Thoroughly grasping the defence viewpoints and guidelines of the Party, along with the good implementation of its assigned political tasks, Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has been synchronously carrying out measures for improving the quality and effectiveness of defence work, which contributes to the successful accomplishment of two strategic missions – building and safeguarding the Fatherland.

As a single-member limited liability company owned by the State, EVN is organised and operates in accordance with Decree No. 26/2018/NĐ-CP issued on February 28^th, 2018 by the Government. Its functions and tasks is to organise, manage and operate the production, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity in the national power system, ensure safety, stability, constancy and high quality, meet the demand of electricity, serve the cause of socio-economic development and maintain national defence and security.

Over the past time, despite the complicated context of the regional and global situation, along with trade competition, interruption of production and business and supply chain disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Group has proactively overcome difficulties and strived for adequate, safe, stable supply of electricity to serve the regular and immediate tasks of socio-economic development, which contributes to stabilising people’s lives, maintaining political security, social order and safety, preventing and fighting against the pandemic. EVN’s Party Committee and Members’ Council have strengthened their leadership and directed agencies and subordinate units to synchronously carry out measures for enhancing the quality and effectiveness of defence work and achieved good results. Remarkably, the Group proactively issues annual resolutions, directives, plans and instructions on defence work, supervise and inspect agencies, units to obtain high results. The work of educating and fostering knowledge on defence and security is scientifically conducted; production and business development in connection with defence and security consolidation are much attached importance to. The ubiquitous and highly qualified self-defence forces fit the features of the Group’s production and business. The Group’s self-defence forces, so far, have been organised into a battalion with the strength of 7,700 people including 2,300 Party members and 4,900 Youth Union members, which is qualified to accomplish all assigned tasks.

In the time to come, besides the task of ensuring regular electricity supply, EVN must assume increasing responsibility to distribute electricity for domestic political, economic, cultural, sport events, etc. Meanwhile, issues such as energy security, natural disasters, trade competition, etc. remain complicated and unpredictable and have a considerable impact on security, safety and development of the Branch. Thereby, due attention must be paid by EVN’s Party Committee and Members’ Council to lead and direct across the board, successfully accomplish all assigned tasks including defence work with following contents and measures:

First, bringing into play the core role of defence agencies at all levels in advising and organising the execution of defence work. Accordingly, the Group should direct all levels to keep on enhancing the quality and effectiveness of staff work on  defence tasks at each agencies and units in accordance with the guidelines of the Party, the policies and law of the State. To that end, on the basis of the Law on National Defence and Decree No. 168/2018/NĐ-CP issued on  December 28^th, 2018 by the Government on defence work at Ministries, Central branches, and localities, the Group, on the one hand, should proactively check and propose the Ministry of National Defence to appoint the Group’s cadres of Military Command pursuant to regulations; on the other hand, direct agencies and units to consolidate cadres of all-level military command, commands of self-defence forces to ensure full strength, quality, appropriate structure and components. The Group, currently, has 600 cadres; however, most of whom have no specialisation in military and defence. Thus, in order to improve the quality of staff work and task implementation in the upcoming time, EVN will keep on directing agencies and units to attach importance to planning, fostering, choosing cadres having specialised proficiency, enthusiasm and responsibility to attend training courses on military and defence to step-by-step meet the requirements of assigned tasks.

Second, improving the quality of education of knowledge on defence and security for subject. On the basis of thoroughly grasping and stringently executing Directive No. 12-CT/TW of the Politburo (8th tenure) dated May 3^rd, 2007 on strengthening the leadership of the Party over the education of defence and security in the new situation, Law on National Defence and Security, etc. the Group should direct agencies and units to design plans to foster knowledge on defence and security in accordance with competence to ensure the suitability with the characteristics of tasks, production and business plans. Close coordination with functional agencies of the Council of national defence and security education of Hanoi City and Ba Dinh District is required in sending the subjects of superiors to foster and strive for the maximum goals of the Councils at all level. Additionally, agencies and units must attach importance to educating, propagating and update knowledge on national defence and security for cadres, personnels and labours by emailing newly-published documents as well as integrating into work review conference.

For students ofthe electricity colleges, the Group has directed to organise the teaching of National Defence and Security Education to equip them with basic knowledge on defence and security, the forefathers‘ tradition ofresistance, evocation of patriotism and ethnic pride, comprehensive understanding of hostile forces‘ conspiracies and tricks, sense of vigilance when accessing to malicious information in real life and on the Internet in order not to be misled and incited by hostile forces. Threrby, student’s drastic changes in awareness, sense of vigilance and responsibility will be made during their performance of the tasks of defence and proection of the Fatherland.

Third, closely combining the construction and development of Electricity Sector with strengthening and consolidating defence  and security in each area and the entrire country. As a  leading economic group in the energy sector of Vietnam and Asia, EVN performs the mission of “electricity striding one step ahead”, power supply infrastructures have been strongly developed 3 phases namely generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. The current total installed capacity of the whole system reaches 75,000 MW, system of 500kV electricity grid covers 9,800 km. It is a pride that Vietnam is a leading country in South-east Asia in terms of power source and 500kV transmission lines and ranks 23^rd in the world for the scale of power source. The Group should concentrate on electricity distribution to key regions in terms of defence and security such as the Central Highland, the Northwest and Southwest regions, assume responsibility to supply power for 11 out of 12 island districts and transfer the electricity systems to Spratly Islands and DK1 platform. These regions hold strategic positions in the cause of protecting the Fatherland. Thus, the development of the sector goes hand in hand with the tasks of developing socio-economy, strenghtening defence and security in each regions and the entire country. In particular, the work of hunger eradication and poverty alleviation, socio-economic development in rural, mountainous areas, islands and defence-security consolidation in key areas are major achievements which few countries can gain. Besides, it is necessary for agencies and units of the Group to actively coordinate with military units to firmly build all-people defence posture in association with public security posture, especially in key regions, remote areas, border areas, seas and islands; building comprehensively strong agencies and units contributes to the construction of solid defence zones in cities and provinces.

Fourth, building strong self-defence forces to meet the rerquirements of assigned tasks. Being aware of the position and role of self-defence forces in building and protecting the Fatherland in general and building the sector in particular, the Group should direct units to proactively coordinate with local military agencies to consolidate self-defence forces in size, quality and quantity to fit the production and business characteristics of agencies, enterprises and units in compliance with the instruction of Circular No. 77/2020/TT-BQP issued on June 23^rd, 2020 by the Ministry of National Defence on organising and building militia forces. Simultaneously, concentrating on improving the quality of training these important forces, especially training to gain proficiency in tactics, infantry combat techniques, fire and explosion prevention, etc. forms a basis to enhance combat readiness in protecting agencies, localities as well as dealing with natural disasters, incidents, search and rescue, etc. Agencies amd units, during the implementation, are required to renovate training programmes, contents, methods, build training plans for self-defence forces at units in accordance with the instructions of local military agencies, ensure strength, quality, amount of training time and absolute safety of people, weapons and equipment.

Besides, the Group should strictly implement the work of mobilising and recruiting troops in accordance with the Law on Military Service and the instructions of local military agencies; organise to receive and carry out correct regimes, policies and  job creation for those who finish military service and return to the Group. Agencies and units should well perform the registration and management of reserved mibilisation, promptly adjust, supplement and arrange reserved forces and technical means into units in accordance with assigned goals, tasks. Simultaneously, the Groups should well perform the inspection of combat readiness and training of reserved forces in accordance with the plans of local military agecies and units. The Group should direct agencies and units to ensure the maximum budget for defence work, well perform the regime, policies towards self-defence forces, military family support, movements of “repaying gratitute, and drinking water, remembering the source”.

Well implementing the aforementioned measures will help EVN betterthe quality of defence work, together with the whole Party, people and Army, build and safeguard the Socialist Fatherland of Vietnam.

VO QUANG LAM, Deputy General Director, Commander of the Group’s Military Command