With 91.89 percent of votes in favour, the NA approved the revised law on nationality, which has six chapters and 44 articles and will come into effect on July 1, 2009.

The new law, which replaces the one dated May 20, 1998, will satisfy the legitimate aspirations of Vietnamese residents in foreign countries who wish to be granted foreign citizenship but still keep their Vietnamese nationality. It will also help overseas Vietnamese who wish to return to live and work in Vietnam but still hold foreign citizenship.

Under the law, Vietnamese residents in foreign countries, who have Vietnamese citizenship under the current law, must register to keep their Vietnamese citizenship with Vietnam’s representative agencies in foreign countries within five years after the new law comes into effect.

With 92.29 percent of votes in favour, the law on bio-diversity encourages different approaches to investment and application of scientific advances and local knowledge to ensure bio-diversity sustainability. It offers new stimuli, including preferential tax and investment policies and mandates to collect tourism fees, as well as a range of benefits for any individuals or institutions that take part in bio-diversity conservation.

The law gives priority to conserving specific natural eco-systems and endangered species while strictly controlling access to genetic sources in order to ensure biological security. It also imposes a total ban on the poaching of wildlife, as well as any other action that poses a threat to the eco-system in areas designated for natural conservation.

Meanwhile, the revised law on road traffic has 89 articles expanding the current law’s scope of regulation. This does not only concern traffic safety, but also rules for managing and protecting traffic projects and conditions in the auto industry.

The high-tech law encourages the study, application, investment and development of high technology, as well as measures to develop human resources in the field. 

The three laws on bio-diversity, road traffic and high-tech will take effect on July 1, 2009.

The law on civil servants, which has 10 chapters and 87 articles, received 84.99 votes in favour. It has policies to keep talented civil servants working in State agencies, while stating disciplinary measures applied to leading civil servants breaking laws. The law will come into force on October 1, 2009.