Issue many specific mechanisms and policies

In the period from 2021-2023, the implementation of National Target Programs, including National Target Program 1719, has revealed many difficulties and problems, and the disbursement speed of the program is slow.

Grasping the difficulties and obstacles at the grassroots level through the mid-term supervision activities of the National Assembly; as well as through the inspection and examination activities of the Government and the monitoring of ministries, branches and localities, at the Session on January 18, 2024, the 15th National Assembly passed a Resolution on a number of specific mechanisms and policies to implement national target programs.

Accordingly, the National Assembly resolved 8 specific mechanisms and policies in implementing national target programs, including: On the allocation and assignment of annual central budget regular expenditure estimates; On the adjustment of state budget estimates, adjustment of annual state budget capital investment plans; On the promulgation of regulations on procedures, criteria, and sample dossiers for selecting production development projects; On the use of state budget in cases where project owners are assigned to purchase goods and services to implement production development projects; On the management and use of assets formed in production development support projects; On the entrustment of local budget capital through the Social Policy Bank system; On the pilot mechanism for decentralization to the district level in the management and organization of implementation of national target programs for the 2024-2025 period; On the assignment of medium-term public investment plans and annual capital investment for small-scale construction investment projects with uncomplicated techniques. 

With these special mechanisms, National Assembly Deputies, many local officials and voters believe that they will remove difficulties and obstacles, contributing significantly to speeding up the implementation of programs.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc Luan, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Yen Bai province, the decision of the People's Council at the district level to adjust the allocation plan of public investment capital and regular budget among the National Target Programs... will create flexibility and initiative for localities in balancing and using resources to serve socio-economic development tasks.

Many localities are confused in applying specific mechanisms and policies.

According to the report of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities in the first 6 months of 2024, implementing Resolution No. 111/2024/QH15 dated January 18, 2024 of the National Assembly on a number of specific mechanisms and policies to implement the National Target Programs, only 08 provinces, namely Dak Nong, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son, Tra Vinh, Yen Bai, have issued Resolutions selecting 21 pilot districts to decentralize management and organize the implementation of the National Target Programs for the period 2024-2025; 08 provinces have arranged local budgets entrusted through local branches of the Bank for Social Policies to lend to policy beneficiaries.

Nationwide, 23 localities have issued executive documents on the allocation and assignment of annual regular state budget expenditure estimates, adjustment of state budget estimates, adjustment of annual state budget capital investment plans, procedures for transferring capital plans from previous years to 2024; submitting to competent authorities for decision on adjusting state budget estimates to organize the implementation of national target programs; promulgating regulations on procedures, criteria, sample dossiers for selecting production development projects and other contents in Resolution No. 111/2024/QH15.

However, in the process of implementing the specific mechanisms and policies stipulated in Resolution No. 111/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly, some localities are still confused. According to Document No. 13825/BTC-DT dated December 14, 2023, the Ministry of Finance requested localities, ministries and central agencies to "extend the implementation period to 2023 for the central budget capital plan of national target programs in 2022. It is recommended that the implementation period and capital disbursement be extended only for projects with capital plans allocated in accordance with the provisions of the law on public investment and the state budget; it is not allowed to adjust the capital plan and budget from November 15, 2022 for the capital plan in 2022".

According to Mr. Vo Phien, Vice Chairman of Quang Ngai Provincial People's Committee, Resolution No. 111/2024/QH15 does not stipulate the adjustment of the medium-term plan to implement the National Target Programs for the period 2021-2025; therefore, when adjusting the annual capital plan from component projects that no longer have support objects; or are not eligible for disbursement according to regulations or have a low disbursement rate to supplement the implementation of other component projects in the same National Target Program, it will exceed the total approved medium-term investment level, so it cannot be adjusted.

According to the report of the Ministry of Finance, the progress of disbursement of investment capital for National Target Programs estimated to be implemented in the first 6 months of the year is showing many positive changes. The accumulated disbursement of National Target Program capital by the end of May 2024 is 6,893.9 billion VND, reaching 25.33% of the plan assigned by the Prime Minister. Of which, National Target Program 1719 is 3,428 billion VND, reaching 25%.

However, up to the end of May, there were 6 localities that achieved the disbursement rate of National Target Programs, including National Target Program 1719, below 10%, namely: Ca Mau (0%), Binh Phuoc (2%), Hoa Binh (3%), Nam Dinh (5%), Ha Tinh (7%), Phu Yen (9%). 12 localities that have not yet allocated all the capital plan assigned by the Prime Minister include: Phu Tho, Bac Giang, Lai Chau, Thai Binh, Quang Nam, Binh Thuan, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Lam Dong, Binh Phuoc, Soc Trang.

In fact, many specific mechanisms and policies have been issued to remove difficulties and obstacles in implementing the National Target Program 1719. Notably, each province will select 2 districts to pilot decentralization, with the content of decentralization being quite thorough when transferring the authority of the Provincial People's Council to the District People's Council for implementation.

This is a "very open" mechanism, with localities being given the right to take the initiative, helping to shorten many steps, procedures and time. However, after the Resolution was issued, localities were confused when implementing it.

On the other hand, when applying the provisions of the Bidding Law No. 22/2023/QH15, which will take effect in 2024, localities are still confused. The procurement packages of materials and supplies must be bid on the national bidding system, so it takes more time, while the prices of construction materials fluctuate a lot, so projects have to adjust their estimates, affecting the construction progress and the capital disbursement progress. That is also one of the reasons leading to slow disbursement progress for implementing projects of the Program.