Economy sees promising signs in first four months

VGP – The national economy continued to see promising signs in the first four months of 2012, statistics showed.

May 03, 2012 4:44 PM GMT+7

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First, total aquaculture output reached 1,546,400 tons, up 4.1% from the same period last year.

Industrial production posted a 4.3% year-on-year increase of which, mining and quarrying rose by 2.6%, manufacturing up 3.8%; power, gas and water up 14%.

The disbursed investment capital from the State budget reached VND 55.314 trillion, or 27.8% of the yearly plan and up 3.8% from the same period last year.

As of April 20, attracted FDI stood at US $4,267.1 million, equivalent to 68.5% from same period last year. The registered capital of 169 newly-licensed projects hit US $3099 million, accounting for 44.1% of the total licensed projects.

As estimated, four months’ total retailed sales of consumer goods and services reached VND 762.2 trillion, up 21.6% from last year’ same period.

Four months’ export turnover reached US$ 33.4 billion, up 22.1% against the same period last year.

In the reviewed period, the EU was the largest importer of Vietnam with US$5.7 billion, equal to 17.1% of total export turnover and up 20.2% from the same period of 2011. The United States was the second with nearly US $5.7 billion, accounted for 16.9% and rose 17.5%.

Meanwhile, import turnover reached US $33.6 billion, up 4,4% from the same period of 2011, of which the domestic economic sector reached US$16.1 billion, down 11.9%; the FDI sector reached US $17.5 billion, up 25.9%.

Trade deficit surged to US$ 176 million, equal to 0.5% of the total export turnover.

In April, CPI rose slightly by 0.05% from March. This was mainly due to a sharp decrease in the prices of catering and related services.

Average CPI in the first four months went up 14.57% against the same period of 2011.

The number of new telephone subscribers was estimated at 3.5 million, a 20% year-on-year increase.

International visitors to Vietnam were over 2.4 million, up 22.9%. Visitors coming for tourism were over 1.4 million; for business purposes, 429,500; and for visiting relatives, 441,500./.

By Kim Loan