Implementation of the 2026 socio-economic development plan and the proposed plan for 2027 were among the main issues discussed by National Assembly deputies during group discussions on the morning of October 18, as part of the second session of the 16th legislature.
National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man highlighted socio-economic development achievements in the first nine months of 2026. GDP growth reached 9.01%, the highest level in 15 years.
Positive results were also recorded in the economy, culture, social affairs, national defence and security, political system building and external relations.
At the same time, Tran Thanh Man called for an honest assessment of existing difficulties and shortcomings. He said deputies should offer practical solutions to help meet the 2026 socio-economic targets and create a breakthrough in 2027.
Regarding measures for the coming period, the National Assembly president said macroeconomic stability was a prerequisite for growth. He also called for more effective mobilisation and use of resources, particularly investment capital, and improved disbursement performance.
He said the intensive growth model should be reformed in 2027, with priority given to strategic infrastructure, energy security, science and technology, innovation and digital transformation.
He also called for continued institutional improvement and more effective implementation. The priorities included removing bottlenecks in land-related issues, accelerating administrative reform, improving the business environment and strengthening the capacity to implement policies and laws.
Other priorities included human development and social welfare, better education quality, addressing shortages of schools and textbooks, developing healthcare and social housing, implementing poverty reduction policies effectively, protecting the environment and adapting to climate change.
On priorities for 2027, the National Assembly president said public investment management should be reformed. Funding should be linked to work results, with capital flexibly reallocated to agencies and localities with stronger implementation records.
He also called for decisive efforts to ensure that the Vietnam International Financial Centre campuses in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang become fully operational and deliver tangible progress in implementing policies approved by the National Assembly.
To improve implementation, he said administrative discipline and order should be tightened. From 2027, officials' performance should be assessed by actual work results measured through key performance indicators.
In science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, the National Assembly president called for a decisive shift towards tangible products and results, with clearly defined outputs for each agency and unit. He also highlighted the need to develop domestic industrial ecosystems and the marine economy.
Regarding economic management, he urged policymakers to assess the lagged effects of economic fluctuations in 2026 in order to develop more proactive and flexible management scenarios for 2027.
During the group discussions, deputies raised issues concerning growth quality, science and technology development, digital transformation and official performance assessment.
Deputy Nguyen Ngoc Son from Hai Phong called for clarification of the reasons for differences in public investment disbursement among ministries, central agencies and localities so that appropriate measures could be introduced.
He said disbursement should be assessed against completed workloads and called for stronger controls over construction quality, particularly when investment disbursement is accelerated towards the end of the year.
Deputy Nguyen Thi Mai Thoa, also from Hai Phong, said stricter requirements were needed for data connectivity and sharing across the system from the design stage. This was particularly important for macro-level management and the delegation of data governance to local authorities.
She said existing shortcomings should be addressed promptly to improve management and oversight, while saving manpower, time and costs needed for socio-economic development.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
