NA discusses state budget addition, foreign non-refundable aid

A view of the National Assembly’s 9th session. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee discussed the state budget addition and foreign non-refundable aid in 2020 and 2021, during the 9th session on Tuesday.

Reports said that the aid of VNĐ1.4 trillion (US$61.3 million), which was an arising amount in 2020, had been received by central agencies but had not yet been assigned an estimate.

The Government requested the NA Standing Committee to supplement the estimate of central budget revenues and expenditures from foreign aid and allocate details of the revenue increase in 2020.

Chairman of the NA’s Committee for Finance and Budget Nguyễn Phú Cường, who is representative of the verifying agency, said that the receipt and use of non-refundable aid was necessary and reasonable. It could not wait for a new estimate to be received and implemented.

Therefore, the Committee of Finance and Budget proposed to add to the estimate of state budget revenues and expenditures to ensure sufficient legal grounds for implementation, accounting and finalisation of the state budget in 2021, based on Article 8 of the Law on State Budget.

Regarding the authority to decide on additional estimates, the Government determined that this was under the decision-making of the NA Standing Committee.

But most opinions in the Committee for Finance and Budget said that, to ensure the right decision-making authority, the Government should submit to the NA for consideration and decision to supplement the revenue estimate for the aid.

Clause 4, Article 19 of the Law on State Budget stipulates that the NA has the authority to decide on the annual state budget estimate. Therefore, only the NA has the authority to decide to supplement the amounts not available in the estimate.

Members of the NA Standing Committee suggested the Government closely manage non-refundable aid, prevent losses and waste, and determine the responsibilities of ministries and localities in receiving aid, learn from experience in the slow allocation of estimates assigned by the NA.

Many comments noted that the Government must have unanimous data with the State Audit, including the recently incurred amounts related to foreign aid for COVID-19 prevention and control.

They requested the Government to continue studying and perfecting legal documents, strengthen inspection on grant aid to ensure efficiency, publicity and transparency.

In conclusion, NA Deputy Chairman Nguyễn Đức Hải emphasised that regarding the addition of VNĐ1.4 trillion (US$61.3 million) to the state budget estimate in 2020, the Government needed to review the data and work with the State Audit of Việt Nam to complete the dossier to submit to the NA.

Submission must be before the 4th session of the 15th NA in October this year.