The draft Law on Defense Industry (DIC), Security (SOC) and Industrial Mobilization (IIC) was submitted to the National Assembly at the 6th Session, and was highly appreciated by National Assembly deputies for its preparation work. Major General Pham Thanh Khiet, Deputy Director of the General Department of Defense Industry, Standing Member of the Steering Committee, Head of the Research Team for the Development of the Law on Defense Industry, Security and IIC, spoke with reporters of the People's Army Newspaper about the urgency and content of this draft law.
Reporter (PV): How do National Assembly deputies comment on the need to promulgate the Law on National Defense, Security and Public Security, sir?
Major General Pham Thanh Khiet: In the meetings of the National Assembly Standing Committee giving opinions on the draft law, the review opinions of the National Defense and Security Committee; especially, on November 8, the discussion opinions at 19 groups at the 6th Session of the 15th National Assembly all assessed that the draft law dossier was carefully and meticulously prepared.
According to the delegates, the promulgation of the Law on Defense Industry, Security and Non-Profitable Units is necessary to institutionalize the Party and State's policies and guidelines on the development of defense industry, security and non-profitable units; enhance the legality and regulations on defense industry, security and non-profitable units; ensure the unity and synchronization of the legal system; overcome the limitations and shortcomings after 15 years of implementing the Defense Industry Ordinance and 20 years of implementing the Defense Industry Ordinance. In addition, based on the reality of recent wars and military conflicts in the world, especially the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it is increasingly necessary to build a self-reliant defense industry and security to meet the requirements of the task of protecting the Fatherland in the new situation.
We know that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has greatly affected the global supply chain of military and defense goods; the defense industry and factors ensuring the production of weapons and technical equipment (VKTBKT) are among the areas subject to embargoes, blockades, and sanctions... Therefore, it is very necessary to build a self-reliant, self-reliant defense and security industry, prepare military personnel from peacetime, meet needs when situations arise, and avoid dependence on foreign aid sources. In particular, with our country's "4 no's" defense foreign policy, building a self-reliant defense and security industry (CNAN) is extremely important and urgent.
The law-making also creates a legal corridor to build the potential of the defense industry, security and public security forces in a dual-use, modern direction, contributing to strengthening the potential of national defense and security, creating a solid premise to strive by 2030 to build a revolutionary, disciplined, elite and modern People's Army and People's Public Security; thereby proactively protecting the Fatherland early and from afar and preventing war, while being ready to respond successfully in all situations.
PV: Could you please tell us the purpose of building the Law on National Defense, Security and Public Security?
Major General Pham Thanh Khiet: The purpose of the law is to create a legal corridor for the development of the defense industry, security and the effective implementation of the tasks of the Party. Specifically: Perfecting mechanisms and policies to meet the needs of building and developing the defense industry, security and the Party in the short and long term, including ensuring specific mechanisms and policies to build a self-reliant, self-reliant, dual-use and modern defense industry, security and the Party; that is, investment resources for the defense industry, security and the Party; researching and developing technical equipment and means, high-tech professional techniques and dual-use technologies; attracting and encouraging talents to serve the building and development of the defense industry, security; implementing investment projects, researching and developing key products; ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of core defense industry establishments, security establishments and the Party.
Promote the role, functions and tasks of the defense industry, the security industry and the service units in ensuring technical equipment and professional means for the armed forces; organize innovation and arrange the system of defense industry and security facilities in accordance with the characteristics of the defense industry, the security industry and the service units and in conjunction with the combat methods of the Army and the tasks of the Public Security, meeting the requirements of the market economy and global integration; ensure concentration, unity, effectiveness and efficiency of state management. On the other hand, mobilize economic sectors and enterprises outside the armed forces with financial and scientific-technological potential to participate in investing in the development of the defense industry and the security industry and perform the tasks of the service units, participate in the production and repair of technical equipment and professional means; promote international cooperation and integration.
In addition, law-making also contributes to realizing the task of perfecting and synchronously implementing the legal system, one of the six key tasks identified by the 13th National Party Congress Resolution.
PV: How is the consistency and compatibility between the Law on National Defense, Security and Civil Aviation with other legal documents ensured?
Major General Pham Thanh Khiet: During the law-making process, the drafting agency reviewed current legal documents and international treaties to which Vietnam is a member, with a total of about 150 relevant legal documents. In the coming time, when completing the draft law according to the opinions of National Assembly deputies, the drafting agency will continue to review the bills that are being amended, supplemented or newly issued to identify inappropriate, contradictory, overlapping contents and propose solutions to ensure feasibility and consistency in the legal system.
National Assembly delegates visit Factory Z115 (General Department of Defense Industry), October 2023. Photo: SON BINH
Along with that, during the law-making process, ministries, branches and functional agencies of the National Assembly will closely coordinate with the drafting agency to revise legislative techniques to resolve issues of specific mechanisms and policies for the military, public security and non-business units in the draft law, avoiding conflicts and overlaps with relevant legal provisions.
Reporter: How does the draft law regulate the issue of "socialization" in the development of defense industry and security, comrade?
Major General Pham Thanh Khiet: In the field of defense industry and security, the issue of "socialization" is understood as mobilizing businesses, organizations, and individuals in various fields to participate in defense industry and security activities.
This is one of the key policies of the draft law and is specified through regulations on the principles of maximizing the mobilization of national industrial resources to serve the defense industry and security; regulations on areas mobilizing the participation of civilian industry, criteria and conditions for enterprises, organizations and individuals when participating in defense industry and security activities; incentive and preferential policies when civilian industry participates in the development of defense industry and security, especially in science and technology activities; regulations on forms of cooperation between core defense industry establishments and civilian industry establishments, in which joint ventures and associations are encouraged.
The draft law has comprehensively regulated the content and form of mobilizing civilian industrial establishments to participate in the development of defense industry and security.
PV: Regarding the issue of DVCN, could you please give us more details?
Major General Pham Thanh Khiet: The mobilization of a part or all of the capacity of enterprises outside the armed forces of all economic sectors to produce, repair, improve, modernize, increase the life of technical equipment and materials, and produce technical supplies for the Army. The draft law has devoted a chapter to regulating the preparation and practice of the mobilization of a part, in which it is determined that the mobilization of a part must be built and prepared in peacetime and practiced when there is a mobilization order. The tasks of the part are only related to national defense situations.
The new points of the public service in the draft law focus on 4 issues: (1) Expanding the scope of public service subjects to ensure maximum mobilization of national resources for national defense. (2) Perfecting the method of implementing public service by adding the form of ordering and bidding. (3) Clearly defining the responsibilities of the Government, ministries, branches and localities to improve management efficiency in performing public service tasks. (4) Stipulating mechanisms and policies for enterprises participating in public service in accordance with the socio-economic development conditions of the country, ensuring the unity and synchronization of the legal system.
PV: Can you share about mastering basic technology and core technology to serve the development of our country's defense industry?
Major General Pham Thanh Khiet: It can be said that the Vietnamese defense industry has made significant progress. We have mastered the basic technology and core technology in the production of infantry weapons, ensuring sufficient weapons to equip a full infantry division. However, for strategic weapons and equipment, our defense industry is currently only at the beginning, gradually moving towards mastering the basic technology and core technology.
With the attention of the Party, the State and the current capacity of the scientific staff, defense industry enterprises are gradually mastering production technology, inventing advanced, modern products with high scientific and technological content. With the mechanisms and policies for investing in key projects, attracting talents, leading experts, scientists, and chief engineers for defense industry and defense industry as stipulated in the draft law, it is hoped that when the law comes into effect, it will attract resources and high-quality human resources at home and abroad to participate in research, invest in modern research and production facilities towards mastering the basic technology and core technology of weapons and modern strategic equipment, catching up with the level of science and technology of weapons of developed countries in the world.
PV: Thank you very much, comrade!
PAINTING (performed)
