Decision No. 01/1998/NQ-CP of the Government's regular meeting in December 1997

RESOLUTION

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS IN DECEMBER 1997
NUMBER 01/1998/NQ-CP JANUARY 10, 1998

From January 2 to 3, 1998, the Council of Ministers convened its regular meeting for December 1997 to discuss and adopt the following issues:

I. REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS' LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN 1997 AND THE PROGRAM OF WORK FOR 1998
YEAR 1997 AND THE PROGRAM OF WORK OF THE GOVERNMENT IN 1998

1. In general, agree with the Report on "Review of the Council of Ministers' leadership and management in 1997 and the program of work for 1998," presented by Minister and Head of the Government Office Lại Văn Cử.

In 1997, the Council of Ministers effectively implemented the Resolutions of the Party and the National Assembly, achieving significant progress across various fields. However, many pressing issues raised at the beginning of the year or from previous years remain unresolved, such as administrative reform, restructuring state-owned enterprises, information reporting, handling relations with the public, combating waste and corruption, smuggling, and fraudulent trade practices. The Council of Ministers identified the need for specific measures to address these weaknesses and achieve substantial improvements in 1998 and subsequent years.

Regarding the Program of Work for 1998, all members of the Council of Ministers and heads of government agencies agreed that they must:

a) Coordinate with the Government Office to carefully review the registered issues and ensure the positive and feasible nature of the Program so that the Prime Minister can officially sign it in January 1998; issues and projects registered, ensuring the positivity and feasibility of the Program so that the Prime Minister can officially sign and promulgate it in January 1998;

b) Immediately organize the implementation of the assigned projects in the Program of Work of the Council of Ministers for 1998 from the start of the year;

c) Strictly adhere to the Working Regulations of the Council of Ministers, continue administrative reform, enhance the effectiveness of wide-area network usage by the government, innovate leadership and management styles, proactively coordinate work with sectors and levels, and properly handle relationships with the public, organizations, and businesses.

2. Assign the Government Office to incorporate the comments received during this meeting into the Report and present it at the conference of Chairpersons of People's Councils and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities nationwide (to be held on January 12-13, 1998) to solicit further opinions. Within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the dossier as mentioned in Sub-clause b, Clause 1, Article 3 above, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will review and submit to the competent authority for decision (Issues exceeding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction will be referred to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision).to the People's Committees of all provinces and centrally governed cities nationwide (held on January 12-13, 1998) to seek their participation.

II. SOME MEASURES TO MANAGE THE FIRST QUARTER PLAN OF 1998
FIRST QUARTER OF 1998

The Council of Ministers discussed and adopted some measures to manage the first quarter of 1998, as presented by Minister of Planning and Investment Trần Xuân Giá, and requested all ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and provincial and centrally-administered city people's committees to organize the allocation of the 1998 plan to grassroots levels for immediate implementation based on their respective functions and responsibilities; implement well Directive No. 1184/1997/CT-TTg dated December 31, 1997 of the Prime Minister regarding organizing the Lunar New Year holiday in 1998; the Ministries of Planning and Investment, Finance, State Bank, Government Price Board, General Statistics Office, etc., must regularly coordinate to assist the Prime Minister in effectively managing the first quarter plan of 1998.

III. THE ACTION PROGRAM OF THE GOVERNMENT
III. ACTION PROGRAM OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO IMPLEMENT THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE PARTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE
FOURTH SESSION OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM

1. Approve the basic content of the Action Program of the Council of Ministers to implement the Resolution of the Fourth Session of the Party Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on "Continuing to Promote the Reform Process, Harnessing Internal Strengths, Enhancing the Effectiveness of International Cooperation, Thriftiness, Industrialization, Modernization, and Striving to Achieve Economic and Social Goals by the Year 2000," as presented by Minister of Planning and Investment Trần Xuân Giá. of the Government to implement the Resolution of the Fourth Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Eighth Term, on "Continuing to intensify the renewal process, mobilizing internal resources, enhancing the effectiveness of international cooperation, thriftiness for industrialization and modernization, striving to achieve economic and social targets by the year 2000," presented by Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Xuan Gia.

2. Assign the Ministry of Planning and Investment to incorporate the comments from ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and government agencies, finalize the Action Program, submit it to the Prime Minister for signature in January 1998, and coordinate with the Government Office to fully integrate the Action Program of the Council of Ministers into the overall Program of Work for 1998. this to be submitted to the Prime Minister for signature and promulgation in January 1998, and coordinate with the Government Office to fully incorporate the Action Program of the Government to implement the Resolution of the Fourth Plenum of the Central Committee of the Party into the General Program of Work of the Government in 1998.

IV. LEGISLATIVE WORK

1. Approve the main contents of the Draft Law on Water Resources presented by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Huy Ngo. Assign the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to cooperate with the Ministry of Justice, the Government Office, and relevant agencies, to incorporate the opinions from this meeting, finalize the Draft Law, submit it to the Prime Minister for consideration in January 1998 to be timely submitted to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly. During the incorporation and revision of the Draft, particular attention should be paid to the provisions regarding the scope of regulation of the Law and the division of State management responsibilities over water resources.

1. Approve the basic content of the Draft Law on Water Resources, presented by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lê Huy Ngọ. Assign the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to cooperate with the Ministry of Justice, the Government Office, and relevant agencies to incorporate the comments from this meeting, finalize the Draft Law, and submit it to the Prime Minister for consideration in January 1998 to be timely submitted to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly. During the incorporation and revision process, particular attention should be paid to the scope of regulation of the Law and the division of State management responsibilities for water resources.

3. Not approve the draft Decree on compensation for losses when the State requisitions land for national defense, security, national interests, public interests, presented by Minister of Finance Nguyen Sinh Hung. Assign the Ministry of Finance together with the General Department of Land Administration, the Government Office, and relevant agencies, to incorporate the opinions from this meeting and the participating opinions of Within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the dossier as mentioned in Sub-clause b, Clause 1, Article 3 above, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will review and submit to the competent authority for decision (Issues exceeding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction will be referred to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision).2. Generally agree with the draft Decree detailing certain Articles of the Border Guard Ordinance, presented by Minister of Defense Phạm Văn Trà. Assign the Government Office to finalize the draft Decree and submit it to the Prime Minister for signing before January 15, 1998. Within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the dossier as mentioned in Sub-clause b, Clause 1, Article 3 above, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will review and submit to the competent authority for decision (Issues exceeding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' jurisdiction will be referred to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision).the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, to urgently study and supplement amendments to current Government documents in this field to meet new requirements, and submit to the Prime Minister for decision in the first quarter of 1998.

3. Not approve the draft Decree on compensation for losses when the State requisitions land for national defense, security, and public interest purposes, presented by Minister of Finance Nguyễn Sinh Hùng. Assign the Ministry of Finance, together with the Land Administration General Department, the Government Office, and relevant agencies, to incorporate the comments from this meeting and those from the People's Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, study and urgently revise existing government documents in this field to meet new requirements, and submit them to the Prime Minister for decision in the first quarter of 1998.

1. Decision to retain the name of the National Program on Clean Water and Environmental Sanitation in Rural Areas as recorded in the Resolution of the June 1997 Government Meeting (Decision No. 85/CP dated July 11, 1997) and managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

V. OTHER ISSUES