The 12th Party Central Committee’s sixth meeting opened in Hanoi on October 4, expected to discuss the socio-economic and financial-budgetary situation in 2017 and draft a socio-economic development plan and financial-budgetary estimates for next year.

Scene at the 12th Party Central Committee’s sixth meeting

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered an opening speech and President Tran Dai Quang, on behalf of the Politburo, chaired the first working day.

In the morning session, Politburo member Tran Quoc Vuong, Secretary of the Party Central Committee (PCC), head of the committee’s Inspection Commission and standing member of the PCC Secretariat, consulted the PCC about the agenda of the 6th meeting.

Politburo member and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered a report of the Party delegation to the Government on the socio-economic situation and State budget in 2017 and tasks for 2018.   

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, who is also a Politburo member, presented a report of the Politburo on the plan on enhancing protection, care for and improvement of public health in the new situation.

Politburo member Pham Binh Minh, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, read a report of the Politburo on the plan on population work in the new situation.

In the afternoon session, Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue delivered a Politburo report on the project to reform management and financial mechanisms and reorganise public administrative units. 

Then the PCC members worked in groups, discussing the socio-economic situation and State budget in 2017 and tasks for the next year.

Party Central Committee to discuss many important issues

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the opening ceremony of the sixth plenary session of the 12th Party Central Committee (Source: VNA)

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has underlined the need to roll out feasible policies and measures to reform the growth model, restructure the economy and State budget, and control bad debts. 

In his opening remarks at the sixth plenary session of the 12th Party Central Committee (PCC) in Hanoi on October 4, the leader said the move also aims to restructure credit organisations, public investment, State-owned enterprises and public non-productive  units, as well as to improve the growth quality and business environment in order to mobilise and effectively use resources and ensure rapid, sustainable development in terms of economy, society and environment. 

It is necessary to forecast possibilities in the future and define the most important targets for 2018, he stressed. 

The Party chief asked the Party Central Committee to determine why growth quality remained low in the first six months of this year, and several objectives have yet to be achieved during the period. 

Mentioning the improvement of the people’s health in the new situation, General Secretary Trong said Vietnam was recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a bright spot in implementing the UN Millennium Development Goals in public healthcare protection.

The Party chief said it is a must to affirm the Party’s leadership role, the State’s management and the involvement of the whole political system and people in the field as well as the crucial role of hospitals and public health facilities.

It is necessary to mobilise, allocate and make effective use of all resources to improve public healthcare services, he said.

Over the past 25 years, Vietnam has implemented various population policies, but it still faces many challenges, including big gaps in birth rates among regions and a severe at-birth gender imbalance.

Vietnam is entering an aging population period with a risk of wasting the “golden population” opportunities, he said, adding that the country also faces many problems in managing migration and population quality. Premature and consanguineous marriage is still common in some ethnic minority groups, he added.

The Party leader urged members of the Party Central Committee to analyse the reasons behind the situation and come up with suitable solutions.

He suggested the committee focus on discussing population and development, foundations and the necessity of controlling population scale and quality through policies to maintain the birth rate.

Regarding the need to continue streamlining the political system, the Party leader noted that the system is bulky an inefficient as the functions and authority of some organisations overlap. At the same time, the quality of public servants is poor, with many people paid by the State budget.

The Party leader stressed the importance of comprehensive reform in parallel with the renovation of leadership methods, personnel streamlining and salary reform. He also pointed to the necessity of a suitable roadmap in both long term and short term periods, thus dealing with problems of the whole political system and organisations. 

Regarding public non-productive units, there are about 58,000 such agencies with 2.5 million employees nationwide at present. They provide most public services related to every people, family and the entire society. 

Reforming their organisations and improving their activities are critical to rapid and sustainable development of the country, General Secretary Trong said.

Members of the Party Central Committee are set to assess the situation of and analyse the significance of speeding up the reform of public non-productive institutions and State-owned enterprises. They will also look into the necessity of enhancing the socialisation of public service supply, and set up directions for reforming and improving public non-productive units’ organistion and operation quality.

The Party leader stressed that the sixth meeting’s agenda covers fundamental and urgent matters related to socio-economic development and reform of politics and economic development in line with the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress.

He asked members of the Party Central Committee to show responsibility, discuss and give recommendations in order to finalise reports, resolutions and conclusions of the committee and make decisions on some other major issues at the end of the session.

The sixth session of the 12th Party Central Committee is scheduled to last until October 11.

VNA