The National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) which met from August 20-25 announced yesterday, August 25, that a draft of the Resolution on agricultural land use tax policies will be also approved during the month-long session starting on October 20.

Of the 10 draft laws to be approved at the meeting, three - including the bills on insurance trade and securities, and elections of members to the NA and People’s councils – will receive approval at the first discussion of the National Assembly meeting. The others were discussed at the 7th plenary session of the NA in May. The NA will also discuss nine other draft bills and measures on effectively managing socio-economic issues and the State budget.

The NASC’s meeting, which wrapped up yesterday, was held in preparation for the NA’s 8th plenary session and six draft bills were discussed.

On Tuesday the NASC discussed a draft metrology bill for the first time.

The new law is expected to help stamp out fraudulent acts such as those at fuel filling stations, which have been an irritating issue for the past few years.

The need to have an accurate and effective measuring and weighing system has urged the Government to introduce a law to govern work where this is applicable.

"Work on measures and weights played an important role in the country’s production, scientific research, national security and defence," Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Van Phong said at the meeting on Tuesday. "An accurate and consistent measuring and weighing system would help ensure the social equality and legal rights of all individuals and organisations."

"An inspection system to ensure the application of accurate measurement had so far been established for just 70 per cent of the demand across all sectors," said Phong while explaining the urgent need for the introduction of the law.

In 2008 the Ministry of Science and Technology did a nationwide inspection and found nearly 10 per cent of the 3,890 filling stations inspected cheated their customers. More than 15 per cent of those stations were found to have recalibrated their equipment in an attempt to defraud customers and more than 51 per cent had equipment that was incorrect.

Similar fraudulent acts have also been found in many other fields, including taxi meters, electricity and safe water.

Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Kien agreed with the Minister’s remarks on the need to promulgate a new law.

"It’s time to modernise the way we work with weights and measures and to make good the shortcomings," he said.

Chairman of the NA Committee on Science and Technology Dang Vu Minh, underlined the need for the law’s accordance with international standards which would reflect Viet Nam’s commitment to many international agreements and organisations.

Minh asked the drafting group to thoroughly examine the bill to ensure its compatibility with international standards.

The regulations on international co-operation in this field, said Phong, should also be added to the law which will be submitted for the first time at the coming 8th National Assembly meeting.

Labour force

A lack of human resources were the most concerned issue for the practice of the new law which is built based on the Ordinance on Metrology. The Ordinance was introduced in 1999.

The infrastructure for work and especially human resources in weights and measures was not mentioned in the bill, said Chairman of the NA Law Committee Nguyen Van Thuan at the meeting yesterday.

"I am very concerned about human resources in this field as State investment into it is still very poor," Thuan said, adding that the fact had been proven after 10 years of implementing the original ordinance.

Vice chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong echoed Thuan’s remarks, saying that the bill did not explain the responsibility of the people in work relating to measurement, inspection and examination.

"In some vital fields, accuracy is crucial, like in the field of radioactivity," said Phong. "Wrongdoing in these kinds of fields would cause serious consequences and therefore should be covered in detail by the law."

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Uong Chu Luu also asked the drafting group to clarify regulations related to complaints and conflicts in the field.

Minister Phong agreed on the lack of human resources, especially skilled workers, in the field.

"The (measures and weights) sector’s infrastructure is very poor with a weak legal system and serious shortage of human resources, especially skilled ones," said Phong, explaining that investment by the Government in this field was limited./. -VNA