PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc is chairing the Government’s regular meeting in April on May 4-5 in Ha Noi.

The Government’s regular meeting in April, May 4, 2016.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged Cabinet members to show greater resolve in the management work against a background of socio-economic difficulties.

Speaking at the Cabinet’s April meeting in Hanoi on May 4, the first regular gathering of the newly elected 21-member Government, the leader pointed to a flurry of problems such as high levels of bad debt, and saltwater intrusion in the southwestern region and drought in the Central Highlands.

The situation gets worse as inflation has shown signs of increase and economic growth in the first quarter of this year has dipped compared with the corresponding time last year, he said.

In that context, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc noted that management work has yet to observe the principles of the market economy, resulting in low competitiveness.

Businesses have had less chances to benefit from a favourable climate, he said, adding that bad deeds like wastefulness and bureaucracy have still been seen in State agencies.

Given this, the leader called for more efforts to build a pure Government who stays away from corruption, wastefulness and other bad deeds, saying the PM himself and Cabinet members should set bright examples in this regard.

He requested agencies and authorities at all levels to better care for people’s material and spiritual life while taking measures to meet the growth target of 6.7 percent, curb inflation and support those residing in areas prone to natural disasters.

The Government’s objective is to facilitate the operation of businesses, he stressed, adding that 2016 has been designated as the national year of start-ups, especially targeting young entrepreneurs.

Other crucial jobs are to ensure democracy among people, particularly disadvantaged groups, and build institutions, especially those in conformity with technological advances and economic rules.

To achieve more marked successes, socio-economic management should be based on the population, he underscored.

A report presented by the Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung at the meeting reveals that the national consumer price index (CPI) increased constantly in the first four months of this year with April’s figure expanding by 1.89 percent year-on-year.

Natural disasters, particularly the drought in the Central Highlands and south central regions and salinisation in the Mekong Delta have been blamed for the low economic growth, according to the report.

Alongside this, mass fish deaths due to environmental pollution in central coastal provinces have exerted adverse impacts on the local fishery and tourism sectors.

However, it said, the macroeconomy still remained stable with trade surplus hitting 1.46 billion USD in the January-April period and the number of international visitors posting a year-on-year increase.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment suggested relevant agencies re-evaluate the food supply and demand and rice production schemes, and adjust service prices in essential fields at suitable times.