More than 110 trillion VND to implement basic salary in 2025
On November 13, under the chairmanship of Politburo member and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, the National Assembly voted to pass the Resolution on the State budget estimate for 2025 (including some contents on adjusting and supplementing the State budget estimate), with 428/430 National Assembly deputies participating in the vote in favor, accounting for 89.35% of the total number of National Assembly deputies.
Accordingly, the Resolution resolves that the State budget revenue is 1,966,839 billion VND. The total State budget expenditure is 2,548,958 billion VND; the State budget deficit is 471,500 billion VND, equivalent to 3.8% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Using 60,000 billion VND of the accumulated fund for salary reform of the central budget and 50,619 billion VND of the remaining fund for salary reform of the local budget by the end of 2024, the remaining fund will be transferred to the 2025 budget arrangement of the ministries, central agencies and localities to implement the basic salary level of 2.34 million VND/month.
In the Resolution, the National Assembly assigned the Government to direct relevant ministries and agencies to study and propose solutions to unreasonable issues arising in the regime for certain subjects and occupations (civil servants in education, health, etc.). Propose to continue adjusting and increasing public sector salaries, pensions, social insurance benefits, monthly allowances, and preferential allowances for meritorious people in case the socio-economic situation in 2025 is more favorable and resources are balanced, and report to competent authorities for consideration and decision.
In addition, the Government is assigned to continue directing ministries, central and local agencies to streamline staff, reorganize the administrative apparatus to be streamlined, operate effectively and efficiently. Innovate management and financial mechanisms, reorganize the system of public service units, and reduce direct support from the State budget for public service units.
Increase the autonomy of local budgets
Presenting the Report on receiving and explaining the assessment of the implementation of the State budget in 2024 and the State budget estimate in 2025, Chairman of the Finance and Budget Committee Le Quang Manh said that many opinions suggested that the Government urgently direct specialized agencies to soon develop a plan to amend the State Budget Law, with a mechanism to reasonably and effectively regulate revenue from land use fees and land rents between the Central and local levels.
The National Assembly Standing Committee requested the Government to direct specialized agencies to urgently study and develop a plan to comprehensively amend the State Budget Law. In particular, study to amend and supplement regulations on revenue decentralization to ensure the leading role of the central budget and increase the initiative of local budgets. Implement the division of revenue from land use fees and land rents between the central budget and local budgets in the spirit of Resolution 18-NQ/TW of the Central Committee.
Some opinions suggested that it is necessary to speed up the disbursement of public investment, especially for key national projects, as well as key local projects, and transfer funds from slow-moving projects to projects with high implementation and disbursement potential. There were concerns about the feasibility of the 95% disbursement plan as reported by the Government.
The Standing Committee of the National Assembly stated that, as stated by the National Assembly deputies, the progress of disbursement of public investment capital in the first 9 months of 2024 of a number of ministries, branches and localities is still slow; the national average has only reached 47.3% of the estimate assigned by the National Assembly, down both in value and proportion compared to the same period; in which foreign capital only reached 24.33% of the plan, lower than the same period (28.37%).
Therefore, in the last months of the year, with the goal of disbursing 95% of the assigned budget, the National Assembly Standing Committee recommends that the Government should closely direct, resolutely, proactively find solutions to overcome, enhance the responsibility and initiative of ministries, branches and localities to accelerate the progress of public investment disbursement. Especially, the national key projects, as well as the local key projects to ensure the completion of the set goals.
