It is impossible to distort the policy of establishing the National Defense and Security Industry Fund.

It is impossible to distort the policy of establishing the National Defense and Security Industry Fund.

According to the provisions of the Law on National Defense Industry and Industrial Mobilization (NDI), the National Defense Industry Fund is a non-budgetary state financial fund, established at the central level, managed by the Government to support the implementation of urgent, new, high-risk tasks or research and manufacture of weapons, technical equipment of strategic significance, and special technical and professional means.

However, after the Law on the Defense Industry and the National Defense Forces was passed by the 7th Session of the 15th National Assembly, on some social networking sites, distorted and stereotyped arguments appeared, such as: "The Ministry of National Defense wants to establish the Defense Industry Fund to appropriate the national budget"; "This fund is a form of law evasion to exploit the long-term budget, calculated by the Army"... Reactionary subjects deliberately distorted the purpose and operating mechanism of the Defense Industry Fund with the argument: ""Secret" products are highly risky, no different from products that do not guarantee quality but still have to keep information confidential, meaning that this fund will manufacture "secret" products, people are not allowed to know the information, and if the product is not of good quality, it is a risk, people are not allowed to speak up"...

First of all, it must be clearly affirmed that the preparation of the Law on the National Defense Industry and the National Defense Fund (including the provisions on the establishment of the National Defense Industry Fund) was carried out very carefully and over a long period of time, ensuring methodicality, prudence, and promoting democracy on the basis of concretizing the viewpoints and guidelines of the Party and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in accordance with relevant laws and the practical situation of the country.

Since the beginning of 2022, Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of the Politburo on promoting the development of the defense industry until 2030 and the following years has determined: The defense industry is a special industry, which must be cared for, built and developed according to a special mechanism, given priority in investment, development and attaching importance to the development of scientific and technological resources, maximizing the achievements of the national industry to serve the defense industry.

At the end of March 2024, in the Program of the 5th Conference of full-time National Assembly Deputies, 15th National Assembly, when discussing the draft Law on National Defense Industry and Non-Profitable Units, the vast majority of delegates agreed to establish the National Defense Industry Fund to support the state budget for the development of the National Defense Industry; considering this a unique, outstanding solution and mechanism of strategic significance, especially in implementing urgent investment programs and projects, researching and manufacturing weapons, technical equipment of strategic significance, special technical means, and high-risk technical means.

Next, at the 7th Session of the 15th National Assembly (May 2024), when discussing the draft Law on the National Defense Industry and Non-Profit Units, once again, the majority of National Assembly deputies affirmed that the establishment of the National Defense Industry Fund is very necessary to ensure the requirements of building a proactive, self-reliant, self-reliant, dual-use, and modern national defense industry.

Reality over the past years has shown that the military industry is a highly specialized field; directly related to the combat capability and fighting strength of the armed forces. To meet the requirements of strengthening the military potential and protecting the Fatherland, there must be mechanisms to mobilize resources for the development of the military industry, especially urgent tasks or research and manufacture of new, high-tech, high-risk products. Meanwhile, our military budget in recent times has mainly been used to invest in purchasing and upgrading weapons, technical equipment, and professional technical means. The budget allocation for research and testing activities has not been regular and has not met practical requirements.

Faced with the strong development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4.0), in order to quickly access advanced science and technology in the world, and approach countries with developed defense industry, the establishment of the Defense Industry Fund will help reduce the "burden" on the state budget, increase initiative and flexibility in resource allocation, so that experts and scientists can focus on research, development, and production of new, high-tech products to serve the defense industry, meeting the increasingly high demands and requirements of the cause of national construction and defense.

In particular, at the discussion session on May 30, 2024 of the 7th Session of the 15th National Assembly, General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense shared: If we use the budget according to the process of using the state budget, there will be cases that do not meet the timeliness of military and defense tasks and the level of confidentiality is also much more limited. Experience in the world shows that countries with developed defense industries all build financial funds to serve the defense industry with many different names and forms.

On the other hand, Article 22 of the Law on National Defense Industry and Non-Governmental Organizations clearly stipulates the establishment, management and use of the National Defense Industry Fund by the Government. At the same time, the contents of the sources of formation of this fund are regulated by the Law on National Defense Industry and Non-Governmental Organizations very specifically, clearly and feasiblely, especially the deduction from after-tax profits as prescribed in Point a, Clause 4, Article 21; voluntary contributions from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals; other legal financial sources as prescribed by law. The operating principles of the National Defense Industry Fund are also clearly stipulated: Not for profit; managed and used for the right purposes, in accordance with the law, promptly and effectively; supported the implementation of urgent, new, high-risk tasks or research and manufacture of weapons, technical equipment of strategic significance, and special technical means. This is the legal basis to ensure that the mobilization and use of the QPAN Industrial Fund is carried out for the right purpose, publicly and transparently. There is absolutely no such thing as "people are not allowed to speak up" as hostile forces are deliberately distorting and falsifying.

Thus, it can be seen that the establishment of the National Defense Industry Fund is very necessary to support the implementation of urgent tasks or research and development of National Defense products. This Fund is an important resource to promote the construction of a proactive, self-reliant, self-reliant, dual-use, modern National Defense industry; contributing to the successful implementation of the goals set by the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, Resolution of the 8th Central Committee (13th tenure) on the National Defense Strategy in the new situation and Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of the 13th Politburo, meeting the requirements of the task of protecting the Fatherland early, from afar, and defending the country when the country is not yet in danger.

Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. TA QUANG DAO, Department of Military Science, School of Political Officers

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