As reported by the People's Army Electronic Newspaper, on the afternoon of November 28, the National Assembly discussed the draft Law on Defense Industry, Security and Industrial Mobilization. Speaking at the meeting, General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense, asked the National Assembly to support policies on developing defense industry, security and industrial mobilization.
On behalf of the Ministry of National Defense, the agency in charge of drafting the Law on Defense Industry, Security and Industrial Mobilization, General Phan Van Giang respectfully thanked the enthusiastic and responsible comments of the National Assembly deputies. "The Ministry of National Defense will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and the examining agencies to continue comprehensive research, maximally absorb the opinions of the National Assembly deputies; clarify the issues raised by the National Assembly deputies; propose the acceptance and revision of the draft law to create a complete legal corridor for the task of building and developing the defense industry, security and industrial mobilization to be proactive, self-reliant, self-reliant, dual-use, modern, closely linked with civilian industry, becoming the spearhead of national industry", said General Phan Van Giang.
General Phan Van Giang proposed that the National Assembly support the policy of developing defense and security industries and encouraging industry. Photo: TRONG HAI
At the meeting, National Assembly deputies expressed some opinions on the concepts mentioned in the draft law. General Phan Van Giang further explained the concepts that National Assembly deputies were interested in.
Regarding the concept of defense industrial complex, General Phan Van Giang gave a specific example: the Military Industry-Telecoms Group (Viettel) operates under a corporate model, but has begun to form a defense industrial complex. The provisions on defense industrial complexes in the draft law are to facilitate development, not to wait until there is a complex in practice before adding it to the law.
Regarding the relationship between defense and security industry and industrial mobilization and some policies for defense and security industry and industrial mobilization, General Phan Van Giang emphasized that the objects of industrial mobilization are enterprises outside the armed forces, also known as civilian industry - the industry that mainly serves socio-economic development.
To have a test, we need to prepare in advance from peacetime, carry out industrial mobilization right in peacetime so that when a situation arises, we can immediately deploy it. In fact, there is currently a system of industrial mobilization facilities.
In addition to ensuring industrial production, industrial mobilization facilities can repair and produce products that the defense industry can transfer, which are not highly confidential, can be assembled or individually, and cannot become a defense industry product.
Through consulting experiences in the world, especially from wars and armed conflicts, it is clear that there must be regulations and policies for industrial mobilization to prepare and implement right from peacetime. The draft law also sets out policies to expand the subjects, scope, stipulate conditions, methods, and mechanisms for mobilization, and stipulate that participation is the responsibility and obligation of civilian enterprises in national defense tasks. In particular, when the country is at war or in conflict, there must be mobilization to increase human resources, assets, and the ability to ensure self-sufficiency and readiness to perform one's tasks. To do so, there must be preferential policies.
Regarding the proposal of reducing land rent for enterprises mobilizing industry, General Phan Van Giang explained that there are factories and enterprises that only mobilize part of the production line, not the entire factory. Therefore, it will be very difficult to reduce land rent for the entire factory. However, the Drafting Committee will coordinate with the reviewing agency to carefully study this issue.
Need for specific mechanisms for defense and security industry and industrial mobilization
Explaining the specific mechanisms and policies of the defense and security industry and industrial mobilization, General Phan Van Giang mentioned the policy on science and technology activities. There are currently many laws regulating this issue, for example the Law on Science and Technology, the Law on Intellectual Property, the Law on High Technology, the Law on Bidding, etc., but it is very difficult to include regulations on science and technology activities in the defense and security industry in these laws. In fact, the implementation of science and technology activities in the defense industry has encountered many difficulties and obstacles in the past. Therefore, regulations on specific policies for science and technology activities in the defense and security industry are very necessary, including assigning the Government to issue a decree detailing this content.
The second specific mechanism and policy, according to General Phan Van Giang, is the policy of attracting high-quality human resources for the defense and security industry. National Assembly delegates mentioned a lot about the issue of recruiting, training, and promoting high-quality human resources and talents for the defense and security industry. General Phan Van Giang frankly admitted that there are still many difficulties in this work. The Government had to issue a separate decree for Viettel so that the group could attract human resources, have people and have the Military Industry-Telecoms Group as it is today.
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, General Phan Van Giang, Senior Lieutenant General Tran Quang Phuong and leaders of National Assembly agencies and the Ministry of National Defense at the meeting.
"Therefore, there must be policies on salary, bonus, housing, authority to assign scientific tasks, rewards, recognition, conferring scientific titles, and policies on the rear and military," said General Phan Van Giang.
Regarding the mechanism to ensure capital policy for defense industry development, General Phan Van Giang said that currently, the state budget is the main source and will always be like that, mobilizing social resources is not much, because it is very costly, and at the same time, the element of secrecy must be ensured.
In addition, the draft law also outlines a number of other specific policies, such as investment policies; policies for core defense industrial establishments, security industrial establishments; planning for construction and development of defense and security industries... which are also researched, developed and proposed in the draft law to overcome current shortcomings.
General Phan Van Giang reaffirmed that the drafting agency will closely coordinate with the agency in charge of reviewing and researching, carefully reviewing the opinions of National Assembly deputies, and perfecting the draft law; hoping that the National Assembly will support the policies proposed in the draft law to contribute to creating a legal corridor for the development of the defense industry, security industry, and industrial mobilization.
THUY LAM
