Most Vietnamese lawmakers said that a fund should be established to support natural disaster prevention and response but some concerns were raised over the management and transparency of the fund. The information was released at a working session of the National Assembly in the capital of Hanoi on June 6 to discuss proposed changes to a Draft Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control. The financial and human resources available to successfully implement the draft law were among the subjects discussed during the session. Deputy Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh from the Mekong Delta province of Long An, agreed with a proposal to make it compulsory for citizens to contribute to the fund, saying that this would increase their responsibility. She emphasized the need for the fund’s compulsoriness, adding that limited budget and donations only from organizations and individuals will not be enough to cover the cost of disaster prevention and response. However, Deputy Le Van Hoang from the central city of Danang took the opposite stance, arguing that a compulsory fund would set a precedent that could lead to unfair fee collection in the future and cause more burdens on local people. In regards to human resources required to keep the country safe from natural disasters, deputy Pham Thi My Ngoc from the northern province of Ninh Binh highlighted the role of the local military forces, public security officials and militia already spread out across the country. Deputy Tran Duong Tuan from the southern province of Ben Tre suggested that social organizations, such as the Red Cross, Youth Union and groups of local teachers and students, be given some responsibilities. Later in the discussions, some deputies recommended more regulations to support disaster insurance firms and enterprises operating in disaster-prone areas. They stated that the revised law should require businesses and contractors to buy insurance for their constructions and projects. Most deputies agree with the establishment of the fund and highlighted the need for the transparency of capital use and management. In recent years, natural disasters in Vietnam have been more diverse, unpredictable and increasingly large, especially rises in the sea-level, salinization, earthquakes and tsunamis. Many regions that rarely had natural disasters in the past now have to suffer from their devastating consequences. Vietnam is one of the ten countries most vulnerable to natural disasters, particularly tropical storms, floods, landslides and droughts. Last year, Vietnam lost around VND16 trillion to natural calamities, compared to VND10 trillion in 2011. (Vietnam News June 7, Nong Thon Ngay Nay – Countryside Today June 7 p3, Quan Doi Nhan Dan –People’s Army June 7)
