Gov’t put forth five packages of major tasks for the rest of 2008

On August 29, the Vietnamese Government introduced its Resolution 20/2008/NQ-CP on continuing solutions to curb inflation, stabilize the macro-economy, and ensure social security and sustainable growth in the last months of 2008.

The Resolution focuses on five major tasks, the top of which is to continue curbing inflation and stabilize the macro-economy.

The State Bank of Việt Nam (SBV) is urged to actively carry out tightened monetary policies and flexibly adjust interest and exchange rates in line with the market situations. 

Relevant ministries, sectors and local authorities are instructed to review and frozen ineffective or unnecessary public projects, so as to pour capital into important and necessary ones which can come into operation by 2008-9.

Việt Nam strives to boost up production and ensure adequate commodity supply

The second task is to accelerate export, especially agro, marine and industrial products of high added value, in order to raise the export turnover in the remaining months of 2008 to 26-30%; curb the excess of import over export; ensure the supply-demand balance of essential commodities (petroleum, food, steel, fertilizers, medicines); and strengthen market and price management.

With a view to enhancing production and business activities, proper measures should be taken to meet the demands for capital of producers, exporters, and medium and small enterprises. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Electricity of Việt Nam are required to ensure electric power for production.

Concerning the fourth major task of social security, the Resolution calls on relevant bodies to effectively apply such policies as assisting fishermen, providing paraffin for ethnic minorities, raising allowances for social-policy beneficiaries, and giving free-of-charge healthcare services to children under six.

All ministries, sectors and local authorities are required to proactively work with and present accurate and transparent information to media agencies to disseminate the socio-economic situations as well as the direction of central and local authorities, consolidating people’s confidence and creating a high consensus in the society.

By Hương Giang