Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

During the first working session with permanent Cabinet members following the holiday on February 17, he asked the Health Ministry, the Government Office and localities such as Hai Duong, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to keep a close watch on developments of COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s socio-economic situation, thus offering timely recommendations to the PM, the national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, and ministries to effectively cope with the pandemic.

They were also urged to give ideas on how to boost production and exports-imports amid the pandemic.

Ministries, agencies and localities were asked to carry out projects assigned by the Government and PM from the beginning of this year, including those regarding agricultural production and launching a drive to plant 1 billion trees.

PM highlighted a need to call on citizens to install Bluezone app to track COVID-19 cases, follow the 5K message [Khau trang (facemask)- (Khu khuan) disinfection- (Khoang cach) distance- (Khong tu tap) no gathering – (Khai bao y te) health declaration] by the health sector, and prevent the pandemic spread in crowded areas such as schools, markets, supermarkets and hospitals.

He directed ensuring five major balances in national development in the first half of this year, the full year and the five-year period.

They include balance between socio-economic development and improving the Party’s leadership role; balance between rapid economic development and guarantee of social progress and equality; and balance between internal and external strengths, internal and external trade, and between building of an independent and self-reliant economy and regional and global economic integration.

The two other balances are between short-term priorities and long-term goals, with ministries and agencies staying consistent with the principle of building a socialist-oriented market economy, and between national financial resources and budget balance, public debt, international payment balance and other macro balances.

The Government Office was tasked with devising a decree on tasks for ministries, agencies and localities following Tet.

The agency reported that the country’s purchasing power during the Tet holiday rose by 3-5 percent month-on-month and 7-10 percent year-on-year.

As of February 16, localities earmarked over 5.5 trillion VND (239 million USD) to support policy beneficiaries and workers on Tet.

Social safety and order were also ensured during the holiday./. VNA