Quickly control the pandemic, develop recovery scenarios, and boost the economy under the new conditions.

At the meeting, the Government discussed several key issues: the socio-economic situation in August and the first eight months of the year; the implementation of Government Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP; the socio-economic situation in 2021 and the projected socio-economic development plan for 2022; the implementation of the public investment plan in 2021 and the projected public investment plan for 2022; the plan for restructuring the economy in the period 2021-2025; and the draft law amending and supplementing laws to remove difficulties for investment and business in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister stated that the meeting was taking place in the context of having just celebrated the 76th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2nd, and the start of the new school year under conditions where the pandemic was not yet under control in some localities. Over the past four months, the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the socio-economic situation for eight months, severely impacting people's health, causing human losses, affecting social psychology, and seriously affecting production and business, especially industry and services, which have been most severely affected.

However, the situation over the past eight months has been fundamentally stable. We have continued to maintain macroeconomic foundations, control inflation, and ensure the major balances of the economy. Tasks in culture and society, national defense, security, and foreign affairs have increased and become more complex, but these areas have remained stable and achieved positive results, especially the strengthening of vaccine diplomacy. In many localities, particularly the 23 localities implementing and intensifying social distancing measures, the top priority is disease prevention and control; the remaining 40 provinces and cities also prioritize disease control or economic development as appropriate, depending on the time and location.

Recently, we have shifted our approach to epidemic prevention and control, moving from centralized to a harmonious combination of centralization and decentralization. Accordingly, leadership and direction are centralized, unified, and specialized, while implementation combines both centralized and decentralized approaches, especially focusing on decentralization down to the commune, ward, and town levels. These are the levels closest to the people, understand them best, and have the most direct contact with them. Therefore, we consider communes and wards as fortresses, and the people as soldiers; the people are the center and the subjects of epidemic prevention and control. With the people at the center, all policies and their implementation must be directed towards and for the people. The people as subjects mean they must actively participate in epidemic prevention and control; winning the fight against the epidemic is a victory for the people. We also mobilize medical forces, the military, the police, and other organizations to focus on epidemic prevention and control. Localities, especially communes, wards, and towns implementing and strengthening social distancing measures, must successfully accomplish five tasks: Strictly enforce regulations on social distancing and isolation, ensuring "everyone stays where they are"; guarantee social welfare, preventing people from going hungry or lacking clothing; ensure all citizens have early and remote access to medical services right in their communes, wards, and towns, and that requests are promptly met; ensure security, order, and social safety in the area; and conduct propaganda and mobilization to ensure that the people are aware, understand, trust, follow, and participate actively and effectively in epidemic prevention and control, along with the political system.

The September 5th meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control showed that the prevention and control efforts are on the right track and must be implemented effectively, especially at the commune, ward, and town levels. To date, we have basically controlled the situation in localities implementing and strengthening social distancing measures. On behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister commended the frontline forces, volunteers, localities, the people, and the business community for their efforts, along with the entire political system, in achieving the aforementioned results.

The Prime Minister emphasized that we will continue to focus much effort and time on epidemic prevention and control. The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Finance to compile proposals from localities regarding funding for epidemic prevention and control, and Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai urged this process. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, based on recommendations from localities, will develop policies for frontline forces.

The movement of goods and people must be directed in a unified manner. The Minister of Transport advises and coordinates with other forces, while Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh directly oversees this work.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam is in charge of strengthening measures to prevent and control the epidemic, gathering opinions from the public and scientists, summarizing practical experiences, continuing to adjust and supplement measures to suit the situation, and researching safe adaptation to the epidemic under new conditions.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh is in charge of promoting vaccine diplomacy and the supply of medicines and medical supplies to serve the prevention and control of the epidemic.

"We must quickly control the situation to promote socio-economic development. The Ministry of Planning and Investment will take the lead in developing a plan and scenarios to recover and boost the economy under the new conditions," the Prime Minister requested.

With a large and demanding agenda within a limited timeframe, the Prime Minister requested that delegates focus on accurately assessing the situation, analyzing the causes, especially subjective ones, and proposing feasible goals and solutions to achieve the tasks set for September.This will lead to greater efficiency and lay the groundwork for socio-economic development in accordance with the resolutions of the Party and the National Assembly.