HCM CITY — The 2017 Economic Survey in HCM City has provided basic data about the number of enterprises, workers, the economic efficiency of companies and administrative units and proportion of information technology application, delegates heard at last Friday’s meeting to review the survey.

“Such data will be a foundation for city authorities to build action plans and set up policies for socio-economic development in an effort to encourage modern science and technology application in all economic industries and administrative units,” Lê Thanh Liêm, vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee and head of the Steering Committee for 2017 Economic Survey said.

According to the results of the survey, HCM City now has 633,637 economic, administrative and religious units, an increase of 27 per cent in comparison with 2011.

Of this amount, there are 173,000 enterprises, an increase of 62 per cent in comparison with 2011 and non-State enterprises make up 97.36 per cent, an increase of 65.35 per cent.

Total capital at these non-State enterprises has increased 2.11 times to VNĐ3.2 quadrillion (US$142 billion) and this is also the group that has created the most new jobs for labourers.

However, the survey also shows that despite the fact that the number of enterprises has rapidly grown, most of them are small or tiny.

Only 38 per cent of enterprises, around 64,600, have profits while nearly 97,000 others – 56.5 per cent – suffer losses.

Total number of workers is 4.1 million, an increase of 19 per cent in comparison with 2011.

“The survey’s results have reflected a real picture about the socio-economic activities of the city and it is necessary to promote industrial production and business in order to ensure development and social welfare,” Liêm added.

To complete the survey, the vice chairman instructed the departments of Planning and Investment, Taxation and Statistics to co-operate in reviewing 300,000 registered enterprises and 173,000 active enterprises.

For enterprises, industries and districts which did not co-operate in the survey, Liêm requested the Statistics Department mete out punishment based on the Statistics Law.

This is one of three national statistics programmes, regulated by the Prime Minister. It is taken every five years and this is the fifth survey in Việt Nam. — VNS