Workshop on Decree No. 32/2019. / ND-CP dated April 10, 2019 of the Government

 

The workshop was organized to provide local authorities and water supply and drainage enterprises who were members of the VWSA, the opportunity to meet government officials to better understand and implement the provisions stated in the Decree, at the same time be answered on and  make further recommendations to remove obstacles in the implementation process.

 

 

Attending the opening ceremony there were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ung Quoc Dung - Vice Chairman of VWSA, Mr. Pham Xuan Dieu - Head of VWSA Training Department and Mrs. Ha Thanh Hang - Head of VWSA Policy Department and International Cooperation Department.

 

  

 

Representatives of government authorities were Ms. Nguyen Le Phuong Anh - Specialist of Department of Finance and Administration - Ministry of Finance and Mr. Ha Van Thang - Deputy Head of Bidding Department - Bidding Management Department - Ministry of Planning and Investment. These were also officials from two ministries directly assigned by the Government to draft the concerned regulations.

 

 

The workshop attracted 97 delegates, coming from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, representatives of local Construction Departments, Vietnam Water Supply and Sewerage Association and leaders from 21 water enterprises in the northern provinces.

 

Participants were listened to and exchanged with the government representatives on relevant contents of the above documents such as: the need to issue the Decree; The layout of the Decree, contracts, minutes of acceptance of orders, liquidation of contracts; Some main provisions of the Decree; General provisions (scope, objects, explanation of words, funding sources, decision-making competence, lists of products and public services ...); Specific provisions (public non-business services; public-utility products and services; state budget management; responsibilities of ministries and localities; organizing the implementation ...); Regulations on applicable public procurement/bisding law; Basic contents in procurement procedures etc.

 

 

The workshop attracted a lot of opinions about obstacles in the process of implementing the decree, including two key issues highly interested by participants:

 

1. Firstly, the field of drainage and wastewater treatment is a specific field, heavily dependent on weather and climate, so many delegates proposed not to apply the form of bidding but should apply the task assignment or order.

 

2. Secondly, the management of drainage network system must be continuously and consttantly. There are underground sewers beneath constructions and offices that only long-run management units can know well. In particular, many areas of sewerage systems are related to areas and agencies of state security. Therefore the government should apply long-term contract instead of current yearly contract.

 

In addition, there are many additional questions from the delegates who were answered by two representatives of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance, as well as the Vietnam Water and Sewerage Association.

 

The workshop is one of many activities that the VWSA regularly conducts, aiming at bridging the gap between businesses and the governemnt on policy and regulation issues, thus contributing positively and effectively to the common developmen of Vietnam&;s water industry.