RESOLUTION

THE GOVERNMENT'S REGULAR MEETING - DECEMBER 2005

On December 26-27, 2005, the Government held its regular meeting of December 2005 to discuss and decide the following issues:

1. The Government heard a report on direction and management work in 2005 and action plan for 2006, presented by the Government Office.

The Government unanimously concluded that despite difficulties caused by natural disasters, epidemics and price rises in international markets, socio-economic situation, national defense and security, foreign relations, international integration efforts all saw remarkable achievements: the growth rate was its highest in seven years, growth quality was increased; macro-economic balances were maintained; natural disaster and epidemic prevention and fighting were effective; many social aspects developed positively; national defense and security were maintained; foreign relations gained new steps forward creating favorable conditions for economic development and investment attraction, as well as promoting Vietnam's position in the world's arena. The direction and management of the Government were more concentrated, proposing appropriate and practical measures; the inter-branch coordination was more effective with personal responsibility being appreciated. The government community was well-knitted, resulting in concentrated and flexible direction; concentrated efforts were made to resolve macro strategic problems; importance was attached to building institution and enhancing the monitoring of the implementation of policies and institutions even to the grassroots level. The relationship between the Government and people and businesses, law-making and enforcing bodies, Party organizations, the Fatherland Front and popular associations was strengthened. The implementation of working regulations of the Government and the Action Program for 2005 became more and more orderly.

However, the competitiveness of the economy remained low; many social issues remained serious; social vices and crimes remained unchanged; political security and social order contained lots of potential uncertainties that cannot not be overviewed; administrative reforms went on slowly with low effectiveness; the State administrative apparatus contained many problems with some civil-servants corrupted, obstructing the renovation process of the nation.

The Government approved the review report of direction and management of 2005, and the Working Program for 2006. The Government Office shall be responsible for coordinating the related ministries and branches and referring to the opinions at the meeting to complete the review report of direction and management of 2005 and the Working Program for 2006 of the Government, send it to ministerial authorities, government authorities and people's committees of provinces and cities centrally controlled for implementation.

2. The Government heard the General Inspector presenting the draft action program of the government to implement the Law on preventing and fighting corruption; the Minister of Finance submitted the draft action program on practicing thrift and fighting wastefulness.

...

...

...

The Government Inspectorate shall be responsible for coordinating with the Government Office and relevant ministries, branches in consultation with opinions at the meeting to quickly complete the draft action program of the government, implement the law on preventing and fighting corruption, submit to the Prime Minister for promulgation decision in January 2006. Based on this program, ministers, ministerial body heads, government body heads, chairpersons of provinces and cities centrally controlled shall formulate the action programs for preventing and fighting corruption in their organizations and localities with a view to effectively implement the law on preventing and fighting corruption. This shall be considered the central task of 2006.

b) Parallel with implementing the law on preventing and fighting corruption, the government shall quickly direct the practice of thrift and the fight against wastefulness with focus on the following points: timely promulgating legal documents instructing the implementation of the law on practicing thrift and fighting wastefulness; putting in place the system of criteria and standards to create basis for practicing thrift and fighting wastefulness; speeding up the examination and inspection to timely detect and treat seriously violations of the law on practicing thrift and fighting wastefulness. Heads of authority organizations shall be exemplary in practicing thrift and fighting wastefulness, shall be responsible for practicing thrift and fighting wastefulness in their organizations and units.

The Ministry of Finance shall be responsible for coordinating with the Government Office and ministries, related branches in consultation with opinions at the meeting to quickly complete the draft action program of the government, implement the law on preventing and fighting corruption, submit to the Prime Minister for promulgation decision in January 2006. Based on this program, ministers, ministerial body heads, government body heads, chairpersons of provinces and cities centrally controlled shall formulate the action programs for preventing and fighting corruption in their organizations and localities with a view to effectively implement the law on preventing and fighting corruption.

3. The Government heard the Minister of Finance presenting the Bill on Stock Markets; the Minister of Internal Affairs presenting the Bill on Associations; the Minister of Justice presenting the Bill on Legal Assistance; the Minister of Science and Technology presenting the Bill on Standardization; the Government Office presenting the report of opinions of Cabinet members regarding these Bills.

a) Since the stock market is its initial stage of evolution in Vietnam, besides important positive results, the operation of the stock market has remained tiny and met with lots of difficulties and constraints, especially the lack of adequate institutions regarding stocks and stock exchange. If the market mechanism is to be complete, it is necessary to quickly promulgate the law on stock exchange according to the following principles: being consistent and appropriate to the current regulations; being specific enough to reduce the promulgation of instructive documents with prudence to ensure macro stability; being suitable to the roadmap of the country's international economic integration.

The Ministry of Finance shall be responsible for coordinating with the Government Office and related authorities in consultation with opinions at the meeting to complete the Bill on Stock Exchange. The Ministry is empowered by the Prime Minister to submit this Bill to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

b) Regarding the Bill on Associations: over the past few years, social organizations have developed quickly with various models and activities in different social areas, and have contributed a certain part to the nation's socio-economic life. However, the organization, operation and state management of associations have demonstrated lots of gaps and constraints: lack of adequate legal documents regarding associations; the policies encouraging and supporting associations to take part in social works were not consistent; the coordination and decentralization of social management was not clear; the regulations on procedures of establishing associations were not appropriate; some associations operated for the sake of operation, heavily affected by the old way of thinking, heavily relying on the State support and tending to turn their operations into administrative style. The above mentioned problems need to be quickly corrected to mainstream the state management of associations according to the regulations and the laws.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs shall be responsible for coordinating with the Government Office and related authority bodies in consultation with opinions at the meetings and opinions of the Party and NA committees, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and popular associations to complete the Bill on Associations, and submit to the Politburo for decisions.

c) Legal assistance consists of activities of providing free legal consultation services for the poor, those enjoying special treatment of the State and other subjects according to the legal regulations. It is a righteous social activity, demonstrating the good nature of the Party and Government. In order to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, to speed up economic development, social order and security, it is necessary to promulgate the Law on Legal Assistance in the direction of institutionalizing all policies and guidelines regarding legal assistance; demonstrating the political responsibilities of the State and the political system towards citizens, especially the poor, in terms of legal assistance, implementing the policy of gradually engaging the society into this task; summarizing practical experience, inheriting the current legal regulations on legal assistance in consultation with selected international lessons.

...

...

...

d) The Bill on Standardization shall need to ensure the principles based on the science and technology achievements, practical experience, current need and socio-economic development trend; shall not discriminate against the origins of products, goods and service; shall ensure that production and business activities will be standardized, quality, and shall not set up barrier against business and production activities; shall ensure the publicity, clarity, involvement and agreement of related parties during the formulation of standards; Satisfactory policies shall be soon devised to quickly develop standardization activities.

The Ministry of Science and Technology shall be responsible for coordinating with the Government Office and related authority bodies in consultation with the opinions of government members to complete the Bill on Standardization; the Ministry of Science and Technology shall be empowered by the Prime Minister to submit the Bill to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

4. The Government reviewed the Report of Production, Business and Investment of December, and the Socio-economic situation of 2005, key measures for the first quarter of 2006 presented by the Minister of Investment and Planning; Summary Report on the implementation of the comprehensive program on State administrative reform of the first period (2001-2005) and the direction and task of administrative reform of the second period (2006-2010) presented by the Government's Steering Committee for State Administrative Reform.

The socio-economic situation of December and the whole year of 2005 developed well: high industrial growth rate; good agricultural development despite lots of difficulties; high export growth rate; relatively good service development; relatively high investment attraction; positive development in social areas; decreasing rate of traffic accidents; certain development in administrative reform.

However, the difficulties remain huge: weak competitiveness of products and entire economy; unstable growth quality; lots of natural disasters and epidemics in agriculture; high and unreliable growth rate of consumer index affecting the production and living conditions of the people; new difficulties surfacing in export; some complicated social developments; complicated social crimes and evils. Despite its achievements, administrative reform remained slow with lack of serious administrative disciplines. The work of promulgating legal documents and ordinances was slow with limited quality. This needs to be sped up in 2006.

In order to succeed in performing the tasks of 2006 according to the Decision of the National Assembly, the government asks ministries, branches and localities to quickly formulate action plans to implement the Government's decision regarding key measures for directing and managing the implementation of the plan and budget for 2006 with the serious implementation of the Law on Anti-corruption, Law on Thrift Practice and Anti-prodigality, and acceleration of the administrative reform being the focus. In the immediate time to come, it is necessary to organize well the allocation of plan and estimated budget to units; speed up production and business right from the early days of the year; step up exports and reduce foreign trade deficit; strive to stabilize price and market, especially during the lunar new year days; continue to prevent and fight bird flu and human avian influenza; prepare good conditions for people to enjoy safe, sound and thrifty Tet holiday with special attention paid to traffic safety and order.

ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT
PRIME MINISTER




Phan Van Khai

...

...

...