The National Assembly discusses and votes to pass laws and resolutions.

Continuing the 5th session program, on the afternoon of June 20, under the direction of Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Law on Water Resources (amended).

Delegate Nguyen Van Huy, National Assembly Delegation of the province, spoke at the meeting hall.

Participating in the discussion, delegate Nguyen Van Huy, National Assembly Delegation of Thai Binh province, agreed with the need to review and comprehensively amend the Law on Water Resources to overcome the limitations and shortcomings of the 2012 Law on Water Resources and to update and institutionalize the new viewpoints, guidelines and policies of the Party and State on water resources management and protection.

Delegates participated in 3 specific contents, which are: First, on collecting opinions on water resources planning and river basin planning. Delegates said that water resources planning and river basin planning have a great impact on the rights and obligations of individuals and organizations using water within the planning scope. Production, business and daily activities that are taking place normally may have to be terminated or adjusted at great cost just because of changes in water resources planning and river basin planning. These risks of sudden changes reduce the stability of the investment and business environment in Vietnam, reducing the country's ability to attract investment and develop the economy. Meanwhile, Section 2, Chapter II stipulates many contents related to strategies and planning on water resources and river basins, but does not clearly stipulate the collection of opinions of these affected subjects during the planning process. Therefore, it is recommended that the drafting agency add a provision: In case water resources planning or river basin planning changes the right to use water resources, it is necessary to seek the opinions of the subjects exploiting and using that water resource.

Second, Clause 7, Article 44 of the Draft stipulates that the consultation of the community and related organizations and individuals when investing in projects to exploit and use water resources that have a major impact on socio-economic development activities and people's lives in the area is responsible for coordinating with local authorities to conduct consultation on contents related to the project's plan to exploit and use water resources; synthesize, receive, explain in writing and send it with the application for a license to exploit and use water resources. Delegates believe that the regulation as drafted will lead to overlap with the law on environmental impact assessment, so it is proposed to remove this regulation. Delegates proposed to specify Clause 8 of Article 44 on registration and licensing of exploitation and use of water resources without assigning the Government to stipulate in the decree, in order to ensure transparency and stability of the law, because this is an extremely important provision, the basis for establishing the rights and obligations of organizations and individuals, including procedural obligations and financial obligations.

Third, in Article 63 of the Draft, the draft law proposes to stipulate in the direction: Activities of improving river beds, banks, and beaches, constructing hydraulic works, exploiting sand, gravel and other minerals on rivers, lakes, and water source protection corridors that impact river beds, banks, and beaches, lakes, and the functions of water source protection corridors must comply with regulations, not only when these activities adversely affect the stability of river beds, banks, and beaches, lakes, and the functions of water source protection corridors. In addition, this provision is also related to other administrative procedures and will lead to overlapping of authority because currently these activities must comply with administrative procedures according to relevant laws, such as: construction procedures for construction works; mineral procedures for sand and gravel exploitation; traffic procedures for dredging channels, building wharves; environmental procedures for investment projects; Irrigation procedures if related to irrigation works... suggest that the drafting agency discuss and agree with relevant agencies, regulate in the direction that people and businesses only need to do procedures once at one agency, other agencies coordinate to give opinions and make decisions at the same time.

Previously, National Assembly deputies voted in favor of passing the Law on Consumer Rights Protection (amended); the Law on Cooperatives (amended); the Law on Civil Defense and the Resolution on investment policy for the road project from National Highway 27C to Provincial Road DT.656 in Khanh Hoa province - connecting with Lam Dong province and Ninh Thuan province.

Vu Son Tung

(Office of the National Assembly Delegation and Provincial People's Council)

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