Hanoi (VNA) - The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee, 14th tenure, convened its 51st session - the last of 2020 - on December 9.

Opening the session, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said that during the three-day sitting, the NA Standing Committee will give opinions on preparations for the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure.

The committee will review the 14th NA’s 10th session and discuss preparations for the 11th session.

Lawmakers are expected to consider and approve a draft Ordinance on Preferential Treatment for People with Meritorious Services to the Revolution (amended) and give opinions on the draft revised Law on Drug Prevention and Control.

They will consider and decide on the arrangement of district- and communal-level administrative units in the 2019-2021 period and the establishment of Thu Duc city in HCM City, the establishment of Phu Quoc city in Kien Giang province; Tan Binh township in Bac Tan Uyen district, Binh Duong province; wards in Thanh Hoa city, Thanh Hoa province; and Vinh Thach Trung township in Chau Phu district, Co To township in Tri Ton district, and Vinh Binh township in Chau Thanh district, in An Giang province.

The committee is to consider two documents submitted by the Government on the rate of environmental protection tax on jet fuel until December 31, 2021 and investments for 2021.

After the Chairwoman’s opening remarks, the NA Standing Committee discussed the draft revised Law on Drug Prevention and Control and the draft Ordinance on Preferential Treatment for People with Meritorious Services to the Revolution (amended), under the chair of NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong.

With 100 percent of deputies voting in favour, the ordinance was approved.

Lawmakers then gave opinions on the implementation of external activities and international cooperation in 2020, considered and approved the NA Standing Committee’s external affairs programme for 2021, and discussed the international cooperation programmes of the NA Ethnic Council, NA committees, friendship parliamentarians’ groups, the NA Standing Committee’s offices, the NA Office, and the State Audit of Vietnam./.