Adjustments to the draft Law on Management and Use of Public Assets were high on the agenda at the National Assembly full-time deputies’ meeting (Source: VNA) Amajority of the deputies agreed on the scope of the adjustments.
Theyreached a consensus on deciding the name of the laws, settling on the Law onManagement and Use of Public Assets, as it is relevant to the currentinstitution and legal system.
However,about a dozen deputies were concerned with some regulations on the managementof intangible public property, particularly those including natural mineralsand resources, saying they were not sufficiently clear.
Theysaid unclear and unspecific laws could lead to loose management and result invast losses for important public assets.
Meanwhile,some others lawmakers commented that regulations on public asset management inthe draft law did not accurately cover the concept of public assets.
Specifically,they said, according to the draft law, public property is property owned by allpeople and managed by the State, which is regarded as the ownershiprepresentative and manager.
Publicassets can be tangible or intangible. They include those for State managementand others services for the benefit of the State, such as services for nationalarmed forces, public infrastructure, State financial funds, State foreignfunds, lands and natural mineral resources.
However,the deputies said the draft law mainly refers to the management of existingtangible assets and the management role was assigned to agencies and unitswhich can also use the assets. Other types of assets which are suffering fromlosses are yet to be mentioned, said some of the deputies.
Forintangible assets like natural mineral resources, for example, the deputiesproposed to specify the use and management roles of authorities at all levels.
Manydeputies demanded those authorities which, although not directly involved inthe management or use of the assets, must also have responsibility for lossesof the assets if they occurred.
Atthe meeting, the full-time lawmakers also proposed more specific wording forthe roles and duties of provincial departments in the management of publicassets, including the management of natural resources and minerals in localareas.
Thedraft Law on Management and Use of Public Assets aims to replace the 2008 Lawon Management and Use of State Assets, which is currently in force.
Accordingto the Ministry of Finance, six years after the law’s implementation, themanagement and use of State properties has notched up some achievements.
Propertiesin healthcare, education, culture and sport, and other sectors havedramatically increased to become an important financial resource for thecountry’s socio-economic development.
Butthe law also exposed some shortcomings.
Thepresent law on State property management lacks a clear definition of theresponsibilities and rights of managers and users, the separation of theresponsibility and rights of those people, and the decentralisation ofmanagement.
TheLaw on Management and Use of Public Property is intended to solve theseshortcomings.-VNA
VNA
