VNA
PM Khai optimistic about New Year of progress, prosperity On the threshold of the New Year, Prime Minister Phan Van Khai discussed with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) about Vietnam's social and economic development priorities for 2002. He said: "The overall objectives of socio-economic development in 2002 are to continue maintaining a high and sustainable economic growth rate; increase competitiveness; restructure production; re-arrange, renew, and develop State-owned enterprises, raising their efficiency; strongly promote the non-State economic sector and attract foreign investment. "We also want to improve the quality of human resources; accelerate hunger and poverty reduction; effectively settle a number of urgent social problems; and firmly ensure national security and defence in all circum stances." He went into detail: "The government has set 11 concrete tasks based on four focal points. These include stepping up economic restructuring; fully mobilising investment sources; and raising the competitiveness of commodities and services to rapidly boost total export revenue. "The government also intend to effect substantial changes in education and training, science and technology, culture and health care; and settle social issues such as hunger, poverty, and unemployment, while consolidating national defence and security. "A number of the key targets already adopted by the National Assembly are: * A gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of about 7-7.3%; * Total export revenue of US $17.2 billion; * Total social development investment of VND 175,000 billion, a 17% increase, equal to about 32% of GDP; * A 7.7% increase in budget revenue collection; * A 3-4% increase in the consumer price index; * Creation of jobs for another 1.4 million people; * A reduction in the poverty rate to around 14-15% (according to the new criteria). "The world situation is developing in complex ways. Major economies are continuing to slow, or even falling into recession. "Our economy's foreign trade income roughly equals our GDP, and foreign capital makes up nearly 40% of total investment, so we will certainly be affected by these developments. "But we enjoy many advantages, particularly socio-political stability and a fairly high economic growth rate. "The investment and business environment in our country has also been improved step by step. "These are the important advantages we take into 2002 and the years that follow." About development solutions for next year, PM Khai said: "The government has worked out five key solutions for maintaining the momentum of socio-economic development in 2002. "The first is to accelerate economic restructuring. Hand in hand with that goes improving the investment and business environment. "We want to continue our active integration into the international economy and increase exports. "Making use of our human capital and boosting the skills of our workforce is also vital. "Finally, we must step up administrative reform and raise the effectiveness and efficiency of the operation of the State apparatus. "Though differing in the details, all five solutions have been devised in the light of recent experience and take account of the new requirements for national development. "For instance, to ensure rapid and sustainable economic development, we have to speed up economic restructuring in a way that is responsive to market demand and to take full use of our advantages and strengths. "At the same time, restructuring should foster and improve our technological and managerial skills, so that we raise the competitiveness of our products and our economy and ensure more efficient development. "The primary focus of economic restructuring is production and exports. It includes a continued overhaul of the State budget, reform of the banking system, renovation of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) and improvements to their quality and operational efficiency. "The shifting international and regional situation has brought Vietnamese socio-political stability into the spotlight, drawing praise from international public opinion. "We regard this as an important advantage for our economic development. But it cannot be turned to good account if we do not quickly improve the investment and business environment and remove obstacles to investment and business. "This task becomes all the more urgent in light of the fact that the 2001-05 plan calls for a 1.5-fold increase in total social investment capital as compared to the previous five years. "To improve the business and investment environment, we have been striving to build a clear-cut, uniform and stable legal environment. "This involves drafting, amending and supplementing legal documents, thereby creating a uniform legal framework for the development of a socialist-oriented market, and also meeting the requirements of development and integration. "Furthermore, we must work out a positive, flexible and meticulous financial policy, step up banking and financial reform, increase the nation's financial and foreign currency reserves, and ensure a sound macro-economic environment. "Improving the investment environment means continuing to accelerate the renovation process, pushing it deeper and wider, with a focus on building a harmonised and consistent set of market economy institutions within a socialist framework." Asked how can Vietnam best promote its integration into the international economy and increase its exports, Mr Khai said: "We regard domestic resources as decisive, while trying to grasp opportunities to get resources from outside. "The domestic market is very important; so we want to boost purchasing power, spur consumer demand and development investment. "At the same time, we must tap and expand foreign markets and try to break into new markets to rapidly increase exports. "In 2002, an increasingly urgent priority will be the realisation of the multilateral and bilateral commitments made during our integration into the international economy. "This includes commitments within the framework of co-operation with ASEAN, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and in implementing the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). "We are also actively negotiating to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO). In fact, we have made great efforts in this area in recent years. "Our institutions and legal system, particularly those relating to banks, financial and commercial organisations have come closer and closer to meeting the requirements of ASEAN Free Trade Area, the BTA and the WTO. "But we must strive harder to seize opportunities and overcome difficulties and challenges to ensure that we preserve economic independence and sovereignty and limit any losses during the integration process. "Of course, we should bear in mind that the more complicated the world situation becomes, the more firmly we need to uphold our spirit of self-reliance and strive to build an independent and self-supporting economy even as we actively integrate into the international economy. "In our external relations, we must place the national interest foremost, and strive to maintain a favourable international environment for national construction and defence. "We should persevere in our strategy, but be flexible in our tactics. "At the same time, we must make full use of our advantages to lure more foreign capital, and continue our efforts to boost investment and stimulate demand." The prime minister went on with difficulties faced by the country. He stressed: "Although we have made great efforts to overhaul our administration and its style of work, the government still has some way to go. "Many ministries and local administrations do not display effective co-ordination, supervision is weak, discipline is perfunctory and efficiency and productivity are low. "The national programme of administrative reform in the 2001-2010 period stresses the need to build a democratic, healthy, strong, professional and modern civil service which operates effectively and efficiently, and in conformity with the principle of a law-governed socialist State led by the Communist Party. "Moreover, the plan calls for a contingent of qualified and competent officials and public servants, able to meet the requirements of national development. "By 2010, our administrative system will have been reformed in ways that will allow it to better manage a market economy in a socialist fashion. "In the immediate future, while continuing to overhaul institutions and reform administrative procedures to improve the investment and business environment, the government will concentrate efforts on a number of concrete goals. "We want to adjust the functions, tasks and powers of the government, ministries and local administrations in conformity with the law and the evolving socio-economic situation. "If we are zealous, then 2002 and the following years will usher in a period of fresh progress, uniting the people with the State apparatus under the Party's leadership. "This in turn will generate the strength to successfully carry out the socio-economic development tasks adopted by the National Assembly." (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PM lauds contributions by Catholic community Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has lauded contributions by more than six million local Catholic followers to the national development in 2001. The praise came during a New Year meeting between the PM and bishops who are members of the Vietnam Episcopal Council in Hanoi on December 29. PM Khai stressed the national unity tradition has been defined at the ninth Party Congress as a source of strength and a great momentum for national construction and defence. Religious unity plays an important role in national unity, contributing to the success of national renovation, Mr Khai told his guests. He said he hoped that the Episcopal Council will mobilise Catholic believers to bring into full play the fine tradition of the nation, actively engaging in production activities and leading 'good secular and religious lives'. Bishop Nguyen Van Hoa, president of the Vietnam Episcopal Council, took this occasion to thank the Party and government for their concern for the Catholic community. The bishops expressed their wish to take part in the fight against hunger and poverty and in preserving the cultural identity of the nation. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Government holds year-end meeting The government held its monthly year-end meeting in Hanoi from December 27-29 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his deputies, Nguyen Tan Dung, Nguyen Manh Cam, Nguyen Cong Tan and Pham Gia Khiem. The government heard Trade Minister Vu Khoan presenting steps to be taken to implement the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Cabinet members stressed that apart from disseminating the BTA contents, relevant agencies should help the local business circles know about laws and trade practices in the US. Vietnam's relevant agencies should also review current legal documents and make adjustment to them if necessary to facilitate bilateral trade activities, they noted. High on the agenda of the government year-end meeting was to review its direction and management in 2001 and devise a working programme for 2002. Eight major points of the government 2001 working programme were concretised into 382 key projects during the year. During the course of direction and management, a number of projects were supplemented. Urgent projects were promptly discussed and approved to provide timely guidance to subordinate agencies for implementation. Cabinet members were of the same view that the country's socio-economic situation remained stable throughout the year. Industrial production registered a fairly high growth rate this year while the annual State budget revenue collection target was fulfilled 45 days in advance. Positive changes were seen in cultural and social domains. Social relief was carried out effectively in natural calamity-stricken localities while marked progress was observed in the fight against poverty and hunger and in job generation. However, the meeting pointed to shortcomings and weaknesses in the direction of the government. The growth quality, the efficiency and competitiveness of the national economy remained low. Administrative reform was carried at snail's speed, the meeting admitted. On the working programme for 2002, the government has defined the following major tasks: - Maintaining a high and sustainable economic growth rate; - Sharpening competitive edge of the economy; - Restructuring production and businesses and raising the efficiency of State-owned businesses; - Steadily expanding the private sector; - Drawing more foreign investment; - Improving the human resource quality; - Pushing up the fight against hunger and poverty, generating more employment and effectively addressing pressing social issues; and - Ensuring national security and defence in any circumstances. The government contributed opinions to four draft ordinances, including the Ordinance on most favoured nation status and national treatment in trade; the Ordinance on self-defence measures in commodity trade with foreign partners; the Population Ordinance and the Ordinance on non-public medical and pharmaceutical practitioners. Those draft ordinances will be soon completed and submitted to the National Assembly for approval at the next session. On the establishment of the Vietnam Academy of Sciences, Cabinet members noted that the forming of a national consultant agency on science and technology with the National Science and Technology Policy Council as the core is necessary. This agency will be called the National Science and Technology Council instead of the Vietnam Academy of Sciences. The Cabinet members discussed a plan on renovating scientific and technological management for the 2001-05 period. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ More relief for fire victims in Phnom Penh The Overseas Vietnamese Community in Phnom Penh have brought 10 tonnes of processed rice, 100 boxes of instant noodles and other essential food to help 461 Overseas Vietnamese families falling victim to fires in Phnom Penh. The fire victims have moved from Cham Kamon district of Cambodia's capital to Sa Mum commune, Ru Saykeo district of Kandal province, about 25 kilometres from Phnom Penh, with assistance of the Phnom Penh authorities. This is the second time that the Overseas Vietnamese Community in Phnom Penh provided relief to the fire victims. Earlier this month, the community provided the victims with 10 tonnes of processed rice, medicines, clothing, and instant noodles. (VNA) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Truong Sa soldiers save 11 fishermen Soldiers stationed on Tien Nu island of Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago braved a rough sea for two hours before saving all 11 fishermen in distress off central Binh Dinh province early this week. It was 6:00 hours on December 25 when the fishing ship BD 1197 TS, carrying the 11 fishermen, hit some rocks on the west of Tien Nu island and broke apart. As soon as the soldiers on Tien Nu island realised that the fishermen on board the ship were in danger they set out on a motor-boat to rescue them in spite of harsh weather. After taking all the fishermen to the island, the rescuers provided intensive care to them. (VNA) _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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