Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the Government's online conference with localities

The Prime Minister chairs the Government's online conference with localities and the regular Government meeting in June - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Conferences and meetings are connected online to People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

Also attending the Conference and meeting at the Government bridge were Deputy Prime Ministers: Pham Binh Minh, Le Minh Khai, Vu Duc Dam, Le Van Thanh; Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan; Government members; Comrade Dinh Van An - Assistant to the General Secretary.

According to the program, the Conference and session focused on discussing a number of main contents: Socio-economic situation in June and the first 6 months of 2022; implementation of the Socio-economic Recovery and Development Program; implementation and disbursement of public investment capital; implementation of National Target Programs; key tasks and solutions in the coming time.

The conference and session will also discuss the implementation of important national transport projects, difficulties, obstacles and key tasks and solutions in the coming time. These projects include the North-South expressway project in the East phase 2017-2020 and phase 2021-2025; the Khanh Hoa-Buon Ma Thuot, Bien Hoa-Vung Tau, Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang expressways; the Hanoi Capital Region Ring Road 4; the Ho Chi Minh City Region Ring Road 3; and Long Thanh International Airport.

The situation has many large, rapid and complex changes.

Speaking at the opening of the Conference and Session, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that in the past 6 months, the world situation has had many large, rapid, and complicated changes. There are factors that we can predict, but there are also many factors that cannot be predicted.

Specifically, strategic competition is increasingly fierce. The conflict in Ukraine has caused the price of oil, food, foodstuffs, and input materials to increase, causing disruptions in the supply chain. Many organizations and experts predict that the world economy will continue to face many difficulties, with the possibility of an economic recession due to the impact of COVID-19 and the current situation, lowering the world economic growth forecast compared to the beginning of the year. Inflation is high in most countries around the world. Many partners and major countries have changed their economic and anti-epidemic policies. Food security and energy security are major issues. The COVID-19 epidemic is developing complicatedly after a period of calm, even in countries with advanced health systems.

Domestically, we have advantages due to inheriting the achievements of many past terms, at the same time need to overcome many internal problems, limitations, and shortcomings, continue to handle problems that have been pending for many years, carry out regular tasks and solve arising and sudden problems, especially the very high inflation pressure, input material prices, and broken supply chains, etc.

In that context, under the leadership of the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, headed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the participation of the entire political system, the supervision and support of the National Assembly, the consensus of the people and businesses, the support of friends and international partners, the direction and administration of the Government, the Prime Minister, ministries, branches and localities, the COVID-19 epidemic has been controlled, the socio-economic situation has achieved many important results in many fields, many aspects have achieved impressive results.

In addition, the socio-economic situation still has some difficulties that need to be further resolved, such as the COVID-19 pandemic that may still develop complicatedly, the shortage of drugs and medical supplies... needs appropriate solutions, the disbursement of public investment and national target programs need to be further promoted.

Emphasizing the need to continue identifying difficulties and challenges more than advantages and opportunities, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested that delegates discuss frankly, clearly point out what has been done and what has not been done in the first 6 months of the year; make objective, honest, complete and comprehensive assessments of results, causes, especially subjective causes, lessons learned, current difficulties and challenges, especially localities need to share good experiences as well as propose solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles, and focus areas in the coming time.

Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

GDP growth exceeds high scenario

According to the report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in the first 6 months of the year, many important political, economic, cultural and social events of the country were successfully organized, creating new momentum and new impetus, especially the 5th Central Conference (term XIII), the 3rd session of the 15th National Assembly decided many important policies and guidelines, positively affecting the recovery and development of the economy.

The Government has directed and implemented many tasks and solutions resolutely and effectively, responding flexibly and promptly to the rapid, complex and unpredictable developments of the world, regional and domestic situations.

The domestic economy has recovered but is facing many difficulties and challenges, especially high gasoline prices, production, living and transportation costs, which pose potential risks and challenges, affecting macroeconomic stability, major balances, production, business and people's lives, especially the poor and low-income people.

However, under the correct leadership of the Party, the support of the National Assembly, the drastic, unified and timely direction and management of the Government and the Prime Minister, ministries, branches and localities have thoroughly grasped and well implemented Resolution 01/NQ-CP, adapted to the new context, focusing on solving immediate problems and existing shortcomings, weaknesses and bottlenecks of the economy, while maintaining macroeconomic stability, ensuring major balances, and actively supporting socio-economic recovery and development.

The progress of implementing the tasks in Resolution 01/NQ-CP in the second quarter basically met the requirements, completing 72.6% of the assigned tasks. Thereby, the socio-economic situation in June and the first 6 months of 2022 achieved many positive results.

The economy has a positive recovery, GDP growth exceeds the set high scenario, of which, GDP in the second quarter is estimated to increase by 7.72% over the same period, the highest since 2011. In the first 6 months, GDP is estimated to increase by 6.42% over the same period, higher than the expected scenario and the same period in 2021, equivalent to the average level of the years before the pandemic.

Notably, the service sector has recovered rapidly, estimated to increase by 6.6%, 1.7 times higher than the same period; many key localities have achieved high GRDP growth rates such as: Hanoi (7.79%), Bac Giang (24.0%), Bac Ninh (14.7%), Thanh Hoa (13.41%), Quang Nam (12.8%), Khanh Hoa (12.58%), Hai Duong (11.82%), Hai Phong (11.1%), Quang Ninh (10.66%), Vinh Phuc (10.1%), Da Nang (7.23%), Dong Nai (7.06%), Binh Duong (6.84%)...

The macro economy continues to be stable, inflation is under control, major balances are guaranteed, and are highly appreciated by the international community. Production and business activities recover quickly, basically approaching the growth rate at the time before the pandemic. The business registration situation is very positive. In the first 6 months, the number of newly established and re-entered enterprises increased by 25.4% over the same period, surpassing the 100,000 mark for the first time; of which, the number of newly established enterprises reached over 76,000 enterprises, the highest ever.

Institutional reform continues to receive attention, removing many bottlenecks in resources for development investment. Anti-corruption and negativity are promoted. Cultural and social fields continue to receive attention. National defense and security are firmly ensured; foreign affairs activities are promoted in accordance with the situation.

Implementing support policies reaching over 48 trillion VND

On the program of economic and social recovery and development,Immediately after Resolution No. 11/NQ-CP was issued, the Government, ministries, agencies and localities have been proactive and made efforts to carry out the assigned tasks. After more than 5 months of implementation, a large amount of work has been completed, basically meeting the requirements and progress set out; almost all documents have been issued to specify the policies as required in the Resolution. This is a very remarkable result when many new policies have been fully assessed for impact and submitted for promulgation in accordance with regulations in a short time.

Some complicated contents related to the implementation of projects under the Program of many ministries, agencies and localities are being urgently developed and completed to submit to competent authorities for promulgation, such as documents guiding the implementation of special mechanisms on bidding according to Resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government, the Prime Minister's decision to decentralize to localities to act as competent agencies to implement projects, component projects investing in expressway sections in the form of public investment passing through areas under the Program.

The implementation of support policies has mostly achieved good results, reaching over VND 48 trillion, of which policies implemented by the Bank for Social Policies reached VND 8,888 billion; extension of VAT, corporate income tax, personal income tax and land rent payment was VND 7.4 trillion; exemption and reduction of VAT and environmental tax on aviation fuel and gasoline was about VND 32.4 trillion. At the same time, the implementation of policy credit loans with interest rate support under Decree No. 36/2022/ND-CP was VND 57.37 trillion.

Some policies that encountered difficulties during implementation were quickly adjusted to facilitate implementation, such as the Government's issuance of Decree No. 41/2022/ND-CP dated June 20, 2022, which amends and supplements a number of contents of Decree No. 15/2022/ND-CP.

From the beginning of the year, the Government and the Prime Minister have directedresolutely disburse public investment capital, especially in the context of the requirement for rapid recovery and sustainable socio-economic development; there have been many directive documents, organized national online conferences and established 6 Working Groups of the Prime Minister to inspect and urge the disbursement of public investment capital. The estimated disbursement by June 30, 2022 reached 27.86% of the plan assigned by the Prime Minister (the same period in 2021 reached 29%).

As of June 2022, there have been about 65 documents on management, operation and implementation.3 national target programssubmitted to competent authorities for promulgation by ministries and central agencies. Most localities are in the process of developing and completing documents on management and operation of national target programs according to the provisions of Decree No. 27/2022/ND-CP, of which: 63/63 localities have issued separate policy mechanisms to implement the goals of new rural construction and sustainable poverty reduction, 22/63 localities have reported on the situation of promulgating regulations on principles, criteria, and norms for allocating the State budget to implement national target programs in the area...

The Prime Minister has assigned the central budget development investment capital plan for the 2021-2025 period to localities of more than VND 92,057 billion. In 2022, VND 34,049 billion (100% of the 2022 plan) was assigned to ministries, central agencies and localities to implement 3 national target programs.