Last week, they heard the Government’s report and NA Committees’ appraisal reports on 8 eight draft laws and discussed 10 other draft laws. They also debated reports by the People’s Supreme Court’s Chief Judge and the Head of the People’s Supreme Procuracy, as well as reports on crime prevention and control and court judgments.

They said despite positive progress in preventing and combating crime, the commitment of crimes in Vietnam has become more and more complicated in different forms, including women and child trafficking and drug-related crimes. In the years ahead, this work will be stepped up by using uniform measures, they said, stressing the need to raise standards of legal education, State management and judicial capabilities.

The deputies also heard reports on the implementation of four key national projects including, the Dung Quat Oil refinery project, the Son La hydro- electric power plant, the Ho Chi Minh highway project and the project to plan 5 million hectares of forest.

However, more investment capital is needed for all four projects. For example, the total investment capital for the Dung Quat Oil refinery project will increase by US$553 million and the Son La hydro-electric power plant by VND14,000 billion.

Regarding the Lai Chau hydro-electric power plant project, many deputies agreed with the report from the NA’s Committee for Science and Technology and the Environment, saying that the project is in line with the zoning plans adopted by State agencies. They underlined the need to ensure a better standard of living for local people relocated to new areas, clear land for the construction of the plant and strictly supervise the management of investment in the project to avoid waste and embezzlement.

Over the last week, the deputies adopted a resolution on the country’s socio-economic development plans for 2010 under which, Vietnam need to ensure GDP growth of 6.5 percent and export turnover of 6 percent while maintaining consumer price index (CPI) growth at below 7 percent over last year. This would create around 1.6 million new jobs and reduce the number of poor households to under 10 percent. The country will attempt to help 83 percent of the rural population have access to clean water. The deputies also came up with 12 measures to fulfill all of next year’s targets.

This week, the NA will continue to discuss a number of draft laws and approve resolutions on supervision programmes and State budget spending for 2010.  Issues related to the construction of the Lai Chau hydro-electric power plant project and the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant project will be also discussed.

On November 9, the deputies are to discuss the implementation of policies and laws on the management and use of capital and other assets belonging to State groups and corporations.