Phuc said when Covid-19 broke out, the entire political system, all levels and branches immediately activated the battle against the pandemic with the motto ‘fighting the epidemic is like fighting the enemy’.

Chair of National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan

After 99 days of no reported cases via community transmission, the second outbreak appeared in Da Nang City. However, the battle at that time was different from the first: faster localized hotbeds, but no imposition of a lockdown.

He said if the measures applied in the first outbreak had been applied during the second outbreak, the economy would have seen a minus growth rate. Therefore, a dual goal was set: fighting Covid-19 was the top priority, but Vietnam at the same time had to develop its economy.

But coronavirus cases still are being recorded, and Vietnam must not neglect its task of fighting the epidemic.

“Longing to do business to get rich, we still cannot receive tourists. We must not sacrifice everything for economic development,” he said.

Currently, Vietnam only allows foreign specialists and investors to come to Vietnam to make investments and do business.

Regarding economic growth, Phuc affirmed that Vietnam is one of two countries in Asia Pacific and the only country in Southeast Asia to see positive growth this year. Thailand has had a growth rate of minus 8.5 percent.

The agricultural sector has been very important during this time of Covid. Vietnam has become the largest rice exporter in the world and Mekong Delta has had bumper crops.

The agricultural sector has been very important during this time of Covid. Vietnam has become the largest rice exporter in the world and Mekong Delta has had bumper crops.

Chair of National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan also cited figures showing that Covid-19 cases are escalating globally. The US on November 1 alone reported 100,000 new cases.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese people appear to be more complacent as no community transmitted case has been reported over the last month (only imported cases have occurred).

“The World Health Organization has warned that Vietnam may face a third outbreak if Vietnam becomes complacent about the pandemic,” Ngan said.

“Vietnam has been praised for its success in fighting the pandemic while keeping business production. In Hanoi, HCM City and large cities, all activities have been implemented as usual in the new normal situation. However, we must not be complacent about the epidemic,” she said.

Ngan noted that she received ROK National Assembly Speaker on November 2 and the Japanese Prime Minister last week.

“They decided to come to Vietnam because they felt they were safe. We have had a lot of success this year and we are striving for a 3 percent GDP growth rate by the end of this year. We are trying to minimize the loss of revenue for the state budget because of tax remissions,” she said.

Public confidence

Dang Ngoc Nghia, a National Assembly deputy from Thua Thien – Hue, praised the efforts in fighting the epidemic and overcoming natural disasters. The goals set in many fields have been achieved, including export turnover and medals in sports. And the achievements in fighting Covid-19 have been great.

However, Nghia said that it was necessary to find a reasonable scenario to deal with Covid-19 in the most effective way. He said it was urgent to assess the impact of the epidemic on every aspect of society and the national economy in order to design suitable solutions.

The tourism industry has been hit very hard, which has led to a decline in other business fields, including the aviation and hotel sectors.

Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung noted that Vietnam has gained encouraging results in 2020 and the five-year 2016-2020 term. He said the public's increased confidence in leadership was a priceless reward.

However, Dung warned that Vietnam would face new challenges in the time to come as competition among large countries will have a direct impact on Vietnam. The Covid-19 pandemic is still very active in many countries, and Vietnam’s economy has a high openness to the world, he noted.

The government in April passed a VND62 trillion financial support package for the poor and businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

People who lost their jobs due to Covid-19 for at least 14 days or more can receive a monthly allowance of VND1.8 million. 

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