Vietnam's National Assembly Standing Committee asked the Ministry of Education and Training to identify those responsible for the textbook shortage and publish the results so voters can monitor them.
On October 17, Le Thi Nga, chairwoman of the Committee on Voter Affairs and Supervision, said voters in Ho Chi Minh City had asked the ministry to ensure timely textbook supplies and prevent shortages in the 2026–2027 school year.
Monitoring found that the ministry had asked provinces and cities to work with publishers and distributors to supply textbooks fully and on time. Shortages nevertheless continued in many localities after the school year began, the first year using one unified textbook set.
The committee urged the ministry to establish responsibility, publish the results, supply the remaining textbooks and prevent a repeat.
Tuyen Quang voters reported different monthly meal-support payments for children in the same kindergarten class: VND360,000 and VND160,000. Under Decree 277, children aged 3 to 5 receive VND360,000, while children over 5 receive VND160,000 under Decree 105. The ministry said it would submit amendments raising the lower payment to VND360,000.
Committee urges faster rollout of new electricity tariffs
Voters also raised concerns about electricity-price transparency and its effect on poor and low-income households. They asked for the new household tariff structure under Decision No. 14 to be applied soon.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade reported a move from six tariff tiers to five, with the first tier raised to 100 kWh. The committee said the ministry had not explained the impact on different households or given a start date.
Decision No. 14 was issued in May 2025, but the five-tier structure is still not applied. The ministry is preparing amendments for submission to the prime minister in October, and the committee demanded a clear implementation date.
Sources: Thanh Niên
