Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the government’s two-day regular meeting held from December 26-27 in Hanoi set three major tasks for 2007, focusing on maintaining sustainable economic development with targeted GDP growth rate of 8.5 per cent, stepping up administrative reform, and accelerating the fight against corruption.
Suffering from various difficulties including natural disasters, epidemics and price hikes of many commodities, Vietnam still fulfilled almost all targets in this first year of the country’s five-year socioeconomic development plan ending 2010, with GDP growth of nearly 8.2 per cent, the historic landmark of becoming the 150th WTO member, in addition to fully normalizing trade ties with the US.
PM Dung highlighted Vietnam’s successes in foreign affairs, citing the successful hosting of the annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, and its nomination as Asia’s candidate for non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council in the 2008-09 term.
The government leader spoke highly of Vietnam’s export revenues of US$39.6 billion, foreign direct investment capital of US$10.2 billion and committed official development assistance (ODA) capital of US$4.44 billion as the country’s outstanding achievements in 2006.
However, the ASEAN country has not yet fully tapped its potential to boost economic growth, PM Dung said, pointing out that there remained many shortcomings such as tardy capital disbursement, slow implementation of projects, lack of qualified human resources for development requirements, environmental pollution and unresolved urgent social issues.
On another threat to the country’s sustainable development, traffic accidents that claim 34 deaths a day and cost about US$1 billion a year, Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung proposed regarding this as a socioeconomic index and adding it to provincial People’s Committees nationwide.
At the meeting, cabinet members discussed reports and gave suggestions on the government’s management work in 2006 and tasks in 2007, socio-economic development and exports activities in 2006, the issuance of government bonds, the administrative work in 2006 and the government's plan of action on the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Law.
The government officials also debated and endorsed the establishment of steering boards for corruption prevention in provinces and central-run cities with Chairpersons of the provincial and municipal People’s Committees as their heads.
2006 is also a year of natural disasters and epidemics for Vietnam; Bird Flu, Foot-and-Mouth, and 11 typhoons including the strongest typhoons of Chanchu, Xangsane, and Durian.
Natural calamities cost Vietnam roughly US$1.2 billion this year alone not to mention huge losses of around 40,000 tons of rice caused by brown hopper in the country’s bread basket Mekong River Delta Region.
However, Vietnam is still in position to ensure food and foodstuff security.
(Local sources)
Vietnamese
