The meeting was chaired by Party Central Committee members: Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan; Chairman of the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Le Quang Huy; Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung; Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy said that the Ministry of Science and Technology has researched, explained, and fully absorbed the opinions exchanged and discussed at the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee and the Preliminary Review Report of the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment to complete the draft Law dossier.

In terms of structure, the draft Law consists of 8 chapters and 83 articles (12 articles less than the draft Law submitted to the Government for submission to the National Assembly Standing Committee - consisting of 8 chapters and 95 articles). Basically, the Ministry of Science and Technology has arranged a number of chapters and sections to match the content of the Law and to clarify the content of a number of articles. At the same time, the Ministry has reviewed the entire draft Law to ensure strict implementation of instructions on controlling power, preventing corruption and negativity in law-making work; thoroughly grasping solutions to innovate thinking in law-making.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has also completed financial regulations; institutionalized to the maximum the contents related to outstanding and specific preferential policies in science, technology and innovation; promoted the role of enterprises and the private sector. The regulations on finance and outstanding and specific incentives have been institutionalized in Chapter IV of the draft Law.

At the same time, the Ministry has proactively coordinated with ministries, branches, localities and enterprises to review difficulties, obstacles and bottlenecks of laws related to science, technology, innovation and digital transformation to propose mechanisms and policies to facilitate science, technology and innovation activities.

On that basis, the Ministry has proposed to amend relevant laws in the Implementation Provisions (Law on High Technology, Law on Technology Transfer, Law on Personal Income Tax, Law on Land, Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, Law on Press, Law on Intellectual Property).

Regarding the final research product, publicity and transparency, social criticism and accountability, the Ministry of Science and Technology has studied and absorbed in the draft Law the following contents: Having a set of output indicators to measure the effectiveness of research impact, not only relying on financial records, classifying scientific research tasks associated with the level of risk (especially breakthrough tasks), increasing the independence of the evaluation council, further enhancing financial transparency and public disclosure, increasing social criticism to create public supervision, limiting fraud, the situation of scientific research "putting in drawers", increasing the accountability of the head and the organization in charge of the research.

Referring to some contents that need to be discussed about the draft Law, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Nguyen Phuong Tuan said that the draft Law submitted to the National Assembly Standing Committee consists of 08 chapters and 95 articles (11 articles less than the draft Law submitted to the National Assembly Standing Committee).

The agency in charge of the review, the Standing Committee of the Law and Justice Committee, proposed to restructure the draft Law in a more logical direction, covering the most basic contents related to the field of science, technology and innovation; study the reasonable inheritance of the content of the 2013 Law on Science and Technology, and at the same time consider the name of the draft Law to ensure consistency with the name of the Law and the structure; ensure a harmonious balance between the fields, especially the provisions on science and technology and social sciences and humanities. It is recommended that the agency in charge of the drafting continue to review and implement in accordance with the policy of innovation in thinking in law-making, ensuring concise regulations, within the authority in the direction that issues under the authority of the National Assembly should be regulated, and issues that have been assigned to the Government or have been assigned to the Prime Minister should not be regulated in this draft Law.

Regarding preferential policies, investment and financial support for science, technology and innovation, the agency in charge of the review proposed to institutionalize Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on financial contents for science, technology and innovation to the maximum extent. The issue to note is how to ensure harmony between the level of openness in preferential policies, financial support for science, technology and innovation with state management activities to avoid abuse and profiteering of policies leading to waste and loss of public assets.

The Standing Committee of the Science, Technology and Environment Committee proposed that it is necessary to continue researching and institutionalizing the Party's policy on the role of enterprises and the private economy in the socialist-oriented market economy, in which the private economy is the leading driving force for growth and innovation.

At the meeting, delegates focused on exchanging views on preferential policies, investment and financial support for science, technology and innovation; the structure of the draft Law and the consistency of the provisions in the draft Law on Science, Technology and Innovation and related laws and drafts, preferential mechanisms for scientists, and attention to private enterprises...

Speaking at the working session, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung emphasized the importance of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation. This is a very important law because many countries have changed their economic growth mindset on the basis of science and technology development and digital transformation. This law basically has many issues, the key content meets the requirements but still needs to be carefully reviewed. The spirit of the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation is not to be perfectionist, institutionalize, and remove bottlenecks in science and technology in the past in accordance with the spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024 of the Politburo.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung affirmed that the law must serve the needs of society and socio-economic development, promote the development of science, technology and innovation; have a mechanism to attract scientists, talents and good experts at home and abroad. The draft law has new points in creating conditions for businesses to operate and removing difficulties for scientists, so the agency drafting the draft law needs to continue to study carefully to assign tasks, and act as a bridge connecting institutes and businesses in ordering, researching and accepting scientific topics and works.

Speaking at the working session, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan requested the Government to absorb and study the opinion of the Chairman of the National Assembly at the 44th Session of the National Assembly Standing Committee that it is necessary to amend the current Law on Science and Technology and should add the content of innovation into this Law. In addition, the agency drafting the Law project needs to thoroughly grasp the spirit of Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo, focus on supporting scientists, promoting the development of the country's science, overcoming the situation of plagiarism, plagiarism of scientific projects, removing difficulties for scientists in having to carry out administrative procedures, invoices, documents, etc.

According to Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Le Minh Hoan, the Law must promote science, technology and innovation at the local level, restructure public research organizations to use the budget effectively; remove difficulties so that scientists can make money from their research; and create conditions for private enterprises to develop. In addition, the Government also needs to clarify State management, explain to scientific research organizations and unlock resources for the development of science, technology and innovation.