Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the Government’s regular meeting on December 27, during which he shared that Vietnam’s GDP growth rate rose 7.08 percent in 2018 – the highest ever in the past 11 years.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc addresses the meeting on December 27

The country enjoyed a trade surplus of over 7 billion USD, he said, adding this is also the first time its economic growth rate has doubled that of inflation.

Moreover, all socio-economic criteria for 2018 surpass the set targets, which is good news of the nation, he affirmed.

At the meeting, Government members exchanged views on reports recommending the making of several draft laws, including the revised law on Vietnamese working abroad, the law on amendments and supplements to several articles of the law on settlement of administrative violations, the revised Ordinance on Preferential Policies for Revolution Contributors, and a decree regulating the inspections and settlement of disciplines in enforcing laws involved in the settlement of administrative violations.

They also gave ideas to reports on the implementation of the Government’s Action Programme to carry out the Party Central Committee’s three resolutions on reforming the growth model and increasing the growth quality, labour productivity and the economy’s competitiveness; completing the socialist-oriented market economic institution; and turning the private economy into a driving force of the socialist-oriented market economy, together with the National Assembly’s resolution on an economic restructuring plan for 2016-2020.

The meeting also reviewed all preparations for the Government meeting with localities to be held on December 28 in order to put forward the Party Central Committee and legislature’s resolutions on socio-economic development and external relations plans for 2019.

Regarding the report that 152 Vietnamese tourists fled in China’s Taiwan, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Quang Tung said that through investigation, the ministry detected a ring bringing Vietnamese people to go abroad illegally through the tourism form.

The ministry had sent relevant documents to the Ministry of Public Security for further investigation, while working with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office to monitor the number of Vietnamese tourists to Taiwan in the coming time, especially during the upcoming New Year and lunar New Year holidays, Tung stated.-VNA