On November 28, continuing the 10th Session, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Law on Planning (amended).
Delegate Nguyen Tam Hung (Ho Chi Minh City Delegation) said that this draft shows the great efforts of the Drafting Agency in approaching the planning integration method, closely linking economy, society, environment, urban areas and national defense and security.
Delegate Hung said that the past practice shows that the organization and implementation of planning in some sectors, fields and some localities is still disjointed, lacking connectivity and unity. This leads to delays in project approval, increased costs for investors and reduced the efficiency of using social resources.
Therefore, it is recommended to consider adding a mandatory mechanism for updating, sharing, and synchronizing planning data between ministries, branches, and local governments on a unified digital system. At the same time, clearly stipulate the responsibility for explaining when the planning progress is slow or there is no connection between sectors. This will both overcome the situation of resource dispersation and ensure a stable, open and predictable investment environment.
Regarding handling cases of conflicts between plans, delegate Hung said that although the draft has determined the priority order, the adjustment mechanism is still oriented towards administrative explanation.
Practice shows that there are cases where industry planning, regional planning, urban planning and land use planning are not unified, leading to slow project implementation and increased related costs for investors.
Therefore, delegate Nguyen Tam Hung suggested considering studying and supplementing the coordination mechanism and final conclusions when planning conflicts arise between levels and sectors; clearly defining the handling deadline and specific accountability.
This mechanism does not replace the authority of any agency, but ensures that disagreements are resolved thoroughly and promptly, avoiding the situation where the dossier has to ask for opinions in multiple rounds, prolonging the project implementation progress.
Regarding the procedures for planning, appraisal and approval, this delegate found that the current draft regulation process extends through many rounds of consultation, appraisal and approval.
To shorten the approval time while still ensuring quality, delegate Nguyen Tam Hung suggested considering legalizing the mechanism of "synchronized electronic submission" with a mandatory response deadline for each agency.
Many key projects are being delayed due to prolonged internal processes, increasing costs and reducing the competitiveness of the economy.
"Practice has been, is happening now is a burden for investors and businesses. Investors reflected on some detailed plans that, even if fully completed, still have to go through many internal appraisal rounds at different agencies instead of a real one-stop process.
Businesses and investors are forced to race against time and people, traveling between state agencies many times just to explain the content that has been clarified in the electronic records" - delegate Tam Hung stated.
