9:05:12 AM | 3/7/2022
Speaking at the conclusion of the National Conference on Planning, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized two key points: ensuring progress and paying special attention to planning quality, with breakthrough thinking and strategic vision.
Positive changes
According to the report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, right after the Government issued Resolution 119/NQ-CP dated September 27, 2021 on tasks and solutions to improve the quality and speed up the formulation of plans for the 2021-2030 period, ministries, branches and localities reviewed and developed specific progress and plans for each month and quarter.
Up to now, the Government has submitted and the National Assembly has approved the National Land Use Plan. The Prime Minister has approved 4 out of 38 national plannings (all in the field of transport); planning for the Mekong Delta region; and planning of Bac Giang province.
The Government is continuing to develop the National Master Plan and the National Marine Spatial Plan to submit to the competent authorities. Ministries and branches shall develop national and regional master plans, while localities shall develop provincial plannings and submit them to the Prime Minister for approval.
Reviews of Resolution 119 have basically helped remove many difficulties and obstacles. However, the amendment and supplementation of a number of documents guiding the laws and ordinances amending a number of articles related to the planning have not been implemented or have been implemented slowly, causing difficulties for ministries, agencies and localities when applying. The Law on Environmental Protection 2020, effective from January 1, 2022, has a number of new regulations. It takes time for localities to review, supplement and complete the content of environmental protection in the provincial planning.
The comments of leaders of the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Bac Giang province, have contributed to positive results in planning. It shows that the role of leadership is very important. Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The emphasized a number of lessons such as having a very high determination, identifying planning as the root and at the same time mobilizing many resources for planning work, including resources from international cooperation.
Independence and self-reliance
Concluding the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that Vietnam had been doing planning for a long time, with appropriate adjustments and supplements over many different periods. Over the years, the government has continued to promote planning work with the promulgation of the Planning Law and many other documents.
Basically agreeing and appreciating the enthusiastic, responsible and practical reports and opinions at the Conference, Prime Minister Chinh assessed that in the past time, Vietnam has actively implemented the tasks and work in accordance with the Law on Planning and has made certain progress.
However, the progress has not been as planned and the quality is still uncertain.
The objective cause is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic while the database for planning is still weak. However, the main reason is still a subjective cause. The awareness of planning work of some ministries, branches and localities is not right; the leadership and direction of some places are not adequate; investment in planning is still limited, especially human resource arrangement. The organization of construction, appraisal and approval of planning has not been proactive, scientific and reasonable. Besides, current regulations in laws and decrees still have problems.
Emphasizing the two key points in planning work, which are ensuring schedule and ensuring quality, especially emphasizing the requirement to improve the quality of planning, the Prime Minister stated that first of all, it was necessary to raise awareness about the position, role and importance of planning work. The planning must be one step ahead, close to reality and promote distinct potentials, outstanding opportunities and competitive advantages of fields, regions, localities. The planning should remove and neutralize limitations, weaknesses, contradictions, challenges and difficulties.
The Prime Minister asked to define planning as an important political task of 2022. The planning must adhere to the Party Platform, the 2013 Constitution, the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, the resolutions, documents and directions of the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, the National Assembly, the Government, ministries, agencies and localities. Along with that, we should strengthen the supervision and inspection of competent agencies and elected bodies in the formulation, appraisal and approval of planning.
The Prime Minister noted that we should not require perfectionism or haste in planning work. There must be a new methodology, breakthrough thinking and strategic vision.
The Prime Minister stressed that the master plan should bring into full play the independence, self-reliance and self-improvement of each field, region, locality and the whole country.
Choosing the right "link" in the global supply chain
Regarding the organization of implementation, the Prime Minister noted that it is necessary to choose good consulting contractors both at home and abroad, and to listen to various opinions from experts and scientists in appraising the planning. Experience also shows that ministries, branches and localities need to set up working groups and at the same time, there must be timely leadership and direction of the Party committees, government and local agencies.
The Prime Minister noted the importance of information, propaganda, publicity and transparency in the planning; building a modern national database for common use; and planning management.
Regarding the recommendations and proposals at the Conference, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to proactively handle issues timely and not let procedural bottlenecks affect the progress and quality of the planning.
The Prime Minister asked agencies and localities to study and consider a number of issues such as zoning to find new development motivations for the country and regions, such as the Northwest, the Central Highlands, the Mekong River Delta, and South Central regions; and issue solutions for difficult areas on hunger eradication and poverty reduction.
All agencies and localities should calculate, research and develop regional, sectoral and national planning in association with regional and global development, choose suitable "linkage” in the supply chain and value chain to promote the country's advantages, opportunities and potentials, and improve the country's global competitiveness.
The Prime Minister requested that planning must be harmonized and the planning process must be updated, supplemented and adjusted to ensure the consistency and synchronization of content among planning levels, avoiding separation and fragmentation.
By Vietnam Business Forum