Key municipal councils meet

HÀ NỘI – The 15^th Hà Nội People’s Council opened its fifth session yesterday, in which the council said Hà Nội needed to strengthen urban order and strictly handle violations of construction regulations.

Speaking at the session, vice chairman of the National Assembly Uông Chung Lưu praised the city’s efforts in recent years. He emphasised that the stability of the city’s growth was very important and affected the growth of the whole country.

He suggested the city use more drastic measures to stabilise the macro economy and ensure social security.

In particular, Lưu noted the continued tightening of discipline, which would make a clear change in urban management. Hà Nội should strengthen the work of ensuring urban order and strictly handle violations of construction order, traffic safety and public order. Roads and pavements should be cleared, and parking lots should be located properly.

In addition, the city should focus on inspections of shortcomings in the work of fire prevention and fighting, especially in apartment buildings, industrial parks and craft villages.

He also said Hà Nội should properly implement the code of conduct for cadres and civil servants.

At the session, the city’s Party Secretary Hoàng Trung Hải suggested Hà Nội People’s Council improve effectiveness and efficiency, intensify law enforcement activities of State agencies and socio-economic organisations in the city in order to promptly detect weaknesses in management and administration.

People’s committees of all levels, departments and branches should develop programmes and plans to implement the resolutions of the city People’s Council in the next year, he said.

Over three working days, the Hà Nội People’s Council will discuss various important issues such as socio-economics, the budget, corruption fighting and national defence and security in the last months of 2017. Other issues related to judicial work and settling complaints and denunciations of citizens will also be discussed.

Representatives of the city’s People’s Council will also spend a day re-questioning the implementation of the conclusions at the previous session.  This is considered an opportunity to evaluate changes in performance of the municipal People’s Committee and agencies.

HCM City

Also yesterday, HCM City People’s Council convened its sixth session, reviewing the city’s socio-economic performance in 2017, outlining tasks for 2018 and reporting on the council’s supervision of laws on urban planning, among others.

In her opening speech, Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyễn Thị Quyết Tâm said the city enjoyed higher economic growth than last year, while progress was seen in urban planning and landscaping.

She also admitted shortcomings in administrative reform, flooding, traffic jams, child abuse and delayed settlement of complaints.

The implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolution No 54 on piloting special mechanisms and policies for the city’s development will be high on the agenda, she said.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyễn Thiện Nhân lauded the city’s major accomplishments, including the issuance of a scheme on building HCM City into a smart city and a decision on the process of dealing with complaints involving individuals and collectives with political and moral degradation.

He described 2018 as a key year to realise the city’s five-year plan and the first year to implement the Politburo’s Conclusion No 21 and the NA’s Resolution No 54 for rapid and sustainable development. Nhân asked the municipal People’s Council to work closely with the municipal People’s Committee in making decisions regarding special mechanisms and policies.

According to the municipal People’s Committee, local economic growth is expected to hit 8.25 per cent this year while revenue to the State budget will near VNĐ348 trillion (US$15.46 billion), or 100.03 per cent of the estimate.

The city has recorded 41,217 newly-established businesses with total registered capital of VNĐ577.36 trillion this year, up 13.4 per cent in volume and 92.4 per cent in value. - Đức