PM Dung’s message focused on challenges

The article says 2012 was a year full of difficulties and challenges for Vietnam. However, thanks to the great efforts made by the entire Party, armed forces and people as well as the whole political system, Vietnam has seen positive achievements. 

The macro economy has improved with the rate of inflation staying at 6.81 percent (in 2011 it was 18.13 percent), the export turnover increasing by over 18 percent and the foreign reserved reaching its peak, while the foreign exchange rate remained stabilized and the people’s confidence in the Vietnam Dong was consolidated.

In the context of the world economic downturn, Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth is over five percent.

“In other aspects, social welfare and national defense and security as well as foreign diplomacy have also seen much progress. Generally speaking, our development policies are on the right track,” the Prime Minister says in the article.

Though Vietnam scored many achievements in 2012, the year 2013 remains a tough year for the nation with many difficulties and challenges, according to the Prime Minister. The world economy has seen some positive signs, yet recovery remains very slow. Vietnam’s main export markets and investment countries have not escaped their economic sluggishness. Furthermore, the adjustment of the world’s major economies has not brought about the expected results. The high risk and instability of these economies remain inevitable. As a result, negative impacts from the world economy will still hang over the country, he predicts.

In 2012, Vietnam identified and overcame some weaknesses of the economic structure and the economic growth model. Yet, a lot of difficulties and challenges are still looming in the process. Bad debts are increasing rapidly, inventories remain huge and the interest rate is still higher than the profits that enterprises can make. The State management remains weak and certain groups of public servants show poor responsibility and performance. Corruption and waste are reported everywhere. All these weaknesses are reflected in the country’s economic and societal picture. The macro economy remains unstable and the threat of a high inflation rate is still hanging over the country. It has not been able to restore its former growth rate. Business production and employment are in a bind. Market confidence is still at a low level. “In addition, we face dark schemes to destabilize our political system and society as well as acts of encroachment on our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the article says.

To achieve the overall objectives of 2013 requires the efforts of the entire Party, army, people and political system in the implementation of the tasks and measures laid out for the year.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung emphasizes six main tasks as follows:

1.     To improve the quality and effectiveness of policies in order to cultivate confidence in the market.

2.     To create monetary policy based on market development and the objective of curbing the inflation rate. It is imperative to combine monetary policy with financial policy.

3.     To help enterprises overcome difficulties in production and consumption.

4.     To speed up the process of administrative reform while promoting a high sense of responsibility to public servants.

5.     To accelerate the process of economic restructuring.

And finally, to ensure social security.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urges the entire Party, armed forces and people to try their utmost to carry out the six major tasks, but not to forget the other tasks assigned to them, particularly in ensuring national security and defence, law and order, protecting national sovereignty and improving the nation’s prestige and position in the international arena.

Dung expresses his confidence that with a sense of responsibility and self-reliance and tradition of solidarity and unity, the Vietnamese people and nation will certainly overcome all difficulties and challenges to carry out the 2013 socio-economic tasks successfully.