The 14th National Party Congress set clear development goals for 2030, with a vision to 2045, emphasizing the need to renew development thinking, unlock resources, and maximize the strength of national unity.
Building a modern, feasible, and development-oriented legislative system
According to Mr. To Lam, the National Assembly embodies the will and aspirations of the people, exercises the people’s right to mastery, and decides on the nation’s major issues. It is also where the Party’s guidelines are translated into laws and policies. Each deputy must be aware that they carry the trust of voters and responsibility for the nation’s and the future of coming generations. From this perspective, the Party General Secretary urged the 16th National Assembly to focus on four key tasks, beginning with legislative work.
Mr. Lam said: First, the legislature must fundamentally reform lawmaking to build a modern, unified, stable, feasible, and development-enabling legal system. It should further enhance its capacity to institutionalize Party resolutions into concrete policies and laws, creating a solid legal framework for socio-economic development. The legal system must become a true institutional foundation for growth, protecting human and citizens’ rights, fostering innovation, unlocking productive forces, and opening up new development space.
Party leader To Lam suggested that the National Assembly conduct a comprehensive review of the legal system, refine its overall structure, and ensure that laws are practical and enforceable and easy for citizens to understand, businesses to comply with, and state agencies to implement.
"In particular, legislative thinking must shift toward a development-oriented approach. Laws should not only regulate what already exists, but also pave the way for what is new, shaping the future, not just adjusting the present. They must both “open the road” and “fix the road.” For emerging issues, new sectors, models, productive forces, and appropriate approaches are needed, including bold, controlled pilot mechanisms to create space for innovation and enhance national competitiveness. The mindset must shift decisively from making laws for completeness to making laws for development, from laws that look good on paper to laws that work effectively in practice. Implementation outcomes and the satisfaction of citizens and businesses must be the ultimate measure of legislative quality," said the Party leader.
Elevating supreme oversight to be more substantive and incisive
General Secretary To Lam also called for strengthening the National Assembly’s supreme oversight to be more substantive, sharp, and accountable. Oversight must be a tool to enhance the effectiveness of national governance, correct shortcomings, improve performance, remove bottlenecks, provide early risk warnings, and drive action.
In other words, oversight should identify problems early and follow through to the question of whether the issue has been resolved, he noted.
He said: "The legislature needs to focus its oversight on major issues, key sectors, critical bottlenecks, and pressing concerns of voters, especially the implementation of major Party policies, law enforcement, the use of national resources, public asset management, thrift practices, anti-wastefulness efforts, and accountability of state agencies."
According to the Party chief, the 16th National Assembly must demonstrate greater political resolve and strategic vision in making decisions on critical national issues. Decisions must be accurate, timely, and aligned with the country’s long-term interests.
"Matters related to socio-economic development, the state budget, public investment, national target programs, and major national projects all involve long-term national interests. They must be considered comprehensively, scientifically, and prudently while ensuring that delays do not become bottlenecks to development," said Party General Secretary To Lam.
He stressed: "Each decision must be viewed within the broader national development strategy, in the context of rapidly changing global dynamics, and in line with requirements for independence, self-reliance, security, safety, and sustainable development. The National Assembly makes decisions for the present, but bears responsibility for the future, reflecting its political mettle, strategic vision, legislative intellect, and the depth of the highest state authority."
General Secretary Lam also called for continued reform in the organization and operation of the National Assembly toward greater professionalism, modernity, closer engagement with the people, stronger alignment with reality, and faster policy responsiveness.
As the 16th National Assembly begins its term with immense responsibilities, the Party leader expressed confidence that, amid a historic opportunity for the nation, it will successfully fulfill the tasks entrusted to it by the Party, the State, and the people and contribute to realizing their aspiration for a peaceful, independent, democratic, prosperous, civilized, and happy Vietnam advancing steadily toward socialism.
