VietNamNet Bridge – The National Assembly (NA) on April 26,
considered the plan to allocate the excessive budget revenue in 2010.

According to Minister of Finance Vu Van Ninh, the budget
revenue in 2010 exceeded 21.2 percent or VND31 trillion ($US$1.55 billion) over
the estimated figure that was reported to the NA at the 8^th session.

Ninh said that the excessive budget revenue will be used as
investment assistance to big provinces and cities, to cover social welfare, to
purchase rice for stock, to pay debt (around VND10 trillion) and to invest in
defense and security.

Chair of the NA Committee for Defense and Security, Le Quang
Binh, said that current investment in defense and security is still low.

“I propose to investment more money in production and
maintenance of weapons and more money to defend our sea and islands,” Binh
said.

Finance Minister Ninh said that the Government had suggested
to provide additional VND750 billion ($37.5 million) to the Ministry of
Defense, and VND500 billion ($25 million) to the Ministry of Public Security to
perform urgent tasks, for example buying equipment for the Military Hospital
108.

Chair of the NA Committee for Finance and Budget, Phung Quoc
Hien, said that investment in defense plays the vital role in defending the
country’s sovereignty. He proposed the Government to allocate an additional
VND100 billion ($5 million) to the Ministry of Defense.

The same day, the NA Standing Committee approved the
establishment four more state audit agencies for four regions, and a
specialized audit agency which will cover defense security finance and
government spending.

In 2010, the Government provided Hanoi and HCM City, VND1.7
trillion under a special mechanism and granted nearly VND2.57 trillion of bonus
for provinces and cities which had high budget revenues, like Hanoi, Hai Phong,
Vinh Phuc, Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Quang Ninh, Khanh Hoa, Can Tho, Dong
Nai and Da Nang.

Le Nhung