The National Assembly Thursday lowered several socioeconomic targets proposed by the government, beginning with next year’s growth rate that it fixed at 6.5 percent.

The blueprint for next year, which also seeks to limit inflation to below 15 percent, was voted through by 87.63 percent of deputies at Thursday’s parliamentary session.

Most proposed targets were also passed by NA deputies at lower levels, including an increase of export turnover to 13 percent from the suggested 18 percent.

Vietnam’s biggest importers, including the US and the EU, were experiencing economic recession that would reduce their buying, he said.

The resolution approved Thursday also calls for the poverty rate reduced to 13 percent; and 1.7 million jobs created including 90,000 overseas.

The NA will closely monitor and improve the quality of its forecast and analysis of international and local financial and economic situations, especially supply and demand changes, and take measures to minimize negative impacts of the global economic slowdown, the deputies agreed.

Vietnam will continue to implement a tight monetary policy, curb inflation, but be flexible in managing banking interest and foreign exchange rates to facilitate production and business, and increase commercial banks’ liquidity to ensure safety of its financial system.

The country will also facilitate firms, especially small-and medium-sized enterprises, exporters, and those producing consumption goods which directly serve people’s life, in accessing capital sources, and continue to improve the business environment, and encourage application of advanced technology in production to increase added value for products.

In addition, it will closely monitor imports, especially consumption goods, aiming to minimize the trade deficit.

Controversial move

The NA session Thursday decided to extend discussion on a draft plan to remove the parliament’s representative body, known as the People’s Council, at district and ward levels and to allow citizens to vote for anyone to become chairman of their commune’s People’s Committee.

Currently, only the Vietnam Fatherland Front – a political coalition organization representing all classes, social strata, ethnic groups, religions and overseas Vietnamese – has the power to select candidates at the commune level and citizens have to make a choice from among the candidates shortlisted.

Deputy Nguyen Minh Thuyet of Lang Son Province said abolishing the people’s councils at the commune level and modifying the procedures to vote for local government heads would be an unconstitutional act.

He said such an election might lead to a chairman without Vietnam Communist Party membership, which would violate the constitution.

Besides, the draft plan wasn’t persuasive because it lacked a clear structural foundation, said deputy Duong Trung Quoc of Dong Nai Province.

Some of the deputies supported the draft plan, saying it would be a suitable time to take initial steps to change.

The term of People’s Council officials would end next year and restructuring them would be easier, said deputy Pham Phuong Thao of Ho Chi Minh City. However, Thao said the initial step of voting for communal chairmen at 385 communes of 39 cities and provinces was too much and unnecessary.

Deputy Nguyen Tien Dien of Hanoi also said the draft plan’s initial step should be carried out as an experimental step without having to modify the constitution.

Vietnam’s governmental structure has been improved gradually without any model, he noted.

Reported by Ngan Anh – Xuan Toan – Luu Quang Pho