Building a team of qualified staff for tasks related to land, resources and minerals

On behalf of the Government, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged, highly appreciated and commended the efforts and important results achieved by the collective leadership, cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers of the Natural Resources and Environment sector over the past year.

Reviewing the country's achievements in 2023, the Prime Minister emphasized that the overall results of the country have important contributions from the Natural Resources and Environment sector. With spirit, responsibility, and high determination, the sector has overcome difficulties and challenges, promptly and effectively handled arising issues and problems to complete the tasks and plans for 2023.

Highly agreeing with the report of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Prime Minister affirmed that the results of the direction and administration of the Ministry in general and the Minister in particular in leading and directing the whole industry have basically been well completed.

In the work of perfecting institutions, policies, laws, the process of building, collecting opinions, and propagating the draft Land Law (amended), the industry has organized well the collection of public opinions. This has truly become a vibrant political event with more than 12 million comments.

The Law on Water Resources (amended) recently passed by the National Assembly at the 6th Session of the 15th tenure marks a huge step forward in thinking, approach, and change in water resources management methods, ensuring that water resources are managed as public assets owned by the entire people, with the State representing the owner and uniformly managing them.

Regarding planning, the Ministry has proactively and urgently implemented the development and submission for approval of all 8 national-level plans; in which, the development of the National Marine Spatial Plan is a difficult and complicated task, implemented for the first time in our country. This plan is of great significance, creating the basis for rapid and sustainable development of the marine economy, ensuring national defense and security, maintaining national sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction at sea; protecting the environment, conserving biodiversity, cultural values, gradually making Vietnam a strong maritime nation, rich from the sea.

Resource management has achieved many important results. The whole industry has proactively implemented solutions to ensure input factors for the economy, such as: land, water resources, information, hydrometeorological data to serve production and business, and develop the country's strategic infrastructure. The implementation of environmental protection policies and laws continues to improve in efficiency and effectiveness. The responsibility of authorities at all levels, businesses, investors and people's awareness of environmental issues is increasingly enhanced.

The Prime Minister assessed that the implementation of policies and solutions for green transformation, emission reduction, and proactive response to climate change also achieved important results. Digital transformation and database building in the Natural Resources and Environment sector have received investment attention from the Ministry and localities, contributing to improving the effectiveness of state management, providing public services, and resolving administrative procedures for people and businesses.

The Prime Minister stated that, in addition to the achieved results, the Natural Resources and Environment sector still has limitations in implementing its tasks. Therefore, the entire sector must not be subjective, negligent, complacent, or lose vigilance under any circumstances; must always be calm, clear-headed, and frankly acknowledge the shortcomings, limitations, and challenges in resolving emerging issues in resource management, environmental protection, and climate change response.

Basically agreeing with the key tasks of the sector in 2024, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to thoroughly grasp and seriously and effectively implement the Resolutions and Conclusions of the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government on the main tasks and solutions for socio-economic development in 2024; attach importance to and do well the work of Party building, organization and personnel work, strictly implement the Resolutions of the Central Executive Committee on building a clean and strong Party; build a streamlined apparatus, operating effectively and efficiently in the spirit of Resolutions No. 18-NQ/TW and No. 19-NQ-TW of the Central Committee.

The Ministry needs to promote administrative, public service and civil servant reforms; strengthen training and build a team of cadres and civil servants with good moral qualities, working capacity, sense of responsibility and professionalism; and strictly implement administrative discipline and order.

“I pay special attention to improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party organization and Party members, building a contingent of cadres with sufficient qualities, abilities and prestige, on par with the difficult and complicated tasks related to land, resources and minerals in the current situation; considering this a decisive factor for the development of our industry; contributing to the rapid and sustainable development of the country," the Prime Minister stated.

In the work of building and perfecting institutions and legal policies, the Prime Minister suggested that it is necessary to immediately resolve all difficulties with the draft revised Land Law, and move towards passing this Law at the nearest National Assembly session. In addition, the Law on Water Resources needs to be developed into Government Decrees and Circulars of the Ministry to quickly come into effect. The Law on Geology and Minerals needs to be accelerated in the process of being developed and submitted to the National Assembly in 2024. The process of implementing tasks needs to have specific and clear decentralization and delegation of authority, avoiding overlap; eliminating cumbersome and unnecessary administrative procedures that cause trouble for people, create a negative and harassing environment, and hinder development.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also requested the Ministry to focus on digital transformation, develop digital resources, and strive to put the land information system into operation in 2025 to meet the schedule and requirements in Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW and Resolution No. 39/2021/QH15 of the National Assembly. The Natural Resources and Environment sector focuses on digital transformation, green transformation, and circular economic development; focuses on building institutions, training human resources, and mobilizing resources to implement land, environmental, and mineral databases connected to the population database of the Ministry of Public Security; promotes the development of the marine economy, focuses on planning to ensure land funds for development, and reviews and prioritizes land funds for planning the development of coastal economic and industrial centers.

The Ministry focuses on investigating and assessing water resources, forecasting challenges to propose strategic solutions to ensure water security; increasing water storage capacity in areas frequently affected by drought in the context of rapidly increasing demand for water for daily life and production; continuing to effectively organize the implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020; strengthening inspection, examination and strict handling of establishments and acts violating environmental laws.

At the same time, diversify and attract investment in developing environmental infrastructure, treating and recycling waste and wastewater with modern, environmentally friendly technology; deploy green credit, issue green bonds; pilot research on circular, low-emission models to gradually replicate them nationwide; modernize and increase the density of hydrometeorological networks, radar stations, and monitoring networks, and improve forecast quality.

At the same time, the Ministry will deploy an action plan to implement political commitments with partners on supporting a fair energy transition, developing ecosystem-based economic sectors and implementing adaptation models, enhancing resilience, minimizing losses and damages caused by climate change; in which there should be specific projects, programs, and support mechanisms for businesses to effectively use this support source. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh believes that with the tradition of innovation, creativity, and high determination at both the central and local levels, the Natural Resources and Environment sector will successfully achieve the set goals.

Expressing his gratitude to the Prime Minister for attending and directing the Conference, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh said that these contents will be specified into tasks in the industry's 2024 work program and plan, meeting the requirements set by the Government and the Prime Minister.