Half term with important and quite comprehensive results
After half a term, our country has basically steadfastly overcome difficulties and challenges and achieved many important and quite comprehensive results, creating a foundation for socio-economic development, promoting growth, and enhancing competitiveness in the medium and long term.
Continuing the agenda, on the afternoon of October 23, the National Assembly listened to the Mid-term Assessment Report on the implementation of the 5-year Socio-Economic Development Plan 2021-2025.
The economy is expected to recover quickly in the near future.
Authorized by the Prime Minister to present the Report to the National Assembly, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung emphasized that after half of the term, our country has basically firmly overcome difficulties and challenges and achieved many important and quite comprehensive results, creating a foundation for socio-economic development, promoting growth, enhancing competitiveness in the medium and long term; continuing to be a bright spot in the global economy. Many prestigious international organizations highly appreciate the results and prospects of the Vietnamese economy, forecasting that our country's economy will recover quickly in the coming time.
Notably, drastic, synchronous and comprehensive implementation of solutions to prevent and combat the COVID-19 pandemic has been implemented; including "unprecedented" solutions to control and repel the epidemic, promptly shifting the epidemic prevention and control strategy. The COVID-19 pandemic has been effectively controlled, laying the foundation for economic recovery, production and business, bringing people's lives back to a new normal state.
The macro-economic foundation has been maintained stably, inflation has been controlled, and major balances have been basically ensured. Trade surplus for 8 consecutive years. State budget balance has been ensured, especially in the context of implementing many new and urgent tasks such as preventing and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing policies to exempt, reduce, defer, postpone, and extend taxes and fees, supporting people and businesses, meeting investment and development needs, and accumulating sufficient resources to implement salary reform. Timely and effectively handling arising issues, basically ensuring supply, energy security, and food security.
The scale and potential of the economy are constantly expanding. Economic growth has gradually recovered. GDP growth rate in 2021 reached 2.56%, which is considered positive by the world while many economies have negative growth; in 2022 it increased by 8.02%; in 2023 it is estimated to reach over 5%, lower than the set target, but still quite high compared to many countries in the world and in the region.
The economic structure continues to shift in a positive direction. Agriculture develops steadily, providing a support in times of difficulty; services and tourism develop quite vigorously, recovering quickly after the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, industrial production growth slowed down in the first months of the year but has changed more positively.
Right from the beginning of the term, the Government has focused on directing, developing, reporting to competent authorities for policies and implementing a plan to gradually and decisively handle loss-making and inefficient projects and enterprises, and weak commercial banks, initially achieving positive results; at the same time, focusing on handling exposed and newly arising issues in the real estate and corporate bond markets.
Investment in developing the infrastructure system has been focused on and achieved clear results; many highway projects and key infrastructure works were simultaneously started, some projects were put into use, and efficiency was promoted.
Since the beginning of the term, 659 km of expressways have been put into operation, bringing the total number of expressways put into use to 1,822 km. Implementing the conclusions and resolutions of the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, and the Government, the Government has focused on directing the implementation of many solutions to speed up the promulgation and improve the quality of plans; 90/110 national, regional, and provincial plans have been appraised, of which 33 have been issued, including the National Master Plan, the National Energy Master Plan, the VIII Power Plan, and plans for transport modes, etc.
In the context of many difficulties facing the economy, businesses and workers, the cultural and social fields continue to receive investment and development attention, with clearer results; people's lives are increasingly improved. Cultural awareness is increasingly comprehensive and profound; the nation's fine traditions are strongly promoted, especially in the difficult period of epidemics, natural disasters, storms and floods. Timely support for people and workers to overcome the difficulties of the COVID-19 epidemic; overcome the consequences of natural disasters;...
Fully and promptly implement social security and social protection policies; expand the coverage of social insurance, unemployment insurance, and health insurance; adjust pensions and social allowances. The multidimensional poverty rate according to the new standards will decrease from 4.03% in 2022 to 2.93% in 2023; Vietnam continues to be a bright spot in implementing the United Nations development goals. The quality of education and training continues to be improved. Focus on handling difficulties to better implement disease prevention and control, care for and protect people's health.
Firmly ensure national defense and security, maintain independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; strengthen national defense and security potential; ensure political security, economic security, cyber security, social order and safety; actively participate in international security issues, enhance Vietnam's responsibility and image.
Foreign affairs and international integration have been implemented synchronously, flexibly, creatively, in-depth and more substantially; many foreign affairs activities have taken place vigorously, achieving many important and historic achievements, creating new advantages, opportunities and chances for socio-economic development and continuing to consolidate and enhance Vietnam's position and prestige.
Regarding the viewpoint on directing the implementation of tasks in the coming time, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung emphasized that the Government is determined to closely follow the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress; Resolutions of the Party, National Assembly, and Government. Focus on synchronously, drastically, and effectively implementing the 10-year Strategy and 5-year Plan, focusing on 3 strategic breakthroughs, 6 key tasks, and 12 main groups of solutions. Economic development is harmoniously combined with cultural and social development, realizing social progress and equality.
Solidarity, effort, and determination to act with the highest level to both withstand and adapt to new contexts and situations, and to seize new opportunities and motivations to promote growth and accelerate rapid and sustainable socio-economic development.
Focus on prioritizing growth promotion associated with maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, promoting growth, ensuring major balances of the economy. Directing and managing macroeconomic management proactively, flexibly, creatively, decisively, promptly, synchronously, with focus, key points, and effectively, ensuring suitability with the situation and practical requirements; effectively solving short-term and long-term problems, while promoting growth model transformation, restructuring the economy, improving productivity, quality, efficiency, and competitiveness; focusing on handling regular tasks, decisively directing and gradually handling outstanding and long-term problems, while implementing fundamental tasks and solutions in the medium and long term.
Mobilize and effectively use all resources for rapid and sustainable development; promote public-private partnership; proactively prepare reports to competent authorities on the issuance of specific mechanisms to implement key projects when necessary. Maximize internal resources, effectively exploit external resources for adaptation and development, in which internal resources and human resources are the most important.
Continue to focus on removing institutional difficulties in the direction that each level issues its own solutions; report directly to the immediate superior on issues beyond its authority. Promote decentralization, delegation of authority, and individualization of responsibilities along with strengthening inspection, supervision, and control of power; summarize, evaluate, reward, and discipline promptly and strictly. Speed up the investigation and final handling of cases and incidents directed and monitored by the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption and Negativity.
Firmly protect independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity; protect the Party, the State, the people, and the socialist regime. Consolidate and maintain national defense and security; promote foreign affairs, especially economic diplomacy, improve the quality and effectiveness of international integration; maintain a stable, peaceful, and cooperative environment to promote rapid and sustainable development. Ensure political security, human security, economic security, cyber security, social order and safety, and build an orderly and disciplined society.
Our country has basically firmly overcome difficulties and challenges.
Examining the above-mentioned Report of the Government, the Economic Committee of the National Assembly affirmed that, in the context of many difficulties and challenges, with the consistent policy of not trading the environment, health and lives of the people for economic growth rate, many policies and solutions have been issued in both the short and long term; the work of building and perfecting legal institutions to serve the work of preventing and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic as well as socio-economic recovery and development has been implemented resolutely and flexibly by the National Assembly, the National Assembly Standing Committee and the Government.
Resolution No. 43/2022/QH15 of the National Assembly on fiscal and monetary policies to support the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Program and many other resolutions have been issued promptly on a large scale and with many unprecedented mechanisms and policies to support socio-economic recovery and development; exemption, reduction, extension of taxes, fees, charges, reduction of value-added tax, reduction of land rent... have helped businesses and people reduce costs, reduce difficulties, and restore production and business activities.
"It can be affirmed that with unprecedented policies and solutions, along with the determination of the National Assembly and the Government, after more than 2.5 years since the 13th National Congress of the Party, our country has basically firmly overcome difficulties and challenges and achieved many important and quite comprehensive results, recognized internationally and domestically. The people's trust in the Party and the State has been increasingly enhanced and consolidated," said Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh.
Proactively analyze, forecast, and have appropriate response scenarios.
Regarding the proposed solutions for the remaining two years (2024 and 2025), the Economic Committee basically agreed with the main tasks and solutions according to the Government's Report, and emphasized the need to continue implementing the tasks and solutions according to Resolution No. 16/2021/QH15 on the 5-year Socio-Economic Development Plan 2021-2025 and other relevant resolutions of the National Assembly; suggested closely following the international economic and financial situation; proactively analyzing and forecasting developments in international markets to have appropriate proactive response scenarios.
Focus on consolidating and strengthening the macroeconomic foundation, controlling inflation, enhancing the internal capacity and autonomy of the economy on the basis of improving and maintaining the stable and safe development of the credit institution system, the monetary market, the real estate market, the stock market, and corporate bonds.
Fiscal policy should be conducted with focus and key points, sharing the role of supporting economic growth recovery with monetary policy.
Resolutely deploy appropriate solutions to overcome the causes of slow disbursement to promote disbursement of public investment capital, the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Program, 3 national target programs, important national projects, key projects; overcome and improve the quality of State budget estimates, ensuring that they are close to the actual situation; strengthen the management of revenue sources from land, revenue from enterprise equitization, tax and fee revenues, and prevent revenue loss, hidden, smuggled, and tax evasion to ensure budget balance.
Research, evaluate results and propose to issue new or extend monetary policies, tax policies, fees, charges... to support and promote production and business. Support businesses negatively affected by decline in exports and investment; effectively implement solutions to stimulate domestic trade and tourism.
Resolutely remove major obstacles and barriers facing businesses today, especially in terms of legal issues, output markets, access to capital, capital absorption capacity and labor.
Focus on comprehensive and synchronous development of cultural fields, ensuring harmonious connection between economic development and culture and society. Focus on perfecting institutions in the cultural field.
There are appropriate and effective solutions to stabilize employment for workers; there are timely solutions to support unemployed and jobless workers to ensure social security, order and safety; build social housing, build and improve the effectiveness of cultural institutions for workers in industrial parks and export processing zones; preserve and promote good cultural and heritage values. Build a healthy cultural lifestyle; prevent moral and lifestyle degradation and pay more attention to preventing and combating domestic violence, child abuse and social evils.
Strengthening leadership and management, promoting initiative and creativity, and enhancing the responsibility of leaders. Tightening administrative discipline and order; further promoting the prevention and fight against corruption, negativity, group interests, practicing thrift, and fighting waste.