National Assembly opens year-end session, prioritizing institutional reform
VOV.VN - The 16th National Assembly is to open its second session on October 17, that puts institutional reform and the removal of institutional bottlenecks at the forefront, with lawmakers set to consider 43 draft laws and resolutions for adoption and four additional draft laws for discussion.
On the opening day, following an address by National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man, lawmakers are scheduled to hear the Prime Minister’s report on the implementation of the 2026 socio-economic development plan and the proposed plan for 2027.
The agenda also includes a summary of voters’ and public petitions submitted to the session, as well as a report on the monitoring of how petitions submitted to the first session have been addressed.
Lawmakers are also scheduled to discuss several draft laws in group sessions, including amendments to the Law on Postal Services and the Law on Metrology.
In the afternoon, the National Assembly is due to hear submissions and review reports on a number of draft laws before further group discussions on legislation concerning weapons, explosives and supporting tools; fire prevention, firefighting, rescue and emergency response; and the protection of critical works related to national security.
43 Draft Laws and Resolutions on the Agenda
The second session is expected to last approximately 28 working days and will be divided into two phases to allow sufficient time to consider and decide on a substantial volume of business.
In addition to the 43 draft laws and resolutions containing legal provisions scheduled for adoption and the four draft laws to be discussed, lawmakers will consider and decide on 10 groups of major issues relating to socio-economic development, the state budget, supreme oversight and other matters within the legislature’s remit.
Among the proposed legislation are the revised Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code; amendments to the Land Law, Law on Real Estate Business and Housing Law; the consolidated State Budget Law; the Law on Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Development; and amendments to the Law on the Implementation of Grassroots Democracy.
These bills cover areas with direct implications for state governance, business activities and people’s daily lives. The scale of the legislative agenda underscores the importance of lawmaking and institutional reform during the session.
However, National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man has stressed that success should not be measured simply by the number of laws passed. Instead, lawmakers should focus on resolving institutional bottlenecks and addressing policy issues that remain subject to differing views.
He described lawmaking as the “top priority among priorities” and said the success of the session should be judged by whether the Assembly’s decisions genuinely remove obstacles and unlock resources for development.
Just one day for question time
One notable feature of the session is that parliamentary question time is expected to last just one day, departing from the usual practice at National Assembly sessions.
Lawmakers are expected to select two of six areas for questioning, namely health; agriculture and environment; education and training; science and technology; finance; and home affairs.
At a working session on October 16, National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man said the shortened question period reflected the fact that several ministers and sector heads had only recently taken office. Written questions and responses would therefore be used more extensively.
The top legislator urged lawmakers to keep their questions concise and clear, address the core issues, establish accountability and seek specific, practical solutions.
He said questioning should do more than clarify responsibility; it should help drive action on problems arising in practice.
“Questioning only has meaning when issues are resolved in practice,” he stressed.
The approach places greater emphasis on the practical impact of parliamentary oversight rather than explanations delivered at the legislature alone. Although the time allocated for oral questioning is shorter, public accountability and follow-up on issues raised by lawmakers remain important.
Speed must not come at the expense of quality
Given the extensive workload and limited time available, National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man called on relevant bodies to demonstrate the highest level of responsibility, prepare thoroughly and coordinate closely to ensure both timely progress and high-quality outcomes.
He also called for continued changes in legislative thinking, stressing the need for resolve and accountability when considering major national issues. Lawmakers should concentrate on major policy questions, institutional bottlenecks and provisions on which differing views remain.
The National Assembly leader also emphasised strict compliance with central regulations on power oversight and the prevention of corruption and misconduct in lawmaking. He called for firm action to prevent policy corruption and attempts by vested-interest groups to insert provisions serving their own interests into legislation.
The second session of the 16th National Assembly is scheduled to close on November 21. It will be held in person in two phases, with the first running from October 17 to November 14, and the second from November 20 to 21.
The 28 working days are expected to include six Saturdays and one Sunday. From November 15 to 19, the Assembly will recess to allow its bodies, the Government and relevant agencies to incorporate feedback, revise and finalise draft laws and resolutions ahead of further consideration and decisions.
National Assembly to consider 43 draft laws and resolutions at year-end session
VOV.VN - The second session of Vietnam’s 16th National Assembly is expected to consider and adopt 43 draft laws and resolutions, review four other draft laws, and decide on key socio-economic, financial and budgetary matters.
