As the National Assembly (NA) passed the amended Capital Law on June 28, people are hopeful that the law will propel the city to greater heights of socio-economic growth.

Professor Bui Thi An, Director of the Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development and President of the Hanoi Intellectual Women's Association

The approval of the amended Capital Law is good news for the people of Hanoi. In drafting the law, lawmakers tried to incorporate the Party's policy on Hanoi's development, inherit the workable provisions of the 2012 Capital Law, and create a specific legal framework that fits Hanoi's functions and operations.

The Phu Dong Bridge connects the two banks of the Red River in Ngoc Thuy Ward, Long Bien District. Photo: Trung Nguyen/The Hanoi Times

This law is crucial for the development of the nation and the capital. The Capital Law has been updated to include detailed text on how to decentralize power from the central level to municipal and local governments, whereas the original 2012 version of the law only provided the framework.

In particular, there are new articles on how the city will be organized, how the capital will be developed and governed, and how its growth drivers will be financed. These new provisions will bring big changes and new impetus to Hanoi's robust growth.

Lawyer Nguyen Minh Long, Hanoi Bar Association

The fact that 95% of NA deputies approved the law shows that the amended Capital Law is well written. Among the new amendments to the law, I'm very interested in Article 4.

It states that if the Capital Law is in conflict with other laws and the decisions of the National Assembly on specific matters, the Capital Law shall prevail. If the laws enacted after the effective date of the Capital Law are in conflict with it, there must be provisions on how such laws will be enforced, with the NA Standing Committee and the Government making a decision. If there are conflicting provisions on the same matter, the Capital Law and its regulations shall prevail.

I think it's important to clarify how the Capital Law is enforced in relation to other laws and legal documents of the government and ministries.

Doan Thi To Uyen, Dean of the Faculty of Administrative-State Law, Hanoi Law University

I'm glad that the National Assembly has passed the amended Capital Law. Hanoi, as the heart of the country, needs a special mechanism to facilitate its growth and thus drive the nation forward.

Article 16 of the law, which talks about attracting talent and developing highly qualified human resources, draws my attention. I appreciate the law in that it gives Hanoi special power to attract and retain talent for its development. More importantly, the amended Capital Law also empowers the city to hire experienced foreign professionals.

I believe that recruiting and employing high-quality local and international experts will give Hanoi a great boost in becoming the nation's locomotive.

Nguyen Thanh Son, Head of Legal Division, Ba Vi District

With many new points, the amended Capital Law provides the basis for Hanoi to make groundbreaking developments, especially in terms of master planning and decentralization of powers.

The revised law gives the municipal People's Council and People's Committee more power to determine their organizational apparatus. The two bodies will be able to make decisions on civil servants' payroll, salaries, incomes, and recruitment of talent.

The city's ability to restructure the organizational hierarchy makes the communal level of government leaner and more proactive. The new organizational structure makes us feel more confident, comfortable, and proactive in working with people and businesses. We have improved our performance in handling applications from people, businesses, and other public services.

Vo Chi Cong Avenue is packed with cars and motorbikes at rush hour. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times

The approval of the amended Capital City Law shows that the NA deputies and the government have really listened to the people. It demonstrates the efforts of lawmakers and authorities to improve the legal framework and shape Hanoi as a modern, cultured, and civilized city.

Bui Hoai Son, NA deputy of the Hanoi delegation

As the existing regulations no longer suit the country's development, an updated version of the Capital Law was needed to create a better legal framework for national and capital growth.

Hanoi is the heart of Vietnam in political, cultural, social, and economic terms. The revised law will give Hanoi some advantages in leading the nation to achieve the expected outcomes set by the Party's 13th National Congress.

I'm pleased to see that the revised Capital Law has introduced some provisions for the preservation and promotion of culture. We're proud to live in a city with a thousand years of history, where the best features of the nation come together. Therefore, paving the way for Hanoi's cultural values is also paving the way for the nation. The amended version of the law has many articles on cultural issues.

I appreciate that the lawmakers have introduced provisions to develop the cultural industry. The cultural industry is the key economic sector for Hanoi. We have Resolution 09-NQ/TU issued by the Hanoi Party Committee on the development of the city's cultural industry, and the amended Capital Law would be the answer to help implement the resolution and boost the capital's cultural industry.

Students from Ngo Quyen Secondary School in Dong Anh District, Hanoi. Photo: Thanh Hai/The Hanoi Times

Tran Hoang Ngan, NA deputy from the Ho Chi Minh City delegation

I fully agree with the amendments to the Capital Law. Every nation has its own capital law, and because the capital is the heart of the nation, it needs special attention. As the heart of the country, we must give the Hanoi administration the power to decide its own actions and deal with urgent issues without waiting for the Government's approval.

I find the amendments very comprehensive. What concerns me most is how to decentralize power among the city's government agencies and how to expand the space for further development. If these questions are answered, Hanoi will be able to reduce congestion in urban areas, relocate schools and hospitals to create more space for development, and reduce population density in the metropolitan area.

It's important to help Hanoi complete its metro network and expand the city to the south and north of the Red River. Meanwhile, local authorities must act to preserve the distinctive features of the culture so that the capital remains a city with a thousand years of history.

In the development of four satellite cities for Hanoi, the challenge is how to develop the infrastructure to connect the metropolitan area to them. We need sufficient resources and power to do this. With the approval of the amended Capital Law, Hanoi should be strong enough to meet these challenges.

A performance at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel night tour. Photo: Thanh Dat/The Hanoi Times