Border guards in the southern province of Cà Mau on a patrol duty to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has signed a dispatch on removing obstacles and promoting agricultural production and consumption, implementing three national target programmes, and fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The document points out challenges to national growth and the domestic agricultural sector, with high material prices and narrowed markets, saying no remarkable improvements have been seen in the IUU combat.

The implementation of the national target programmes, which cover socio-economic development in ethnic-inhabited and mountainous areas, sustainable poverty reduction, and new-style rural area building, remains stagnant.

The PM said that such difficulties were expected to linger. He called on ministers, heads of ministerial and government agencies and chairpersons of People’s Committees of cities and provinces to boost agricultural production and trade.

The leader stressed that attention should be paid to administrative reform to attract more investments in agriculture and rural areas, targeting high-tech firms specialised in intensive processing.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment will coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and relevant agencies to quickly perfect the decree amending and supplementing some articles of a decree on mechanisms and policies encouraging investments in agriculture and rural areas, the document says.

More heed is also needed in the three growth engines of domestic consumption, export and investment.

Digital transformation and high-tech applications should be stepped up to raise production values, efficiency, and competitiveness of Vietnamese products, according to the dispatch.

The Ministry of Science and Technology will coordinate with other relevant ministries and agencies to complete the draft decree on high-tech parks and submit it to the Government this quarter.

The dispatch also highlights product diversification, intensive processing, the “One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme, trade promotion, market expansion and trade remedies.

For the IUU fishing combat, the dispatch calls for more drastic actions and thorough preparations for the fourth inspection by the European Commission (EC), slated to take place from May 25-31.

Strong measures will be taken to handle violations of fishing regulations by individuals and organisations, and inspections will be intensified to prevent and end such violations.

The provinces of Bình Định, Khánh Hoà, Bình Thuận, and Kiên Giang, whose fishing boats have infringed on foreign waters, are asked to identify the responsibility of leaders.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Finance, Transport, Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of National Defence are ordered to take measures against IUU fishing.

Regarding implementing the national target programmes, the dispatch urges the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs to quickly complete amendments and supplements, or the issuance of circulars and documents guiding the work this month, saying specific breakthroughs should be made in the second and third quarters of this year. — VNS