Vietnam will ban the import and sale of equipment with low energy efficiency and support energy-saving projects under a draft law submitted to the National Assembly’s sixth session on Saturday.

The draft, prepared by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, requires all equipment to carry energy consumption and saving labels.

The ministries of Science and Technology, and Industry and Trade estimate that small and medium companies in transportation can save at least 20 percent of their energy consumption, while those in the construction can save 30 percent.

Vietnam now consumes around 600 kilograms of oil every US$1,000 in GDP, which is 1.5 times higher than Thailand and almost double the world’s average rate, Dang Vu Minh, chairman of the National Assembly’s Science, Technology and Environment Committee said in a report at the session.

Execution by lethal injection

Also on Saturday, the Ministry of Public Security proposed that the option of executing prisoners with lethal injection be added to the firing squad that is the sole method of execution at present.

Shooting by firing squad will be deployed only if there is a need to strongly repress criminals, or if the other method can’t be employed, according to the proposal submitted by Minister Le Hong Anh to the National Assembly.

While the proposal is scheduled for discussion on November 20 and 26, most of the assembly’s Justice Committee members said as a contemporary method, the lethal injection should be used, with shooting by a firing squad showing several disadvantages and problems like preparing the execution ground and the psychological impact on the firing squad members.

Reported by Luu Quang Pho