Discussing land use policies and draft law on cryptography

Laws - On the ninth working day of its second session, November 1, the 13th National Assembly discussed the national land use framework for the 2011-2020 period and the 2011-2015 land use plan and the draft law on cryptography, and summarised a project to plant five million hectares of forest.

According to deputies, inefficient land use has remained a problem, which has prompted a review of the current regulations.

Deputy Do Van Duong from Ho Chi Minh City suggested setting aside 3.8 million hectares of land for rice cultivation to ensure a sustainable food supply for the increasing population.

It was also suggested that land allocated for industrial uses be increased to 200,000 hectares over the next 10 years, despite the fact that industrial zones currently utilise only 46% of their allocated land.

Dao Van Binh, a deputy from Hanoi, said that it was essential to calculate the proportion of national industrial development in order to establish appropriate land use targets.

It is also necessary to review land plans related to education, healthcare and traffic infrastructure, he added.

Regarding planting 5 million hectares of forest, deputies expressed concerns about deforestation exceeding the pace of current afforestation measures.

Ho Chi Minh City deputy Nguyen Van Hung confirmed that afforestation had not increased very much, particularly in the south, particularly after it decreased in the Central Highlands due to the illegal and badly managed clearance of land for rubber and pepper plantations.

The same day, deputies also discussed the draft law on cryptography, which is necessary to protect confidential Government information and ensure national defence and security.

Discussions focused on State management of cryptography as well as the responsibilities and rights of the Government Committee and related policies. They also proposed new mechanisms and policies for training human resources in cryptography.

Deputy Dang Dinh Luyen, from central Khanh Hoa province, said it was essential to have stricter regulations for recruiting cryptographic staff in order to safeguard information more effectively.