Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng speaks at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee yesterday.— VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đức

HÀ NỘI — Despite many challenges and difficulties, Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements in 2019 had been positive, said Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee yesterday.
During the meeting, members of the committee listened to a report by the MPI on the implementation of the socio-economic development plan for 2019.
Minister Nguyễn Chí Dũng said the objectives set by the National Assembly had been achieved, while the macro-economy had remained stable with GDP growth at 6.8 per cent.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic Committee Vũ Hồng Thanh said the results were down to the entire political system’s efforts and the contribution of the business community and society.
In order to maintain these achievements and ensure sustainable economic development, the NA's Economic Committee proposed analysing the motivation and quality of growth, assess the status and impact of science and technology on economic growth, and analyse gross national income for a full assessment of the economy.
The committee said it was necessary to take a closer look at the factors affecting the growth rate of goods exported to the US and the trade deficit with China.
Regarding corruption, Chairman of the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee Lê Thị Nga said the situation of petty corruption had changed for the better but had not been thorough enough. At the same time, major corruption cases and interest groups remained pressing issues.
Nga suggested the Government should set up an agency to study wrongdoing and corruption. This specialised agency would conduct macro-level research to show the path of major corruption cases.
To effectively prevent corruption, Nga said another solution would be to control the incomes of people and officials.
Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Đỗ Bá Tỵ suggested reviewing and clarifying the causes of untackled issues in order to find solutions.
He also said thorough analysis of the US-China trade war should be considered since this was having a major impact on Việt Nam’s economy.
“There’re no signs this war will be cooling down anytime soon, and it has tremendous influence on not only Việt Nam but also global economies,” he said.
He also mentioned urgent problems like drug trafficking, road accidents and pollution, and asked for precise assessments.
“The more precise evaluation and analysis we have, the better we can cope with these situations,” he said.--VNS