Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has recently assigned socio-economic development targets to the ministries of Planning and Investment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Public Health, and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. 

The Ministry of Planning and Investment was assigned to achieve gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.7 percent and consumer price index of nearly 4 percent. Total social development capital must account for 33-34 percent of GDP while 88 percent of industrial and processing zones must have concentrated wastewater treatment systems. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was asked to achieve nearly 41.6 percent forest coverage. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Trade must record an 8-10 percent export increase. 

For the Health Ministry, there should be 26 beds (exclusive of those in communal medical stations) per 10,000 people and 88.5 percent of the population in the health insurance scheme.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs was assigned to reduce multi-dimensional poverty by 1-1.5 percent and the rate of poor households in poor districts by 4 percent. It was also told to keep the rate of unemployment in urban areas below 4 percent and push the rate of skilled workforce to 58-60 percent. 

The PM authorised the Minister of Planning and Investment (MoPI) to assign socio-economic development targets regarding information and communications, education-training to ministries, ministry-level and government agencies, as well as business targets for State-owned groups and corporations. 

They were also required to submit quarterly reports about socio-economic performance to the MoPI, which will then be submitted to the government.-VNA