Vietnam: Parliament debated new law on telecoms based on socialist market-oriented economy

[VN Agency] The National Assembly yesterday looked into draft laws on the military and telecommunications.

Deputies were told that the new laws would strengthen State management in these sectors and were necessary to the country’s integration into the world economy.

The Defence Minister, Phung Quang Thanh, told lawmakers that since the start of the implementation of the Militiamen and Self Defence Forces Ordinance 12 years ago, its many limitations had been exposed, particularly in building up marine defence forces.

Current policies were also not in accordance with the socialist market-oriented economy, Thanh said.

"If we organise the forces... we can have social fairness," he said. "By doing so, we will not overlook a large number of labourers in non-State enterprises who can do their duty as militiamen and in the self-defence forces."

Under the draft law, foreign organisations and individuals legally residing and working in Viet Nam will have to take part in the national defence activities.

Competition

The Minister of Information and Communications, Le Doan Hop, said the 2002 Post and Telecommunications Ordinance no longer conformed with current development plans for the country since Viet Nam’s membership of the World Trade Organisation.

The draft law would open up the local telecommunications market boosting competition and improving efficiency, deputies heard.

Hop said the ordinance had allowed only State-owned enterprises to set up network infrastructure and provide telecommunications services.

Hop said Viet Nam desperately needed huge investment in developing a national telecommunications network.

He said large numbers of people living in remote and island areas did not have access to telecommunications services, which he said the draft law addressed.

The regulation would also set up a telecoms management office. The Prime Minister would be given the authority to decide on the function, duty, power and organisation of the office, which would be set up by the State but function independently.

Head of the NA Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Dang Vu Minh said growing closeness between the telecommunications and IT sectors necessitated a new approach to the industry.

The NA heard that there were now fewer wireless frequencies available, which therefore required better management and efficiency. The State will allow wireless frequency rights be auctioned.

The draft also states that individuals and organisations would be able to pass on their rights to wireless frequencies to others.

The Ministry of Information and Communications would act as advisor and State manager of the wireless frequencies industry.

Minh said countries with developed and diversified wireless frequency services such as the US and Britain had issued new laws on wireless frequencies.

Laws to strengthen control of military, telecommunications