A vote was taken on the resolution after
discussing the Government’s proposal to shore up rice reserves.
    |
 |
A rice warehouse of Thoai Son Food Ltd. Company in An Giang province. Photo: VNS
|
In the morning session, the deputies heard
a Government report on the proposal delivered by Minister of Finance Dinh Tien
Dung.
According to the report, from April 1,
2016, to June 6, 2017, the Prime Minister asked the Finance Ministry to take 58,885
tons of rice from the national reserves for distribution as relief to people in
natural disaster-prone regions, as gifts to poor people on
the Tet holiday (Lunar New Year), and to supply to poor farming
households in between crops.
The value of rice thus distributed was VND 553
billion (USD 24.3 million).
The Government proposed that the NASC
approves the provision of VND 553 billion from national reserves budget 2017,
to buy more rice and supplement the national reserves.
Delivering the evaluation report on the
government’s proposal, the NA Finance and Budget Committee Chairman, Nguyen Duc
Hai, said that “in the context of unforeseen natural calamities, providing rice
to people in affected areas was an essential task in accordance with regulations
in the Law on National Reserve.”
To ensure implementation of this strategic
task and develop national rice reserves as per the law, the additional money to
buy rice was necessary, Hai said.
The deputies were also scheduled to discuss
and comment on financial assistance for irrigation products and services, but
it did not happen because Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen
Xuan Cuong could not be present.
Source: VNA