Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasised the need to ensure the quality of growth and people’s living standards at the same time while addressing the Cabinet’s meeting in Hanoi on April 2. 

A view of the Government's meeting on April 2

“Economic growth is necessary and urgent. The Government is resolved to achieve the growth rate of at least 6.7 percent in 2018. However, ensuring growth quality is an important task of ministries, agencies and localities,” he said. 

The leader attributed the country’s first-quarter growth rate of 7.38 percent, the highest level over the past decade, to drastic actions taken by the Government. 

He affirmed that the Government will make efforts to maintain the pace while working harder to improve the growth quality in order to ensure a safer and happier life for people, and help businesses operate stably and successfully. 

To deal with increasing trade protectionism globally and prevent impacts of a possible global trade war on Vietnam’s exports, the PM assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to take more drastic and timely measures against trade protectionism. 

PM Phuc said the Asian Development Bank and some other financial institutions forecast Vietnam’s economic growth rate at about 6.7 percent in 2018, which matches the Government’s calculation.

He asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to review the quarterly growth scenario for each sector so to take appropriate actions to achieve the growth rate of at least 6.7 percent this year.

He also called on sectors and authorities at all levels to strive to attain a higher growth rate in order to create a momentum for 2019 and help to successfully carry out the development plan for 2016-2020.

The Cabinet leader requested addressing shortcomings in each sector, locality and region. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the PM’s working group have to supervise ministries and localities’ implementation of their tasks so as to achieve the set growth target.

At the meeting, he urged institutional reforms to be stepped up, outstanding lawmaking problems to be solved, and administrative procedure reforms to continue, thus creating more favourable conditions for investors, businesses and people.

He also applauded the ministries of justice, transport, health, and agriculture and rural development for publicizing their administrative procedure streamlining schemes.

Notably, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was told to enhance tourism promotion activities, especially before the peak season summer, in order to gain a tourism growth rate of 30 percent in 2018.

Regarding the expansion of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, PM Phuc emphasised the need to respect the opinions of the independent consultancy, the Transport Ministry and the HCM City People’s Committee. 

The airport will be expanded to both the north and the south to optimise its operations. If necessary, the adjacent golf course will be used to serve the airport’s activities, he added.

He asked Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam to instruct ministries, agencies and localities to roll out stronger and timely policies and roadmaps to make the country not lag behind in the fourth industrial revolution.-VNA