The discussion focused on a draft law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosives and Support Tools and the Law on Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue, and a draft Law on the Protection of Important Works Related to National Security.

While supporting the procedure streamlining, he underlined that reform must reduce red tape while preserving the ability to maintain safety controls. These two requirements must go hand in hand, and safety management must not be relaxed or treated lightly.

The abolition of business licences for support tools must be linked to checks on the conditions that remain mandatory, he said, explaining that these are specialised goods with particular characteristics, and misuse or use by unauthorised persons could have extremely serious consequences.

Their origins, purchasers, quantities traded and the handling of businesses when they cease operations must all be controlled. Abolishing licences must not leave management responsibilities unassigned. If the origins of weapons and their circulation cannot be monitored, yet they continue to appear, the consequences could be extremely dangerous.

Reducing paperwork for applications to equip units with weapons must be accompanied by verification mechanisms, he stated.

State agencies must ensure interoperability and effective data control, reducing both the burden on the public and the need for inter-agency exchanges, while saving time and costs. Shortening deadlines and decentralising authority for revoking licences must be supported by the capacity to receive, preserve and handle items safely, General Secretary and President Lam said.

Discussing amendments to the draft Law on Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue, he clarified that abolishing state inspections of acceptance testing did not mean removing the responsibility of investors and owners to conduct acceptance testing before putting buildings or vehicles into use.

Administrative reform requires even more rigorous implementation from the outset. If every stage is carried out properly, inspection and assessment procedures can be reduced without compromising safety. Safety must be maintained throughout the process of use, warranty, preservation, repair, renovation, extension or change of function. Whenever a building is modified, safety requirements must be given particular attention to prevent arbitrary practices during implementation.

High-risk buildings and crowded venues must be monitored in a timely manner, while facilities with good compliance records should be subject to fewer unnecessary inspections, he stressed.

According to the leader, abolishing circulation permits for firefighting and rescue vehicles must also be accompanied by quality control, traceability and the recall of unsafe products. The recognition of assessment results must be evidence-based and verifiable.

He called for consistency across legislation on construction, product quality, the Capital Law and urban development. When documentary requirements are removed, the corresponding legal grounds for handling violations must also be amended, while retaining mechanisms to deal with unsafe buildings. Transitional provisions should preserve outcomes already achieved and avoid requiring businesses to repeat procedures multiple times, he underlined./.