The draft plan sets an average GDP growth target of between 7.5 and 8.5 percent per annum in five years. By 2015 the agro-forestry-fishery sector will contribute 19 percent to the country’s GDP, while industry and construction will make up 40.7 percent; and services, 40.3 percent.

Under the draft blueprint, Vietnam will strive to achieve an annual average export growth of 12.2 percent, and raise its budget contribution to 25.1-25.4 percent of the GDP and development investment to 41.1-41.5 percent during the period.

To achieve such results, the draft plan underlines a number of specific tasks, with a focus on stabilising the macro-economy and renewing the model of growth, improving the socialist-oriented market economy institutions and creating an equal, transparent, stable and open investment environment.

Other major tasks for the years to come include improving the competitive edge of the economy, businesses and products both on domestic and world markets, encouraging development of economic sectors and ensuring the leading role of the state-run sector in the entire economy.

In addition, the draft plan also emphasised the need to enhance the quality of education-training and personnel, develop high-quality human resources for the economy’s important fields, increase the number of trained workers, step up the application of technological advances in industry, agriculture, service and administrative management, and accelerate infrastructure development, specially large urban infrastructure projects.

WB Country Director in Vietnam Victoria Kwakwa suggested that Vietnam should work out suitable investment directions for each region so that it can fully tap their different advantages.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh told participants that Vietnam plans to carry out a series of major infrastructure projects in the next 10 years, including an expressway and a high-speed railway connecting the North and the South.

UN Resident Coordinator John Henry urged Vietnam to learn experiences from other nations and devise a specific strategy that must take into account issues regarding climate change, energy saving and environmental protection.