Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc delivers speech at a Cabinet regular monthly meeting yesterday. — Photo VGP

HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc yesterday emphasised the importance of reforming working methods inside the Government at a Cabinet regular monthly meeting, which convened on Tuesday.

He made the comment during a session to discuss a draft decree on working regulations for the new Government, which will serve as a framework for ministries and sectors to follow.

PM Phúc highlighted the need to improve the transparency of Government activities.

He requested a reduction in the number of meetings, saying that government officials should understand daily life.

“It is difficult to come up with new models and practical policies if we only sit at our desks,” he said.

While pointing out that co-ordination between ministries and sectors remained poor, he asked that the decree include concrete regulations on co-ordination mechanisms and ministers’ responsibilities in co-operating with each other to compile policies.

He also emphasised the role of ministers as a ‘commander-in-chief’ of each sector from grassroots to central level.

“Wherever there is an event in the sector you are in charge of, you need to supervise it. You are not supposed to just work at your ministry,” PM Phúc said.

He also asked the Government’s Office to intensify supervision of ministries and localities in implementing tasks assigned by the Government. 

Addressing frequent delays at ministries, he urged government officials speed up by using the internet.

He asked for greater use of information technology in organising Government activities as well as the PM and deputy PMs’ management work, saying that it would save time.

Social economic efforts

In yesterday’s session, the Cabinet discussed the social and economic situation in the first eight months of 2016.

The consumer price index (CPI) was a highlight of August’s macro economy, with a rise of 0.1 per cent over July. The CPI of the first eight months rose by 1.91 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Total State budget revenues by mid August were nearly VNĐ604 trillion (US$26.8 billion), equivalent to 59.5 per cent of the estimated revenues of the whole year.

Foreign direct investment continued to rebound with total registered capital in the first eight months of nearly $14.4 billion, of which nearly $9.8 billion was for implementing projects. Newly-registered enterprises increased by 19.7 per cent.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, of the 13 targets of social and economic development set for this year, 11 targets would possibly be reached or exceeded, with two targets likely to be missed.

One targets set to be missed is achieving gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.7 per cent. The ministry blamed the likely failure on the decline of crude oil and disasters such as frost, drought, saline intrusion, storms and floods that adversely affected agricultural production.

Another target which will be difficult to achieve is increasing exports by 10 per cent due to reduced fish catches, the decline in global oil prices and a drop in price of the country’s major exports.

Cabinet members said the country was also struggling with high public debt, slow bad debts payments and a decreased industrial production index.

In his speech to conclude the 2nd session of the Government’s new term, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said that the people want to see concrete results from what the Government had promised.

He cited a World Bank report indicating that the investment environment ranking of the country rose from 93 to 90 out of 189 economies, while the index for start-up business rose from 125 to 119 and access to credit index rose from 36 to 28.

“These are bits of good news, but now it is important to turn that spirit into actions,” Phúc stressed.

Investment environment

The PM asked ministers and local authorities to regularly check the implementation of the Government’s resolution to support businesses and improve the investment environment.

“We must have desire and determination to reform the investment environment in Việt Nam, to eliminate all barriers to create favourable conditions for businesses and citizens to invest," he stressed.

Phúc also reminded the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the People’s Committee of central Hà Tĩnh Province to clarify responsibility in the Formosa case, in which the Taiwan-invested steel project was found to have polluted the sea environment.

Regarding the on-going equitisation of State-owned enterprises, the Prime Minister said that the Government would carry out measures to maximise the benefits of the State, ensure fairness to investors and create social trust. — VNS