A street vendor walks past a large electronics store in downtown Hanoi.

The widening gap between the rich and poor and the failure of the government to tackle it has emerged as a major concern among citizens and National Assembly deputies as the session opens today.

The misuse of land was another hot topic.

Farmers have been deprived of land for industrial zones, urban areas and golf courses even before they have been trained for other jobs, increasing unemployment and poverty, while the appropriated land has frequently ended up unused or used for speculation, citizens complained.

Deputies and citizens nationwide have said they want the NA to discuss controls over the use of land, monitoring of the stimulus package, power prices, tuition fees, corruption and bauxite exploitation.

The topics were suggested through 2,446 opinions and proposals sent as of Tuesday to the VFF, an umbrella organization of social and political groups in Vietnam.

In their letters, many deputies expressed concern that if the government officials failed to monitor the stimulus package closely, individuals and organizations would be able to borrow funds for illegal purposes.

On the other hand, many cooperatives and rural residents are in great need of money for tools, machines and building houses, the Vietnam Farmers’ Association and Vietnam Cooperatives Union reported.

But they have been either uninformed of the package or hindered badly by paperwork.

Many deputies have asked the government to allow more people to borrow from the package and extend the support period that includes a subsidized interest rate.

The deputies proposed that the 12th National Assembly session and the government investigate voters’ lives nationwide under the effect of economic slowdown.

There are no accurate figures about the number of factory workers losing jobs and income to the slowdown in industrial hubs like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces, many citizens and deputies wrote.

They also expressed anger over the high prices of electricity and constant blackouts.

As demand for power has increased, power prices have gone up and the limit for subsidized prices reduced from 100 to 50 kilowatt hours a month per household.

These changes have heavily affected low-income earners, the letters point out.

Concerning bauxite exploitation in the Central Highlands, deputies have asked the government to order central and local agencies to ensure national security, and to protect the natural and cultural environment in the region.

They want the issue of mineral exploitation and its environmental impact to be included in the NA’s annual agenda.

With regard to education, deputies said school curriculums are too heavy, especially at the primary school level, textbooks are of inconsistent quality, school facilities are of poor quality and few teachers at rural areas are well-trained.

They also felt that raising tuition fees is not a good move at present, given the current economic slowdown. Many deputies also objected strenuously to the proposed equitization of state colleges.

The government has been asked to increase the number of students benefiting from tuition fee exemptions and reductions, said Huynh Dam, chairman of the VFF Committee.

According to the letters, many citizens have lost confidence in the fight against corruption by the government because several corruption trials have been prolonged with no results in sight.

There was also anger expressed at state agencies organizing costly celebrations and state officials driving luxury cars as citizens struggled to deal with the economic turmoil.

The deputies felt the government should step up surveillance over land management as most cases of waste and corruption have started there.

They also called on the government to clear street barriers in HCMC and take effective measures against flooding in the city and in Hanoi.

Source: TN, VNA (With input from Bao Van)