National Assembly Deputy Chairman Nguyen Duc Kien.

The slow progress of State-financed construction projects was responsible for much waste, he told the sixth meeting of parliament’s Economic Committee in northern Hai Duong Province.

Investment in capital construction was crucial to social progress, he said, while supporting the proposed changes to 11 clauses to laws that include the Construction, Investment and Corporate Income Tax Laws.

The changes are embodied in a draft legislation titled, A draft law for revision of laws related to investment in capital construction.

The deputy chairman asked the committee to focus on the decentralisation of responsibility for all types of investment; the right of investors to choose the form of bidding for projects; compensation for site clearance and preferential taxes.

But Viet Nam Small andMedium sized-Enterprises Association chairman Cao Sy Kiem said he was undecided as to whether the proposed changes would solve the problems.

He also suggested the committee might be acting in too much haste to have the draft law ready for approval at the National Assembly’s first plenary session for the year in May.

More time was needed to discuss and clarify the issues, he said.

HCM City delegation representative Tran Du Lich asked members writing the law to focus on issues that relate directly to reality and avoid creating contradictions among the various laws.

Economic Committee deputy director Nguyen Van Phuc said common issue should be the focus of the drafting to avoid duplication.

The draft law should be divided into various categories so that it was easier for enterprises to access, he said.

It should also be submitted to the assembly’s next sitting.

Federation of Civil Engineering Associations chairman Tran Ngoc Hung complained that the regulations for both selecting contractors and protecting domestic contractors in any bidding were not clear.

VietNamNet/VNS