Assigning targets for the socio-economic development plan for 2018.

Vietnam's total import and export turnover in 2017 increased significantly, reaching over 400 billion USD. (Illustrative image from the Internet)

According to Decision No.01/QD-TTgThe Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment the following targets: a GDP growth rate of 6.7%, an average consumer price index (CPI) increase of approximately 4%, total social development investment as a percentage of GDP at 33-34%, and a rate of 88% of operating industrial parks and export processing zones with centralized wastewater treatment systems meeting environmental standards.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been assigned a target of approximately 41.6% forest cover for the year 2018.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has been assigned the following targets for 2018: Export turnover growth rate of 8-10%, and a trade deficit ratio of less than 3% of total export turnover.

The Ministry of Health has been assigned a target of 26 hospital beds per 10,000 people (excluding beds at commune health stations), and a health insurance coverage rate of over 88.5%.

The 2018 plan targets assigned to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs include: a reduction in the poverty rate according to the multidimensional poverty approach of 1-1.5%, including a 4% reduction in the poverty rate in poor districts; an urban unemployment rate below 4%; and a trained workforce rate of 58-60%, of which the rate of workers with training of 3 months or more and recognized training certificates is 23-23.5%.

The Prime Minister authorizes the Minister of Planning and Investment to assign the 2018 socio-economic development plan targets for information and communication, education, training, and basic research tasks to ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and other central agencies. The assigned basic research tasks shall be carried out in accordance with the principles of economy, efficiency, and compliance with regulations.

The Minister of Planning and Investment hereby informs the agencies representing the owners and assigns production and business tasks for 2018 to state-owned corporations and general companies in accordance with regulations.

The Prime Minister requests that, based on the assigned targets mentioned above, Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, other central agencies, and state-owned corporations and general companies assign socio-economic development plan targets for 2018 to relevant units before January 31, 2018. They are to organize and complete the socio-economic development plan targets for 2018 as assigned in Resolution No. 48/2017/QH14 of the National Assembly and this Decision.

At the same time, quarterly reports on the implementation of the 2018 socio-economic development plan should be submitted to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for compilation and reporting to the Government.