The National Assembly Standing Committee gave consent to most of the draft revised Press Law, which was presented by Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son at the Committee’s 41st meeting that opened on September 14.
The draft law introduces 31 new articles and modifies 29 others in order to comply with the 2013 Constitution that highlighted the country’s commitment to guarantee freedom of press, freedom of speech and freedom of information.
Son said the existing Press Law was no longer able to cover the numerous aspects and issues of modern media and press activities.
He pointed to the worrying signs of press commercialization, more and more incidents in which inaccurate information was published, and the tendency to exploit only the negative sides of society by the press.
Meanwhile, deputies stressed on the importance of online newspapers and websites, which have seen significant growth in recent years and proven to be an effective channel for citizens to access information and exercise their right to freedom of speech.
They underscored the necessity to improve the transparency of the draft law with regard to prohibited acts and contents in order to bolster freedom of speech and freedom of press.
During this two-week-long session, deputies debated the amendments to the Penal Code, the Law on Pharmacy, and the Law on Import Duty and Export Duty.
They also discussed the draft laws on planning, associations, issuance of administrative decisions, and professional armymen and defense workers and employees.-
