Delegates were particularly interested in the applicability of scientific research topics; solutions to remove administrative barriers in managing scientific research activities.

Attracting investment to develop ethnic minority and mountainous areas

At the beginning of the working day, Minister and Chairman of the Ethnic Committee Hau A Lenh continued to answer questions from National Assembly deputies regarding policies to attract resources to support investment in development and job creation in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Minister Hau A Lenh said that we currently have 25 border provinces. Although the Party and State have had many support policies in recent times, the socio-economic life of people in border communes and districts still faces many difficulties. To improve the quality of life for people in these areas, Minister Hau A Lenh said that more appropriate policies are needed to support the development of border ethnic minority areas, especially investment in infrastructure systems.

In particular, the policy system to attract investment in ethnic minority areas must include the Central Government's policy and specific local policies. The Minister hopes that localities will closely follow the Central Government's policy to have policies to attract businesses to invest in this area, create jobs, generate income and solve labor problems in ethnic minority areas...

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue chairs the National Assembly's June 7 session. Photo: TUAN HUY

Concluding the questioning session on ethnic issues, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue stated that, with the characteristics of a country with many ethnic groups living together, our Party and State always affirm and are consistent in ethnic policies according to the principles of equality, solidarity, respect, and mutual assistance for development among ethnic groups; ethnic issues and ethnic work are of special importance, are fundamental, long-term, and urgent strategic issues; and are the tasks of the entire Party, people, army, and the entire political system.

The specificity of scientific research is risk.

Whether to accept risks in scientific research or not was also a prominent question in the question-and-answer session with Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat. Specifically, delegate Tran Thi Dieu Thuy (National Assembly Delegation of Ho Chi Minh City) said: The Prime Minister has issued the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation Development to 2030; one of the key factors to implement this strategy is the need for the participation of researchers and scientists.

Agreeing with the above strategy, researchers and scientists hope that the Government will have a specific mechanism to accept risks and failures in scientific research, and remove administrative barriers in the management of scientific research activities. May I ask what solutions the Minister has for this problem?

In response to this question, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue emphasized: This is an issue that many voters and delegates are interested in. The Minister will contribute to clarifying the views on whether to accept risks in scientific research or not, and whether to bureaucratize research activities or not.

Answering the above question, Minister Huynh Thanh Dat reiterated the viewpoint that the task of scientific and technological research is a special social activity, searching for new problems; it can be successful, it can be unsuccessful; success comes early or late; the specificity of scientific research work is risk and delay.

In response to concerns from those working in scientific research, the Ministry of Science and Technology has recently revised a series of circulars regulating the management of scientific and technological research projects and tasks to ensure that the circulars are interconnected and consistent. In particular, regulations on selection and consideration of scientific and technological tasks have been revised in the direction of abolishing regulations that scientists who are in charge of the acceptance task and fail to pass the acceptance task are not allowed to continue participating in scientific and technological tasks for the next two years...

Scene of the National Assembly's June 7 session. Photo: TUAN HUY

Speaking at the end of the question-and-answer session on science and technology issues, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said that in order to promote the development of the science and technology market and accelerate the transfer and application of research results into practice, it is necessary to continue institutionalizing the Party's policies and guidelines and synchronizing the provisions of law and State policies on science and technology development and innovation.

In particular, it is necessary to review, amend, supplement and remove barriers in the legal system, economic, financial and investment policies, administrative procedures... in a direction consistent with market mechanisms and international practices, respecting the characteristics of creative labor, accepting risks, risks and delays in science and technology activities and innovation, removing arbitrary and administrative barriers to science and technology activities and innovation.

Based on the Government's proposal, the National Assembly Chairman hopes that every year, the National Assembly will consider and pay attention to the allocation of funds for science and technology. "We do not regret this expense, as long as it is spent on the right target and brings about efficiency, making a real contribution to improving labor productivity and the efficiency of the economy," the National Assembly Chairman shared.

Return registration activities to normal soon

On the same afternoon, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang answered questions from National Assembly deputies on a group of issues in the transport sector. Regarding capital sources for investment in transport infrastructure, Minister Nguyen Van Thang said that the central budget allocated to the Ministry of Transport for one year only meets about 66% of the demand.

In the context of limited central budget resources, it is very necessary if localities can arrange capital to invest in upgrading national highways together with the central government. Many localities have also proposed this issue. The Ministry of Transport has consulted and coordinated with ministries and branches to seek opinions from the Government and the Prime Minister, then will submit to the National Assembly Standing Committee and the National Assembly to allow the pilot implementation of the mechanism for localities to participate with the central budget in implementing national highway and expressway construction projects.

Regarding the issue of overcoming congestion at inspection centers, according to Minister Nguyen Van Thang, the human resources for inspection work in the coming time will be sufficient. By the end of June 2023 or early July 2023, inspection centers will return to normal operations. Recently, the Ministry of Transport has implemented two tasks at the same time, first of all, restoring the operation of inspection centers, along with reviewing all inspection activities to modernize, facilitate and ensure strictness.

On June 8, the National Assembly continued to question the Minister of Transport and conduct many other issues.

MANH HUNG - VU DUNG