According to a resolution adopted at September regular cabinet meeting on October 7, the Vietnamese economy has maintained an ever-increasing growth of 4.56 percent over the past ninth months despite the global economic downturn. Meanwhile, rises in the consumer price index have been kept at a low level.

With these positive results, Vietnam is likely to fulfill its socio-economic targets for the whole of 2009 and reach its set economic growth rate of 5 percent.

However, it is predicted that the Vietnamese economy will still face several difficulties and challenges such as a falling export turnover, high total payments and a high credit growth.

In order to help the national economy recover on a sustainable basis, the Government has called on all ministries, sectors and localities to focus on the problems facing the country in the near future and implement the measures to stimulate investments, boost exports, raise production levels and help businesses penetrate the potential market more effectively.

The Government also underlined the need to accelerate the disbursement of funds for projects that use the State budget as well as capital sources from the sale of the Government bonds. ODA funding to develop infrastructure, agriculture and rural development also needs to be distributed quicker and management of the monetary policy and the prevention of re-inflation must be ensured.

In the run up to the sixth session of the 12^th National Assembly (NA) scheduled for October 20, cabinet members are now required to make reports on draft laws and opinions for submission to the NA.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Planning and Investment will work with the relevant agencies to finalise reports on socio-economic development tasks in the first three quarters of this year and the way forward in 2010.