PM Dung highlights HCM City’s economic growth
(VOV) -Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has praised HCM City for its impressive economic achievements during 2013.
Working with municipal leaders on December 7, Dung commended the city’s practical socio-economic development measures that proactively contributed to macroeconomic stability, minimal inflation, and the protection of social welfare and security.
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| PM Dung addressing at December 7 working session in HCM City |
He was especially complimentary of the city’s leadership in tightening the relationship between Vietnam’s key economic regions.
The Government leader asked HCM City to maintain its macroeconomic stability while undertaking economic restructuring and the transformation to a new economic growth model.
Industry, agriculture, and services demand special focus if the three key sectors are to form the national economic spearhead, he said.
HCM City People’s Committee Chairman Le Hoang Quan reported the city estimates its 2013 GDP growth rate at 9.3% or 1.7 times higher than the national average. The city’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.8%, while the poverty rate decreased by 0.8%.
Quan acknowledged some of the shortcomings the city needs to address in 2014, including those related to urban management, environmental protection, social security, and food hygiene and safety.
HCM City’s goals for the new year include achieving a GDP growth rate of 9.5–10%, increasing the total social investment to around 31% of GDP, and lowering the unemployment rate to less than 4.7%.
The city will also concentrate on reducing traffic accidents and improving flood prevention, clean water supplies, and environmental sanitation.