National Assembly adopts two revised laws

On February 19, the 15th National Assembly adopted the Law on Organisation of Local Governments (revised) and the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents (revised).

pct-nguyenkhacdinh-vqk.jpg
NA Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh chairs the session. Photo: Quang Khanh

With 458 out of 459 votes in favour (95.82%), deputies to the 15th National Assembly (NA) passed the Law on Organisation of Local Governments (revised) on February 19 as part of their ninth extraordinary session.

This updated legislation emphasises decentralisation, empowering local governments with more autonomy, in line with the principle of local decisions, local actions, local accountability.

The revision clarifies the roles and responsibilities of local People’s Councils and People’s Committees, ensuring a clear division of duties across different levels of government. It also introduces provisions that allow local authorities to adjust administrative procedures when decentralisation requires changes to existing processes, promoting greater flexibility in governance.

A significant addition to the law is the provision enabling provincial governments to pilot special policies aimed at accelerating local socio-economic development, subject to approval by the Prime Minister. The law also empowers local authorities to take urgent measures in cases of national importance, such as disaster response or public health emergencies.

Other key amendments include clearer regulations on the composition of local councils, the number of representatives, and their roles in the upcoming electoral process. Additionally, the law allows for more flexibility in the structure of local executive bodies, with the government now authorised to adjust the number of members to optimise efficiency.

Deputies at the National Assembly's ninth extraordinary session (Photo: Ho Long)
Deputies at the National Assembly's ninth extraordinary session (Photo: Ho Long)

Also on February 19, the NA also adopted the Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents (revised) with 459 “yes” votes out of 461 attending deputies (96.03%).

The law, set to take effect on April 1, 2025, comprises nine chapters and 72 articles, outlining the procedures for drafting and enforcing legal documents.

One key update is the introduction of a new policy consultation process, requiring agencies proposing policies to seek input from those directly affected, as well as from political and social organisations. Consultations with key bodies such as the NA’s Standing Committee and relevant ministries will also be mandatory.

The law establishes clear timelines for submitting legislative drafts to NA members and sets out procedures for approval by both the NA and the NA Standing Committee. The emphasis on policy consultations aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of proposed laws./.

Politics-Diplomacy

PM urges global partners to support Vietnam's AI, semiconductor development
Politics-Diplomacy

PM urges global partners to support Vietnam's AI, semiconductor development

Seeing institutional frameworks as both "bottleneck of bottlenecks" and "breakthrough of breakthroughs,” Vietnam is mapping out policies to develop the AI and semiconductor industries. The Government has pledged to slash at least 30% of cumbersome administrative procedures, step up decentralisation, enhance implementation capacity, and promote self-resilience and creativity among stakeholders, PM Pham Minh Chinh said.

Vietnam always regards US as strategically important partner: PM
Politics-Diplomacy

Vietnam always regards US as strategically important partner: PM

PM Pham Minh Chinh affirmed the message of Party General Secretary To Lam and senior Vietnamese leaders that they attach great importance to and want to cooperate closely with President Trump’s administration to promote the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and maintain a stable and increasingly substantive development momentum.

Party leader meets former Singaporean Prime Minister
Politics-Diplomacy

Party leader meets former Singaporean Prime Minister

Party General Secretary To Lam and former PM of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong discussed ways to further deepen bilateral relations in this new phase of development, in line with the freshly established Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This includes enhancing collaboration between the two ruling parties by promoting delegation exchanges and sharing experience in governance and national development.

Vietnam proposes key priorities for advancing gender equality
Politics-Diplomacy

Vietnam proposes key priorities for advancing gender equality

Sharing Vietnam’s achievements, Thanh noted that women account for nearly one-third of Vietnam’s National Assembly members; 40% of Vietnam’s STEM workforce is female; 26.5% of businesses in the country are owned by women; women account for 68.5% of the country’s labour force, surpassing the global average of 48.7% and 14.4% of Vietnam’s peacekeepers are women, higher than the UN average of 10.2%.