Questioned about the responsibility in the failure of the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin), Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc said the ministry did a good job as the think tank for the government in experimentally running the model of a state-owned economic group.

He said frankly that the Government and the National Assembly made a partial mistake in the Vinashin case.

The issue of Vinashin was discussed more fervently than ever on the second day of the National Assembly’s question and answer session when three Ministers and a Deputy Minister were questioned.

Minister of Transport Ho Nghia Dung explained the general management over Vinashin.

Minister of Finance vu Van Ninh explained the effectiveness of state capital in this group.

Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc was not scheduled to attend the question and answer session but he also joined Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung inexplaining his ministry’s responsibility as the think tank for the government in applying the model of state-owned economic groups and managing Vinashin.

Phuc said that his ministry is only responsible as a counselor for the government in terms of development planning and strategy designing for Vinashin, and that the agency did a good job.

He said the Law on State-owned Enterprises 2003 clearly stipulates the missions and functions of state-owned groups and corporations and the role of the executive board and general directors. They have great power in raising capital, doing business and bearing responsibility for their activities. Relevant state agencies are only in charge of supervising them.

He said state-owned groups operate under the law compiled by the government and approved by the National Assembly. If the law is wrong, the government and the NA have to take responsibility.

However, Phuc said that Vinashin case is a painful lesson for the government, relevant agencies and each NA deputy.

Deputy Nguyen Van Thuan, Chair of the NA’s Legal Committee, said the Ministry of Planning and Investment acted as counselor for the government in experimentally applying the model of state-owned groups and it was also involved in designing the plan to develop this model so it must also take part of the responsibility?

As the chief of the Steering Board for Restructuring Vinashin, Deputy PM Nguyen Sinh Hung said that the responsibility of the government in Vinashin case is being thoroughly consideredby the PM to Deputy PM and relevant agencies.

“This year Vinashin will still incur a loss but the loss will reduce next year and the group can break even?in 2012. In 2013-2014 it may gain profit,” Hung said.

PV