Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a meeting to give comments on the draft Law on Planning (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized that revisions to the Planning Law must address existing shortcomings in the Urban and Rural Planning Law and clearly define the responsibilities of the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, and the Government in formulating and approving national and regional plans to set strategic directions. At the same time, it should decentralize the authority to sectors and provinces to implement planning on the principle that these plans must align with the overarching national and regional strategies.

He said the decentralization should aim to optimize national and regional plans while enabling localities, ministries, and sectors to fully leverage their resources.