Prime Minister Le Minh Hung: The industry and trade sector bears the key responsibility of contributing to double-digit growth.
On the morning of April 22nd, at the Government headquarters, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung chaired a working session with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the situation regarding the implementation of assigned tasks in 2026, difficulties, obstacles, pressing and important issues arising in practice, and the direction and key tasks that need to be focused on in leadership and guidance for implementation in the coming period, as well as addressing a number of proposals and recommendations.
Also attending were Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc; Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Van Thang; Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung; Minister and Head of the Government Office Dang Xuan Phong; and leaders of several ministries, agencies, and state-owned economic groups.
According to reports and opinions expressed at the meeting, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has achieved many important results in building and perfecting institutions, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management, and promoting the development of three pillars: industry; energy; and markets (exports and consumption).
After hearing the report from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the opinions of leaders from ministries, sectors, and corporations, and in his concluding remarks, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung stated that the Ministry of Industry and Trade is entrusted by the Government with managing multiple sectors and fields, including key strategic areas. The Prime Minister acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in implementing its tasks, overcoming many difficulties and challenges, and achieving many important results, especially in submitting to competent authorities breakthrough policies related to petroleum in a difficult context; making a positive contribution to the overall achievements of the country in the past period.
Emphasizing the important objective of the meeting was to unify methods and approaches to resolving and handling the issues raised, and to focus intensely on completing the tasks assigned in the Government's Action Program to implement the Resolution of the 14th Party Congress and Conclusion No. 18-KL/TW, achieving double-digit growth targets; the Prime Minister shared his understanding of the difficulties and challenges faced by the sector and stated that in the past period, the Government has focused on urgently and decisively directing, reporting, and proposing to competent authorities to remove difficulties and obstacles in various fields, including the industry and trade sector.
According to the Prime Minister, the global and regional situation is projected to continue to be rapidly changing, complex, and unpredictable, directly affecting socio-economic development goals and the tasks of the industry. The Ministry of Industry and Trade faces many challenges such as the potential decline in global economic growth, pressure from technical barriers and trade protection measures of other countries, global geopolitical tensions, internal challenges regarding production capacity, requirements for ensuring national energy security, institutional and administrative barriers, etc.
Meanwhile, the requirements and tasks for national development in the new period are very clear, but the responsibility for implementation is great and heavy, especially in ensuring the goal of sustainable double-digit growth. "The achievement of the set goals, including double-digit growth, depends heavily on the quality and efficiency of the industry's operations. The Ministry of Industry and Trade must shoulder the central task, take the lead in addressing existing problems, and promote production and business activities to achieve the set goals," the Prime Minister stated.
Regarding key tasks in the coming periodThe Prime Minister emphasized that the Ministry of Industry and Trade needs to urgently concretize and promptly implement the Plan for implementing the Government's Action Program to implement the Resolution of the 14th Party Congress and the Central Committee's Conclusion No. 18... to implement the contents in the areas under the Ministry of Industry and Trade's management (energy, petroleum, science and technology, innovation, exports, domestic market...); assigning specific targets, tasks, and deadlines for completion to each leader of the ministry, units within the ministry, state-owned economic groups, and localities.
At the same time, attention should be paid to building a clean, strong, and united Party committee within the agency; developing a team of cadres, civil servants, employees, and workers; and resolutely and promptly replacing those who fail to fulfill their duties or meet requirements.
Clearly identify and emphasize certain specific tasks,The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to focus on building and perfecting the institutional framework, promptly completing the submission of guiding documents for promulgation, avoiding delays and backlogs; and to focus on finalizing draft laws to be submitted at the 2nd Session of the 16th National Assembly: the Law on Petroleum (amended), the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of laws related to the field of commerce, the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Electricity, and the Law on Derivatives of Commodity Transactions.
The Prime Minister stated that the Government has issued Resolution No. 82/NQ-CP approving the policy of the Law on Key Industries, and requested the Ministry to urgently complete the draft Law for submission to the National Assembly for approval at the 2nd Session of the 16th National Assembly.
The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry to coordinate with relevant ministries to review and refine regulations on the functions and tasks of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, aiming to clearly define the authority of ministries and agencies, avoiding overlaps in accordance with the directives in Conclusion 18 of the 2nd Central Committee Conference, ensuring "one task - one agency in charge and responsible," especially in the management and exploitation of minerals, management of industrial parks, export processing zones, and state-owned corporations and enterprises in the industry and trade sector.
The Ministry continues to implement the Government Standing Committee's directives on decentralization, reduction, and simplification of administrative procedures, business conditions, and conditional business sectors with a focus on completion in April; it also promotes substantive decentralization and delegation of power to localities, and continues to review and streamline organizational structures.
The Prime Minister requested ensuring energy security and a just energy transition; the Ministry of Industry and Trade is responsible for preventing electricity and fuel shortages under all circumstances. He urged a prompt review, update, and supplementation of the Power Development Plan VIII, adding new technology-based power projects, and accelerating the progress of power projects; close coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in the efficient and optimized operation of hydropower reservoirs. He also called for the urgent development of a plan to review and restructure the fuel distribution system to reduce intermediaries and costs; the urgent implementation of the national fuel reserve; and the acceleration of the use of E10 gasoline.
Furthermore, it is necessary to accelerate the restructuring of industrial and supply chains, promote in-depth industrial production, and enhance domestic production self-reliance, contributing to the establishment of a new growth model. The implementation of large-scale industrial projects should be expedited. Linkages between domestic and FDI enterprises should be built, encouraging Vietnamese businesses to participate more deeply in the strategic supply chains of other countries.
Simultaneously, improve the efficiency of import and export activities, diversify export markets; carefully prepare the content and methods for negotiating reciprocal tariffs with the United States; optimize and effectively utilize signed FTAs, and negotiate new FTAs; organize evaluations, innovate operations, and improve the effectiveness of Vietnamese trade missions abroad with the motto of producing tangible products and making concrete contributions.
The Prime Minister requested the digitalization and modernization of the domestic distribution system, stimulating domestic consumption in accordance with Plan No. 02 of the Central Steering Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation and Conclusion No. 18 of the 2nd Central Committee Conference; completing industry databases and connecting them with national databases, restructuring administrative procedures towards information and data reuse. Developing the domestic market; strengthening market management, preventing, combating, and strictly handling violations.
