Under the bill, citizens will have two options, either sending a complaint directly to an authority that has the right to make a ruling on an administrative decision or filing the case at a court.

Many deputies expressed their concern about the workability of some of the law's provisions. They said the two approaches outlined were already used in reality, yet their enforcement was weak. They said it was high time to find a new and appropriate mechanism to handle citizen complaints.

Deputy Nguyen Dang Trung said the law on complaints and the law on administrative litigation had a strong relationship, so it was vital the two laws did not contradict each other.

He wondered why only the law on administrative litigation would be approved at the current sitting of the National Assembly, and suggested that the scope of the law on complaints should only govern relationship between citizens and the State.

Deputy Tran Du Lich said the law should be geared towards the use of reconciliation as a primary settlement tool, prior to the lodging of a complaint as a final resort.

"By doing so we will be able to reduce the number of administrative litigation cases," said Lich.

Regarding the suggested 30-45 day time limit to handle a complaint as outlined in the bill, deputy Tat Thanh Cang said it was too short.

"In HCM City the number of complaints is huge, and many cases which remain unresolved after a first hearing await a decision by the chairman of the City People's Committee," said Cang.

Consumer rights

Yesterday afternoon, deputies discussed the draft law on consumer rights protection, which includes 6 chapters and 51 articles.

They focused on the roles, legal status, rights and responsibilities of organisations in charge of protecting consumer rights and settling disputes between consumers and businesses.

Deputy Nguyen Thu Ha from the Central Highland province of Gia Lai said that online purchasing had developed, but in some cases consumers were at a disadvantage.

Ha said the draft law should also include regulations for buyers and sellers who have an e-business, adding that if a consumer buys a low-quality product, he or she should have the right to return it free-of-charge within a certain period of time.

Deputy Tran Quoc Khanh from Ha Noi suggested there should be a warning system for harmful products, which would allow producers to take responsibility for their products and change their operations.

Deputy Vu Tien Loc said the definition of "consumers" should cover only individuals, not organisations, because the State did not have enough resources to protect organisations like State agencies, local authorities, social organisations and companies.