The President of the National Assembly, Tran Thanh Man, delivered a speech during this session. The President of the National Assembly, Tran Thanh Man, chaired the session.
In his brief presentation of the draft decree, Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang stated that the publication of this decree aims to implement the provisions of the state budget law of 2025 in order to carry out tasks in line with the specific characteristics of certain foreign policy activities.
The draft decree consists of 4 chapters and 17 articles, governing the collection and use of state budget funds for certain foreign policy activities; the elaboration, execution, regulation, and publication of the budget for certain foreign policy activities, in accordance with the state budget law of 2025. Foreign policy activities of senior Party and state leaders are not covered by this decree.
The entities concerned include ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and other central agencies; centrally administered provinces and cities; and organizations and individuals involved in the management and use of budgets for foreign policy activities.
Presenting the verification report, the President of the Economic and Financial Committee, Phan Van Mai, stated that the Permanent Committee of the Economic and Financial Committee had found that the government’s submission to the Permanent Committee of the National Assembly for review and comments before implementation fell within its competence and was in line with the provisions of Article 76, paragraph 1, relating to the implementation of specific content of the state budget law for 2025.
Regarding the type of currency used in budget planning and accounting for Vietnamese agencies abroad, the Permanent Committee of the Economic and Financial Committee found that this regulation is not unique and complies with the provisions of Article 13, paragraph 1, of the state budget law.
The main practical difficulty concerns supplementary budgeting when the exchange rate set by the Ministry of Finance during budget preparation differs from the actual exchange rate. Therefore, if the actual exchange rate is higher than the rate set during budget preparation, a supplementary budget is necessary; conversely, if it is lower, the budget is canceled at the end of the year, in accordance with the budget law. As a result, we propose that the government regulate this issue through a decree within its competence, in accordance with the Constitution and the budget law.
At the conclusion of the session, the Vice President of the National Assembly, Nguyen Duc Hai, stated that the Permanent Committee of the National Assembly had approved the publication of a government decree regulating the management and use of the state budget for certain foreign policy activities. He fundamentally approved the content of the draft decree.
The Vice President of the National Assembly requested the government to take into account the opinions of the Permanent Commission of the National Assembly and the auditing body to finalize the draft decree. It is particularly important to clearly define the amount of advances and the repayment deadline to the state budget, no later than the following budget year when advances are taken from the state budget reserve fund, in accordance with budget law, accounting law, and other applicable laws. Furthermore, the decree should clearly define the responsibilities of the head of the organization using the state budget and establish a rigorous inspection and control mechanism to prevent abuse.
Regarding the type of currency used for the state budget of Vietnamese representation agencies abroad, we propose that the government issue regulations within its competence, in accordance with the state budget law.
Furthermore, the draft decree should be revised to ensure its consistency with the legal system, avoid duplication, ensure feasibility, prevent legal gaps, and manage and use funds in an economical, efficient, and regulatory-compliant manner. The opinions of the auditing body regarding the application of laws related to expenses related to foreign policy activities of “popular organizations” should be examined to ensure appropriate regulation. The government is responsible for the content of the decree and organizing its implementation, as well as the specific policies and mechanisms put in place to ensure its effectiveness, economy, and prevention of losses.
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