colonel to major general, the draft stipulates that officers considered for promotion from colonel to major general must have at least 3 years of service remaining; in cases where there are not enough 3 years of service, the President will decide. Many opinions agree with the provisions of the draft law, because this content is basically inherited from current regulations, ensuring consistency in regulations on the highest age limit for service, contributing to taking advantage of the intelligence and experience of officers promoted to the rank, ensuring the next leadership and command period of the promoted rank.

Regarding the regulation on considering early promotion of military ranks when achieving exceptional achievements, the majority of opinions agreed on adding this regulation. However, some opinions suggested reporting more clearly on the areas of achieving exceptional achievements; some opinions suggested specifying the criteria and conditions for early promotion of general ranks in the law for strictness. Some opinions suggested assigning the Government to specify the detailed criteria and general standards for early promotion of military ranks.

Receiving and explaining the opinions of the National Assembly deputies, General To Lam, Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Public Security Party Committee, Minister of Public Security, said that the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on People's Public Security was developed to institutionalize the Party's viewpoint on building the People's Public Security force in Resolution 12 dated March 16, 2022 of the Politburo on promoting the building of a truly clean, strong, disciplined, elite, modern People's Public Security force, meeting the requirements of tasks in the new situation; also institutionalizing the direction and adjustment to increase the retirement age in Resolution 28 dated May 23, 2018 of the 7th Conference of the 12th Party Central Committee on reforming social insurance policies.

The dossier of the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on People's Public Security was built on the basis of summarizing practical experience, absorbing comments from ministries, branches, public security units and localities, and was unanimously approved by the Government. On behalf of the agency in charge of drafting the draft law, Minister To Lam said that the comments will be compiled, received, explained and contributed to the completion of the draft law dossier by the agency in charge of drafting the draft law in coordination with the National Assembly's functional agencies.

In the afternoon, the National Assembly listened to the presentation and report on the examination of the draft Law on Citizen Identification (amended); discussed in the hall the draft Law on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam.

Monday (June 5), the National Assembly continues to work.

VU DUNG