Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism informs about policies on new holidays

On the morning of April 22, continuing the First Session, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Resolution of the National Assembly on a number of breakthrough mechanisms and policies for Vietnamese cultural development.

At the end of the discussion session, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh spoke to explain and clarify some issues raised by National Assembly deputies.

According to Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, the Resolution aims to focus on solving two major issues: First, removing bottlenecks, difficulties, and obstacles in cultural development; Second, mobilizing and effectively using all resources to develop culture.

The Resolution clearly identified cultural development resources including the state budget annually ensuring at least 2% of total state budget expenditure and mobilizing social resources.

Currently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is coordinating with the Ministry of Finance, relevant agencies, and localities to clearly define this 2% structure, ensuring that spending on culture is in line with the objectives and priorities.

Regarding Vietnam Culture Day, the draft Resolution has added this content to promote cultural values in major national holidays, not just November 24.

The ultimate goal is to care for and ensure that people have access to, participate in, and enjoy culture; and at the same time improve the cultural appreciation ability of people, especially teenagers.

The Minister also said that the delegates also proposed a mechanism to stipulate that public units will exempt and reduce fees and charges for people during visits and activities of the 24th of November Cultural Day, and proposed an additional mechanism to encourage private establishments to participate in this mechanism, then the drafting agency will study and absorb it.

Regarding policies on preferential treatment for developing specialized human talents in professions and fields in culture and sports, some opinions on beneficiaries of policies on attraction, recruitment, and preferential treatment, Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh said that she has directed to review, absorb and adjust appropriately.

The Minister said that the Government has supplemented the draft Resolution stipulating the pilot establishment of the Culture and Arts Fund under the public-private partnership model as a venture capital fund operating according to market principles, accepting risks, ensuring publicity and transparency. This is a mechanism suitable for the specific investment in the field of culture, literature and art that contains many potential risks.

The fund's capital source includes foundation capital from the budget and social counterpart funds from businesses, from organizations and individuals and additional sources such as international sponsorship or other legitimate sources of income.

The establishment of the fund is mainly to mobilize social resources, the state budget mainly plays the role of bait capital to encourage the contribution of the private sector, and this is also a very large and very important policy of Resolution 80.

Accepting the opinions, the drafting agency will review and adjust more closely with this fund model based on international experience, similar fund models have been piloted.

The Government will develop risk assessment criteria, risk-taking mechanisms, ensuring efficient operation and not wasting resources.

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