Decision No. 14/2003/NQ-CP of the Government's regular meeting in November 2003

RESOLUTION

Regarding the regular meeting of the Government in November 2003

On December 2, 2003, the Government held its regular meeting for November 2003 to discuss and adopt the following issues:

1. The Government discussed the draft Decree on certain measures to ensure public order submitted by the Ministry of Public Security and reported the key issues requiring the Government's opinion on this draft Decree as presented by the Government Office.

In recent years, the task of ensuring political security and social order and safety has achieved many successes, contributing to political stability and creating a favorable environment for national economic and social development.

However, due to various reasons, recently there have been incidents where people have exploited their democratic freedoms, gathered illegally in large numbers to protest, disrupt public order, seriously affecting national security and social order and safety, such as obstructing traffic, violating urban management and aesthetics, hindering the normal operations of state agencies and senior Party and State leaders, resisting public officials... This abnormal situation has exceeded legal limits and is now a pressing issue. Therefore, issuing a Decree on certain measures to ensure public order under current circumstances is very necessary.

Entrust the Ministry of Public Security to take the lead, coordinate with the Ministry of Justice, the Government Office, and relevant agencies, incorporate opinions from Government members and attendees; seek the participation of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; perfect the draft Decree, submit it to the Government Party Executive Board for review before seeking opinions from Government members, and submit it to the Prime Minister for decision.

2. The Government heard the Minister of Industry present the draft Law on Electricity; listened to the Government Office's report summarizing the opinions of Government members on this draft Law.

The electricity sector's activities in recent times have received appropriate investment from the Party and State, achieving significant progress. The Government has issued many regulatory legal documents on managing electricity activities and developing the power system, but these documents have not kept up with the requirements of institutionalizing the Party and State's policies on electricity development during the period of industrialization and modernization, lacking consistency and unity, having low effectiveness, failing to create a legal framework for transitioning the organizational structure and operation of the electricity sector to a socialist-oriented market economy mechanism with state management; failing to meet the requirements of international economic integration. Regulations on the rights and obligations of electricity units and electricity consumers are unclear; failing to create a comprehensive legal basis to attract and encourage the development of power sources and power grids... Therefore, enacting the Electricity Law to regulate electricity activities and electricity usage is very necessary.

The Electricity Law must institutionalize the Party and State's policies on electricity development, manage electricity activities and electricity usage, affirm the policy of diversifying ownership and management forms in power generation, distribution, and electricity trading; ensure unified state management over electricity activities, create a legal basis to promote the autonomy in production and business operations of electricity units, and meet the requirements of international economic integration.

Entrust the Ministry of Industry to take the lead, coordinate with the Government Office, the Ministry of Justice, and relevant agencies, incorporate opinions from Government members, perfect the draft Electricity Law; entrust the Minister of Industry, acting on behalf of the Prime Minister, to submit this draft Law to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

3. The Government discussed the draft Ordinance Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Ordinance on Income Tax for High-Income Individuals submitted by the Ministry of Finance; listened to the Government Office's report summarizing the opinions of Government members on this draft Ordinance.

The Ordinance on Income Tax for High-Income Individuals was promulgated in 1991 and has undergone four revisions and supplements since then. The implementation of the Ordinance has yielded certain results: contributing to increasing state budget revenue, promoting social equity, narrowing income disparities among different strata of society; gradually making the country's tax system compatible with regional and international tax systems. Nevertheless, there are still some shortcomings regarding income classification, tax collection on newly generated income, tax rates and schedules... which need timely supplementation and amendment.

Entrust the Ministry of Finance to take the lead, coordinate with the Government Office, the Ministry of Justice, and relevant agencies, incorporate opinions from Government members, perfect the draft Ordinance Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Ordinance on Income Tax for High-Income Individuals; continue to seek opinions from Government members before submitting to the Prime Minister for a decision on presenting this draft Ordinance to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

4. The Government reviewed the report on the implementation of the socio-economic development plan for November and eleven months of 2003 submitted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The socio-economic situation in November and the eleven months so far continues to develop positively: Industrial production continues to increase; agriculture develops steadily, aquaculture grows significantly; the service and tourism sectors are very active; export turnover grows rapidly; state budget revenue continues to grow steadily; monetary activities and interest rates, market prices remain stable; state budget investment capital implementation is quite good; many key projects, especially those serving the 22nd Southeast Asian Games, have been basically completed. Social activities continue to develop in a positive direction...

However, natural disasters in many places have caused significant losses; disbursement of construction investment funds in some industries and localities is low, particularly official development assistance (ODA) and state credit funds; the trade deficit, although reduced, remains high...

To fulfill the tasks for 2003, the Government requests ministries, sectors, localities, and enterprises to continue to intensify production and business activities and the progress of basic construction investment; effectively implement measures to prevent, combat, and mitigate the consequences of natural disasters; concentrate all efforts to successfully organize the 22nd SEAGAMES and the 2nd ASEAN PARA-GAMES, with a focus on maintaining public security, social order, and traffic safety; promptly implement the assignment of targets and plans for 2004 to localities and units, ensuring the implementation of the plan from the beginning of the year.