LookAtVietnam – Four cabinet members, from the Finance Minister, who attended four question and answer (Q&A) sessions, to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, who was interrogated once, said they are willing to be held accountable at the Q&A session on June 11-12.

You have been questioned by National Assembly deputies several consecutive sessions. Before each session, what do you prepare?

It is difficult to prepare because my job is very involved. I often focus on issues that are voters’ concerns. It is also difficult to know what questions NA deputies will ask. The forms of questions are also diverse so I have to sail with the wind.

You said that your job is involved, but you are only questioned for a few hours in front of NA deputies. Within this short period of time, you have to clarify matters and your responsibility. Do you feel tense?

I think NA deputies will understand if I am outspoken. I focus on matters that fall under my responsibility. The matters that are not under my ministry’s coverage, I will speak about based on my understanding about them. If I don’t know, I will let the related ministries talk about it.

In the last Q&A session, NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong commented that you were “very calm and experienced”. Has it ever happened that after you answered a question, you then wanted to answer it in another way?

I answer NA deputies’ questions based on my knowledge and understanding. For questions focusing on details, I will go in the major direction only.

For instance, a deputy asked me about a road in a specific commune. That matter doesn’t fall under the responsibility of the Finance Minister. To answer such questions properly, I have to find which agency is in charge of that road and whether that project is sufficiently allocated with capital or not. How can I remember such details!

I’ve received questions about macro-level management such as demand stimulus solutions, forecasting tasks, regional development, especially agricultural development in the Mekong River Delta.

NA deputies questioned me about these matters in previous sessions. About the stimulus package, I think that the government implemented it according to the law. Any issues that are under the NA’s authority the government reports to and asks for guidance from the NA.

I think there is no sensitive issue that I have to be afraid to answer at the upcoming Q&A session. I will frankly answer every matter that NA deputies ask me about based on my understanding.

I’m not afraid of questions about accountability because there are matters under my responsibility, some under the responsibility of the government and some of other ministries, which need to be made clear.

Any matter can be solved whenever we have awareness about accountability. I think that this is the most important thing.

I have received 19 questions about labour, jobs, social welfare and policies for people who deserve well of the country.

In economic slowdown or recovery, labour and jobs are always concerns because they are associated with the incomes and lives of each worker, each family and the general social welfare policy.

Before the NA, ministers have to affirm that the government takes responsibility for management of all issues. Each minister has to accept accountability for the field of their management and ministers should not shift responsibility to this or that other ministry.

That is the job of ministers: to work with each other. But before the NA, they have to talk about their major responsibility only. Cooperation between ministries being good or not good is the responsibility of the government.

Though I’m not assigned to answer NA deputies’ questions, I have prepared for the Q&A session. I have received 13 questions about land, environment, bauxite mining and water resources.

Half of the questions are about land, for example the management of public land and the waste of public land. Other concerns are golf course projects, site clearance and compensation, resettlement and agricultural land.

Regarding the environment, NA deputies are interested in bauxite mining, treatment of pollution on Nhue and Day rivers and the Vedan case.

Noted by Le Nhung