Milk cartons packaged at the Thong Nhat factory, an affiliate of dairy giant Vinamilk. — VNA/VNS Photo Trang Duong

Hà Nội – Three mega programmes covering agricultural restructuring, fisheries and forestry development and disaster prevention have been allocated VNĐ640 trillion (US$29 billion) in a five-year investment boost approved by the cabinet yesterday.

The three programmes fall under the purview of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The resolution passed yesterday covers investment plans for 21 targeted programmes during the 2016-2020 period.

Other major allocations in the plan include VNĐ42 trillion ($2 billion) to the Ministry of Health for developing public health care programmes at the grassroots level.

The Ministry of Public Security will manage an investment of VNĐ9 trillion ($414 million) to improve traffic safety, fire-fighting and crime prevention, including drug abuse.

The plan allocates VNĐ27 trillion ($1.2 billion) to the Defence Ministry for developing the national defence industry and the Ministry of Investment and Planning will manage four programmes worth nearly VNĐ282 trillion ($13 billion) to develop coastal infrastructure, high-tech industrial zones and border economic zones.

The development of education in remote and mountain areas as well as a programme to promote vocational training and labour safety nation-wide have been allocated around VNĐ5 trillion ($225 million) and VNĐ27 trillion ($1.2 billion) respectively. These projects will be managed by the ministries of Education and Training (MoET) and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

Others ministries including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Information and Communication, and Trade and Industry will manage a total investment worth about VNĐ58.5 trillion (US$2.6 billion) for environmental protection, electricity supply to islands as well as rural and mountainous areas, and Information Technology development.

Yesterday’s cabinet meeting also discussed amendments and supplements to trade and investment laws, and to laws supporting small and medium enterprises.

 These discussions covered several areas including investment, land use, construction, environmental protection, tax administration, advertising, mining and urban planning. 

SOE equitisation

Ministries, the State Capital Investment Corporation and relevant agencies must be aware of group interests and act against corruption in the equitisation of State-owned enterprises (SOEs), Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said.

Ministries and relevant agencies should perform their duties in a strict manner to avoid corruption in order to develop a transparent and incorruptible government, Phúc said at a meeting on Monday.

The meeting was organised to discuss the State divestment of SOEs such as the Sài Gòn Beer Alcohol Beverage JSC (Sabeco), Hà Nội Beer Alcohol Beverage JSC (Habeco) and Việt Nam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk).

The issue has recently been the focus of the people and public media as the State holds a large value of ownership in those companies, with 90 per cent in each of the beverage producers and nearly half of Vinamilk.

The equitisation of SOEs must follow the Enterprise Law and the Law on Securities to bring the best benefits to the State and the country, the Prime Minister said.

The State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC), is now managing the State’s holdings in the SOEs such as Vinamilk on behalf of the government.

Ministries, sectors and government agencies must keep a close watch on SCIC’s operations, help the corporation seek the best opportunities to sell the State’s ownership in SOEs at the highest prices and prevent the loss of state capital in those companies, according to the prime minister.

Regarding the State’s divestment from Sabeco and Habeco, the Prime Minister said that the two beverage producers must be listed on the stock exchange before the rest of the State’s holdings are sold.

The evaluation of the two beverage companies must be determined by the public bidding competition and the value of land property must be calculated separately from the firms’ values, Phúc said, while adding that highly reliable consultancy firms are needed to prevent the loss of the State’s investment in the firms.

The State divestment of Sabeco and Habeco should be competitive and equal between Vietnamese and foreign investors, while the national brand of Sài Gòn Beer and Hà Nội Beer must be preserved after the divestment. – VNS