At a recent press conference, General Statistics Office (GSO), Ministry of Planning and Investment, announced socio-economic statistics in the first half of 2015. According to experts, socio-economic targets have been achieved especially in industrial sector, manufacturing in particular.
Mr Pham Quang Vinh, Deputy Director General of GSO, disclosed that GDP in the first six months increased 6.28 percent compared to the same period last year. Agricultural-forestry-aquaculture increased 2.36 percent, (contributing 0.42 percent); industrial-construction sector 9.09 percent (2.98); service sector 5.09 percent (2.22 percent).
The economic structure has been improved with agriculture-forestry-fisheries making up 16.73 percent, industrial-construction sector 33.45 percent, service sector 39.61 percent, product taxes (minus subsidiary) 10.21 percent.
The health of Vietnamese business community has been improved. Newly registered businesses increased 21.7 percent in number and 22.3 percent in registered capital (0.5 percent on average). Employment is expected to increase 20.4 percent by newly established enterprises. The number of businesses ceasing operation decreased by 0.9 percent, 5.8 percent for temporary suspension while 2.2 percent for reactivating operation.
Total social investment in the past six months increased 9.4 percent and 31.1 percent in GDP (1.7 percent by State budget, 11.4 percent by non-State sector, and 9.9 percent by FDI). From the beginning of the year to June 20, 2015, as many as 757 FDI investment projects had been licensed with registered capital of US$3,839 million, increasing 15.4 percent in number and 21 percent in capital compared to 2014. Total registered capital of new projects and re-investment amounted to US$5,493 million, 19.8 percent less than the same period last year. In the first six months, FDI is estimated at US$6.3 billion, 9.6 percent more than the same period last year.
Concerning statistics on State budget, from the beginning of the year to June 15, 2015, total State budget is estimated at VND406,200 billion, 44.6 percent of annual estimate with VND298,800 billion by domestic revenue (46.8 percent of estimate), VND32,600 billion by crude oil revenue (35 percent of estimate), import-export balance with VND73,400 billion (41.9 percent of estimate). Meanwhile, total State budget expense is estimated at VND501,200 billion (43.7 percent of annual estimate) with VND80,800 billion for development investment (41.4 percent of estimate) including VND78,400 billion for basic construction Expenses for socio-economic development, national defence and security, State management, political Party and organizations amounted to VND345,300 billion (45 percent of estimate). Debt payments and aids amounted to VND71 trillion (47.4 percent of estimate).
Statistics also show the upward in export with US$77.7 billion or 9.3 percent more than the same period in 2014 and FDI enterprises play the main role. Excluding crude oil, the total export value of FDI sector worth US$52.7 billion, up by 20.8 percent and accounting for 68 percent of the total export value. Meanwhile, Vietnamese enterprises stood at US$22.86 billion or 2.9 percent less in export value. As for import, in the same period, Vietnam increased import value to US$81.5 billion, up by 17.7 percent with US$48.8 billion (25.5 percent up) by FDI sector and US$32.7 billion (7.7 percent up) by Vietnamese enterprises.
In total, the trade deficit stood at US$3.75 billion or 4.8 percent of export value with US$6.07 billion of export surplus by FDI sector and US$9.83 billion deficit by Vietnamese enterprises. China continues the lead in imported goods to Vietnam (US$24.4 billion, up 23.9 percent), followed by South Korea (US$13.8 billion, up 31.2 percent), ASEAN (US$12 billion, up 6 percent), Japan (US$7.3 billion, up 27.7 percent), EU (US$4.5, up 5.8 percent), USA (US$3.8 billion, up 19.8 percent).
According to Ms Vu Thi Thu Thuy, Director of Department of Spatial Cost-of-Living Index (SCOLI), Vietnamese enterprises can use the indexes to evaluate competitiveness in prices, market shares, production cost. In 2010-2014, SCOLI in North-West Vietnam was highest (104.78 to 108.81 percent) followed by East South Vietnam (101.61 – 102.36 percent), while the Mekong Delta was the lowest (95.97 – 98.08 percent).
Meanwhile, according to Department of Service Economic, MPI, import increase in Vietnamese enterprises augurs well for local production, the number of new enterprises exceeds disintegrated ones, the economy continues stable development.
Anh Phuong
Vietnamese
