Decision No. 07/2003/NQ-CP of the Government's regular meeting in May 2003

RESOLUTION

Regular Meeting of the Government in May 2003

On May 28 and 29, 2003, the Government convened its regular monthly meeting to discuss and adopt the following issues:

1The Government heard the Minister of Home Affairs, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for Research on State Salary Policy, present the draft Project "Reform of State Salary Policy, Social Insurance, and Preferential Allowances for Meritorious Persons."

Reforming the state salary policy, social insurance, and preferential allowances for meritorious persons is a major policy of the Party and the State, having significant impacts on all strata of society, constituting a broad socio-economic issue that is very difficult, complex, and sensitive. Therefore, it must be aligned with the country's socio-economic development. The new salary policy must be consistent with the socialist-oriented market economy system, ensuring macroeconomic balances; taking appropriate and synchronized steps with related social policies to better achieve social equity; ensuring the principle of distribution according to labor and production results. Salary reform must be consistent with increases in labor productivity and income in society. It is necessary to clearly distinguish the salary policy from the social insurance policy and preferential allowances for meritorious persons; gradually distinguishing the administrative sector from the public service and public service sectors, ensuring investment for development.

The Government generally agrees with the Project presented by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee for Research on State Salary Policy is instructed to lead, coordinate with relevant Ministries, agencies, and mass organizations, incorporate the opinions of Government members and attendees, based on the Resolution of the Politburo, further refine the Project, submit it to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision, and then to the Politburo and the Central Committee.

2The Government heard the Minister of Home Affairs read the Report on the Resolution to amend, supplement, and continue implementing Resolution No. 16/2000/NQ-CP dated October 18, 2000 of the Government regarding the reduction of personnel establishments in administrative agencies and public service units.

The Government agrees with the amended and supplemented contents and instructs the Ministry of Home Affairs to lead, coordinate with the Government Office and relevant agencies, complete the draft Resolution on amending, supplementing, and continuing to implement Resolution No. 16/2000/NQ-CP on reducing personnel establishments in administrative agencies and public service units, submit it to the Prime Minister for signature and promulgation.

3The Government heard the Minister of Finance read the Report on the Draft Law on Land Use Tax; heard the Minister, Head of the Government Office report on the consolidated opinions of Government members on the Draft Law.

The current land use tax, implemented under the Law on Agricultural Land Use Tax (1993) and the Ordinance on House and Land Tax (1992), has had considerable impact and is now a significant source of revenue in the budget balance of many localities, timely meeting the needs for regular spending and infrastructure development, contributing to better land management. Exempting and reducing agricultural taxes within the allocated land area has helped address farmers' difficulties and encourage agricultural production development. However, the implementation process has revealed some shortcomings such as: calculating taxes in kind is no longer suitable for the market economy, not adequately reflecting the current increase in land prices; the tax rate still differs among types of land, failing to truly encourage people to adjust the economic structure of agriculture and rural areas; the classification of land for taxation is still complicated...

The Ministry of Finance is instructed to lead, coordinate with the Government Office, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Justice, and relevant agencies, incorporate the opinions of Government members and attendees, further refine the Draft Law, and submit it to the Government for review at another session.

4The Government heard the Minister of Finance read the Report on the Draft Decree detailing and guiding the implementation of the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the State Budget Law; heard the Minister, Head of the Government Office report on the consolidated opinions of Government members on the Draft Decree.

The Government agrees to pass and instructs the Ministry of Finance to lead, coordinate with the Government Office and relevant agencies, incorporate the opinions of Government members, further refine this Draft Decree, and submit it to the Prime Minister for signature and promulgation.

5The Government heard the Minister of Transport read the Report on the Draft Law on Inland Waterway Transport; heard the Minister, Head of the Government Office report on the consolidated opinions of Government members on the Draft Law.

Our country has a favorable network of inland waterway transport, conducive to developing waterway transportation and contributing to socio-economic development. In recent years, the Government has issued many regulatory legal documents to regulate inland waterway transport activities but has not kept pace with the rapid development of this field; the situation of traffic order and safety on inland waterways remains pressing. The legal system for inland waterway transport lacks coherence, has low effectiveness, and does not meet the requirements of specialized state management; the responsibilities of state management between departments and localities regarding inland waterway transport activities have not been clearly defined... Therefore, it is necessary to have a legal document to regulate relationships in the field of inland waterway transport, providing a legal basis for consolidating the organization and operation of this mode of transport to exploit potential, develop waterway transport, and ensure traffic order and safety on inland waterways.

The Ministry of Transport is instructed to lead, coordinate with the Government Office and relevant agencies, incorporate the opinions of Government members, further refine the Draft Law on Inland Waterway Transport, submit it to the Prime Minister for review and decision on submitting to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

6The Government heard the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development read the Report on the Draft Ordinance Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Ordinance on Dike Management.

The Dyke Regulation Ordinance was issued on August 26, 2000, and during its implementation, it has demonstrated effectiveness, but also revealed certain inadequacies that need to be amended and supplemented in managing works and houses within the protected dyke area, on riverbanks, and in riverbeds; ensuring flood drainage, dyke safety, and aligning with the actual living conditions of the people and the needs for economic and social development, particularly in Hanoi and other major cities.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is assigned to take the lead, coordinate with relevant agencies, incorporate opinions from Government members, conduct practical surveys, perfect the Memorandum and the content of the draft Ordinance Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Dyke Regulation Ordinance; the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, acting on behalf of the Prime Minister, will sign the Memorandum to submit to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

7The Government heard the Minister of the Ethnic Minority Affairs Commission present the draft Action Program of the Government to implement Resolution No. 24/NQ-TW of the 7th Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (9th Tenure) on ethnic affairs in the new situation.

The 7th Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (9th Tenure) issued Resolution No. 24/NQ-TW on ethnic affairs in the new situation. To implement the Central Resolution, the Government developed an Action Program, detailing the tasks outlined in the Resolution into mechanisms, policies, plans, programs, and projects with appropriate steps, clearly assigning responsibilities to government agencies and provincial People's Committees; focusing on production development, intensifying poverty reduction, and improving the living standards of ethnic minority groups; investing in cultural-social fields and environmental protection; consolidating and enhancing the quality of grassroots political systems; maintaining national security and political stability and social order and safety in ethnic and mountainous regions; innovating ethnic work...

The Ethnic Minority Affairs Commission is assigned to take the lead, coordinate with the Government Office and related agencies, incorporate opinions from Government members and attending delegates, perfect the draft Action Program, and submit it to the Prime Minister for issuance. The Minister of the Ethnic Minority Affairs Commission leads the organization of inspections and evaluations of the implementation of policies towards ethnic minority areas, reports to the Government; simultaneously proposes urgent tasks to be carried out until 2005. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and agencies under the Government, Chairmen of Provincial People's Committees directly under the central government shall base their own Action Programs on the Government's Action Program and their functions, tasks, and authorities, and effectively implement tasks related to ethnic affairs.

8The Government heard the Minister of Planning and Investment report on the socio-economic situation in May and the first five months of 2003.

In the early months of the year, our country had to face several significant difficulties: severe drought in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands, high prices for some raw materials, the Iraq War having adverse effects on the economy; the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) globally affecting service industries, especially tourism, air transport, and hotels...

Nevertheless, the overall economy continued to grow, industrial production maintained a high growth rate, the foreign-invested sector increased significantly; agricultural production focused on overcoming disaster impacts, continuing structural adjustments; exports maintained a high growth rate; total social investment capital, especially household capital, was mobilized quite well; state budget revenue continued to increase. Cultural and social activities made many advances, especially controlling and monitoring SARS, issuing educational bonds, initially restoring traffic safety order...

In the following months, ministries, sectors, localities, and grassroots levels need to focus more on implementing Resolution No. 02/2003/NQ-CP dated January 17, 2003, of the Government on key policies and solutions to concentrate on directing the implementation of socio-economic development tasks in 2003, creating clear changes in leadership and management: Striving to reduce production costs; effectively implementing measures to attract direct foreign investment, promoting exports, and reducing trade deficits; raising additional funds for development investment to ensure growth targets; accelerating the pace of shareholding and restructuring state-owned enterprises; proactively implementing flood and storm prevention plans; strictly inspecting construction investment projects to prevent waste; rectifying indiscriminate forest exploitation. Focus on preventing and blocking SARS re-infection; organizing college entrance exams well; resolutely and continuously directing crime prevention and social evils; maintaining discipline and traffic safety order; paying attention to resolving complaints and denunciations; concentrating efforts to prepare for the successful hosting of the 22nd Southeast Asian Games at the end of this year.