Amend to match the reality

According to the MoF, the 13th National Assembly, 6th session approved the Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat on November 26, 2013, and it became effective on July 1, 2014.

The implementation of waste reduction and thrift practices has produced positive results over the last decade, increasing awareness across all sectors and individuals in socioeconomic life. The Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat's guiding documents have been promptly and fully promulgated, providing a legal basis for effective and uniform implementation at all levels.

However, the Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat has revealed limitations and shortcomings that need to be amended and supplemented to fit the current situation.

According to the MoF, since the 2013 Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat was promulgated and took effect, the National Assembly has promulgated plenty of relevant new laws, including specialized laws that have been newly promulgated or amended and supplemented such as the Law on State Budget (2015), the Law on Management and Use of Public Assets (2017), the Law on Public Investment (2014 and 2019), the Law on Marine and Island Natural Resources and Environment (2015), the Amended and Supplemented Articles of the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants and the Law on Public Officials (2019), etc. As a result, the Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat contains inappropriate provisions that do not ensure uniformity and consistency within the legal system.

The Law stipulates the thrift practice and waste combat in the field of management and use of the State budget. Photo: TL

Furthermore, the 2013 Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat has introduced the interpretation of the terms so-called "thrift" and "waste" (in Clause 1, Clause 2, Article 3). Many argue, however, that these concepts have not been fully and comprehensively expressed in all cases, particularly when applied to businesses and individuals. It can be challenging to determine what is economical and wasteful in fields without established norms, criteria, or entitlements.

Upon review, the interpretation of these terms requires clarification to reflect the current socioeconomic situation and recent legal changes.

Promptly reward people who provide information on waste detection

According to the MoF, the 2013 Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat includes regulations on waste detection and responsibility for processing waste detection information. There are also regulations on rewards for those who detect and have timely detection and prevention information to prevent waste. However, actual implementation has demonstrated that these regulations are insufficient to encourage people to detect and report wasteful incidents.

According to reports from ministries, branches, and localities, the implementation of regulations on rewards for waste detectors has been limited, and several ministries, branches, and localities have not had cases of being rewarded for thrift practice and waste combat. Therefore, more specific regulations on mechanisms and policies to protect and reward those who detect and provide information about waste are required to motivate individuals to participate.

In addition, the existing Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat includes certain guidelines for inspecting, supervising, and managing organizations and individuals who breach the regulations. It also outlines the responsibilities of leaders when waste occurs within their units or organizations. However, a review of the provisions of the Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat reveals that there are still some shortcomings that limit the effectiveness and effectiveness of the handling of violations.

Some ministries, localities, enterprises, and corporations have not strictly followed the regulations on the time limit for setting up, sending schemes, and reporting results of thrift practice and waste combat. Furthermore, some reports do not fully evaluate the results of thrift practice and waste combat, fail to compare with set targets, and contain general assessments that affect summary and reporting.

As a result, the amendment of the Law on Thrift Practice and Waste Combat aims to create a clear and effective legal framework for saving and fighting waste, ensuring that organizations and individuals involved in the management and use of the country's resources are more aware of the role and importance of thrift practice and waste combat, and responsibly participate in this task. As a result, it not only enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of thrift practices and waste combat but also improves the management and utilization of the economy's resources.