Taking advantage of growth opportunities: Party leader

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng suggested to promote national digital transformation, digital economy and digital society in association with environmental protection while attending the teleconference between the Government and 63 provinces and cities.

The teleconference opened on Tuesday to review performance in 2022 and carry out the Party Central Committee’s conclusions and the National Assembly (NA)’s resolution on the socio-economic development plan for 2023.

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, and NA Chairman Vương Đình Huệ attended the event.

He asked for more attention to be paid to cultural development in harmony and on par with economic development.

Localities needed to improve the material and spiritual life of the people, effectively implement policies to support people, workers and businesses in difficulty, and take care of people with meritorious services to the nation.

Party General Secretary Trọng also required more attention be paid to job creation and sustainable poverty reduction, while prioritising resources to implement policies for ethnic groups, mountainous, remote, border and island areas.

He called for the maintenance of political stability, social order and safety, and improvement of foreign affairs and international integration.

One more important issue was ensuring cyber security, traffic safety, fire prevention and control.

He also called for the promotion of multilateral diplomacy, as well as effectively implementing and taking full advantage of signed trade agreements.

Personnel work needed to improve to select the best people who were truly virtuous, talented, and dedicated for leadership positions, he said.

Party General Secretary Trọng suggested policies to encourage and protect people who were self-motivated, creative, and who dare to think, dare to do and dare to take responsibility.

With the results and achievements last year, Party General Secretary Trọng believed that with new beliefs, new momentum and new motivation, the Government and localities would join the entire Party and people to strive for greater results.

All would be more dynamic and creative to take advantage of all opportunities, overcome all difficulties and challenges to successfully complete the goals and tasks set out for this year.

Earlier, PM Chính said in his opening remark that amid difficulties in the domestic and international situations in 2022, thanks to solidarity, strong resolve, great efforts, and drastic actions, Việt Nam surmounted difficulties and challenges to fulfil the tasks assigned by the Party, State, and people.

Among the 15 main targets for 2022 by the Party Central Committee and NA, 13 were achieved or surpassed. Notably, the macro-economy remained largely stable, inflation was controlled, growth recovered fast, and major economic balances were guaranteed.

The consumer price index (CPI) increased by 3.15 per cent while the gross domestic product (GDP) was up 8.02 per cent, increasing the size of the economy to US$409 billion and per capita income to $4,110. State budget revenue rose by VNĐ392 trillion ($16.7 billion), 27.8 per cent higher than the target. Total export and import value stood at $732.5 billion, with a trade surplus of $11.2 billion. More than 208,000 companies were established or resumed operations, 1.45 times higher than those withdrawing from the market.

The PM said many international organisations kept and upgraded Việt Nam’s credit ratings and highly valued the country’s economic results and prospects.

However, he also pointed out certain shortcomings, difficulties, and challenges, including internal and external inflationary pressure; the slow disbursement of public investment and implementation of some policies in the socio-economic recovery and development programme; and latent risks in the stock, corporate bond, and real estate markets.

The Government leader held that 2023 would hold special importance in implementing the socio-economic development plan for 2021 - 2025. Meanwhile, the world was forecast to continue witnessing fast, complex, and unpredictable changes. External and internal challenges, adverse factors, and emerging issues would continue considerably affecting the socio-economic situation, people’s lives and security - defence in Việt Nam

To carry out the Party Central Committee and Politburo’s conclusions along with the NA’s resolution, the Government would direct ministries, sectors, and localities to exert all-out efforts to carry out the 2023 socio-economic development plan successfully, PM Chính added.