During its first extraordinary session that closed on August 24, the 16th National Assembly (NA) on the same day officially passed a Resolution to split the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project into independent projects, with 476 out of 481 attending delegates voting in favor (95.2%).
Under the Resolution, the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project will be divided into three separate projects: a compensation, support, and resettlement project for the power plants; the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Plant project; and the Ninh Thuan 2 Nuclear Power Plant project.
This separation aims to create a legal foundation to establish the independent status of each project, allowing administrative and implementation procedures to proceed without being dependent on one another's progress or sequence.
Prior to the vote, the NA heard a Government report from Minister of Finance Ngo Van Tuan regarding the explanation and revision of the draft Resolution.
Minister Tuan, who presented the report under the authority of the Prime Minister, noted that under current regulations in the Law on Public Investment and the Law on Investment, nuclear power plant projects generally fall under the Prime Minister's authority for investment policy approval. However, in cases where Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 propose specific or special mechanisms that fall under the jurisdiction of the NA, the NA would then hold the authority to approve the investment policy.
The Minister explained that the National Assembly's Resolution No. 41/2009/QH12, issued in 2009, before the Law on Public Investment took effect, did not fully establish the contents of the investment policy, nor did it define component projects or specifically name Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2. Consequently, there was an insufficient legal basis to adjust the investment policies for these two plants, making the split into independent projects necessary.
Regarding the coordination mechanism after the split, a Steering Committee for the construction of nuclear power plants has already been established under the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 72/QD-TTg. This committee is responsible for directing and resolving major inter-sectoral issues related to the project. This new Resolution provides the critical legal basis to carry out the procedures for approving Ninh Thuan 1 and Ninh Thuan 2 individually.
According to the finalized content, the Government is tasked with directing the implementation of these independent projects, ensuring they meet progress requirements and are backed by sufficient resources.
The Government will also develop management and coordination mechanisms to ensure the efficient use of shared technical infrastructure, while clearly defining state responsibilities in ensuring nuclear safety and security, environmental protection, and national defense.
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