At the first National Assembly group discussion session on May 21 morning, NA deputies asked the government to submit its report on bauxite mining projects in the Central Highlands this week.

Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc at the group discussion session on May 21.

Bauxite mining was a big concern of NA deputies in the discussion group of economic and social issues.

Deputy Dang Huyen Thai, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Fatherland Front Committee, asked the government and the NA to provide sufficient information about bauxite mining projects for NA deputies.

“I’m an NA deputy but I don’t clearly understand the issue. At a seminar chaired by Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai about bauxite mining projects in the Central Highlands, while the critical report, which was based on a field trip survey, by the Union of Vietnam Scientific and Technological Associations said that the number of foreign workers using tourist visas at bauxite mining sites was quite high, the vice chairman of the host province said the number was less than one-tenth the number in the report,” NA deputy Duong Trung Quoc told VietNamNet.

The NA’s Committee for Defence and Security Chairman Le Quang Binh said the NA Standing Committee and the government recently met and agreed that the government’s economic and social report would have a part about bauxite mining projects in the Central Highlands. The NA Standing Committee also asked the government to send a separate report on bauxite mining projects to NA deputies.

After researching the report, the NA will send its feedback to the government in writing and the government will have to respond to their queries.

Binh “conveyed” the message to the government via Minister of Planning and Investor Vo Hong Phuc, a member of the economic-social discussion group, that the government must send the report to NA deputies this week.

“The government assigned this task to the Ministry of Industry and Trade,” Phuc answered.

Signing the scholars’ petition on bauxite mining to the government, NA deputy Nguyen Lan Dung said: “I’m alone but I will say that the Politburo’s instruction must be implemented and the NA has to oversee bauxite mining projects.”

Deputy Nguyen Anh Liem, a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, said: “The NA not only has to oversee it but also discuss it and make decisions.”

According to Liem, bauxite mining is a big concern of voters so the NA and the government need to treat this matter careful to avoid the bad rumor that the policy on bauxite mining was approved but the government only reports and the NA has no power.

Hoang Phuong – Le Nhung