The State President’s order on the promulgation of three laws, recently passed by the 15th National Assembly (NA) during its 9th extraordinary session, was announced at a press conference in Hanoi on February 28 morning.
They are the law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on the Organisation of the NA, the Law on Organisation of the Government, and the Law on Organisation of Local Governments.
The first one took effect immediately upon its passage by the NA on February 17, revising 21 articles and repealing 17 others.
The new law amends and adds regulations on the division of authority between the NA, the Government, and other state institutions, in a bid to clarify content on the modernisation of legislative processes and clearly define the principles and scope of legislative authority. It also provides updates on the roles of the NA Secretary-General, Office, and Standing Committee’s agencies, while refining regulations governing the activities of the NA, its Standing Committee and deputies.
The Law on Organisation of the Government, which consists of five chapters and 32 articles, will take effect on March 1. It defines the responsibilities and authority of the Prime Minister as the head of government, leading and overseeing the operations of the state administrative system from the central to local levels. It also outlines the duties of ministers and heads of ministerial-level agencies, both as leaders of their respective ministries and as members of the Government.
Additionally, the law clarifies the relationship between the Government, the PM, ministers, and local administrations via principles for the division of authority, decentralisation, and delegation of power following the guiding principle of "localities decide, implement, and take responsibility."
The Law on Organisation of Local Governments, which comprises seven chapters and 50 articles, will also take effect on the first day of March. A key feature of this law is a dedicated chapter on the division of authority, decentralisation, and delegation of power between different levels of local governments. It introduces seven guiding principles to prevent overlapping responsibilities and to ensure that each level of local government has clearly defined powers and accountability, among others.
To encourage local proactiveness and creativity, the law includes a new provision allowing local governments to propose adjustments in the delegation of power and responsibilities to agencies, organisations, and individuals, based on local capacities and real conditions./.
