Prime Minister: Do not let January become a month of partying

On the afternoon of February 21, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting of the Government Standing Committee with a number of ministries and branches on the situation of the Lunar New Year.

After listening to the summary report of the Government Office and the opinions of Government members, concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that the work to serve Tet was implemented early, proactively, promptly and responsibly. Goods were abundant, prices were stable. People's material and spiritual lives were improved. Policy beneficiaries, ethnic minorities, remote areas, the poor, and disaster areas were cared for with the spirit of not letting people go hungry or live on the ground. The atmosphere to welcome Spring was exciting. One good news at the beginning of Spring was that stocks were "green", up 3%.

"T"I have monitored the summary and found that the Tet bonus for workers this year has increased by about 13%. Farmers also have higher incomes," the Prime Minister said. "It can be said that Tet was a safe and thoughtful one, especially the State management work in many localities, many ministries and sectors has made many valuable and commendable advances."

The Prime Minister also highly appreciated the cadres, workers, armed forces, medical staff, press agencies, and functional agencies who served the people, bringing a warm and safe Tet to the people, including one police officer who sacrificed his life and five comrades who were injured while performing their duties.

However, according to the Prime Minister, traffic accidents have decreased but still occur frequently, killing many people. Alcohol poisoning and food safety incidents occur in some places. Some localities still allow fireworks to be set off.

Noting the implementation of the telegram on performing tasks after the 2018 Lunar New Year holiday, the Prime Minister emphasized the spirit that all levels, sectors, and units must immediately get to work and implement specific tasks. Ministries, sectors, and agencies review the tasks within their management scope to immediately get to work, not allowing January to be a month of partying.

In particular, the Ministries of Planning and Investment, Finance, Industry and Trade, and the State Bank closely monitor the macroeconomic situation, prices, and market fluctuations to maintain macroeconomic stability and prevent inflation from rising. Ensure security, order, and social safety. Strictly handle negative behaviors at festivals.

The Prime Minister also requested that members of the Government, according to their assigned tasks, should urge and inspect the work of the units under their management. The Prime Minister mentioned continuing to reform administrative procedures and improve the investment and business environment to create excitement for people and businesses at the beginning of the year, and release production capacity.

According to the summary report presented by Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, the Lunar New Year 2018 took place in a warm, joyful, safe and economical atmosphere. Goods for Tet were abundant, quality was guaranteed, and there was no imbalance between supply and demand. Purchasing power increased by 12-15% compared to normal days and increased by 10% compared to Tet 2017.

During the Tet holiday, many production and business activities are still maintained, especially at key projects and production units in the fields of mining, metallurgy, and energy.

Since the third day of Tet, people in many localities have taken advantage of favorable weather to organize production and farming according to the season. Many localities have organized ceremonies to go to the fields and open the sea.

Tourism activities were bustling during Tet. The number of visitors to key tourist areas increased by about 15-20% compared to Tet 2017. However, there was no increase in service prices or pressure on customers.

Political security and social order and safety across the country are guaranteed.According to the report of the Ministry of Public Security and the National Traffic Safety Committee, during the 7-day Tet holiday, there were 218 traffic accidents nationwide, killing 195 people and injuring 199 people, a decrease of 150 cases (41%), a decrease of 8 deaths (4%), and a decrease of 218 injuries (52%) compared to the 2017 Tet holiday. According to statistics during the 6-day Tet holiday of the Ministry of Health, the total number of medical examinations and emergency care due to traffic accidents was 37,376 cases, no increase compared to the 6-day Tet holiday of 2017./.