HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc yesterday expressed gratitude for war martyrs and former leaders of localities, saying their contributions would keep the revolutionary flame alive.

Meeting in Đà Nẵng City with nearly 100 leaders and former leaders of cities and provinces in the central region, he said the former leaders would always serve as examples for local revolutionary movements and thanked them for offering frank and sincere opinions towards forging a healthy Party and Government.

PM Phúc said he was convinced that the central region would continue fostering competent officials, contributing to the development of the region in particular and the country as a whole.

As the nation and the world faced certain challenges, under the leadership of the Party, management of the Government, and governance of localities, the country concentrated its resources and brought into full play the people’s talents to reach new development stages, he said.

“In 2016, Việt Nam gained key economic indicators beyond expectations, which will form the foundation for completing the five-year 2016-2020 plan set out by the 12^th National Party Congress,” he said

The number of newly-established enterprises has gone up in all localities nation-wide, reported chinhphu.vn, the government’s e-newspaper.

2016 saw about 110,000 new enterprises and another 27,000 enterprises reopen. Registered capital was almost 50 per cent higher than the previous year. Foreign direct investment into Việt Nam increased by US$18 billion with numerous large-scale projects pouring into the central provinces of Thừa Thiên-Huế, Đà Nẵng and Quảng Nam.

At the same time, due attention was paid to social security and assistance for impoverished and disaster-stricken households.

The PM said people’s incomes had increased across the country and the living standards of the poor and those living in remote and underprivileged areas had risen.

“Party building has also been seriously pursued through the issuance of the Resolution No 4 on strengthening Party-building and rectification work, preventing ideological, ethical and lifestyle degradation and promoting ‘self-evolution’ and ‘self-transformation’ within the Party,” Phúc told the audience.

“The Resolution is being implemented by all Party cells and committees so the Party will serve as both the leader and servant of the people,” he added.

Also yesterday, the PM visited the Heroic Mothers Memorial and met with families eligible for preferential treatment policies thanks to their family members’ contributions to the cause of national independence in Quảng Nam Province. — VNS