Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính speaks at the Government meeting on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has ordered an all-out campaign to rebuild thousands of homes destroyed in this year’s historic floods, warning that hard-hit families in central Việt Nam must not be left without shelter as the Lunar New Year approaches.

PM Chính issued the directive on Saturday at the Government’s monthly meeting, where ministers reviewed the aftermath of storms and floods that have killed more than 400 people and caused nearly VNĐ100 trillion (US$3.8 billion) in losses – the equivalent of up to 0.8 per cent of national GDP.

Despite the scale of the destruction, the PM said the wider economy had continued to strengthen through November.

Inflation remained broadly contained, he said, while the country’s macroeconomic position held firm even through weeks of extreme weather.

The latest data underscored that resilience: consumer price index (CPI) in the first 11 months rose 3.3 per cent annually; state revenues surged by nearly 31 per cent; and import–export turnover climbed to an estimated US$840 billion, leaving Việt Nam with a trade surplus of $20.5 billion.

Investment also proved buoyant, with foreign investment pledges rising to $33.7 billion and public investment disbursement reaching roughly three-fifths of the annual plan.

Several provinces and cities, notably Quảng Ninh, Hải Phòng and Ninh Bình, are on track for double-digit growth, while major transport and energy projects have accelerated, backed by more than VNĐ1.2 quadrillion ($45.5 billion) in funding.

Yet officials acknowledged that Việt Nam faces mounting challenges: global demand remains uncertain, some flagship projects continue to lag, pollution levels in major cities persist and online fraud and high-tech crime are becoming harder to contain.

The lingering effects of storms and landslides have also slowed tourism and other service industries in badly affected regions.

PM Chính demanded that local governments finish repairing more than 34,000 damaged homes by 31 December and complete the construction of 1,628 new houses for families who lost everything – a deadline set for 30 January, just ahead of the Lunar New Year.

"No one should be left behind. Everyone must have a home, and every home must have Tết," he said.

He urged ministries to restore essential infrastructure, deliver food and medicines to isolated households and support farmers with seeds, livestock and veterinary supplies.

Localities were told to mobilise every available resource to restart production, protect livelihoods and compile a full accounting of storm damage.

The Government has allocated nearly VNĐ6.8 trillion ($258 million) in emergency budget support this year and recently approved the creation of a National Housing Fund to accelerate social-housing construction. 

PM Chính outlined ten major priorities for 2026 and the remainder of the current planning cycle.

They include maintaining macroeconomic stability through closer coordination of monetary and fiscal policy; ensuring full disbursement of public-investment funds; expanding the domestic market, particularly e-commerce; and stimulating consumption during the year-end trading season.

He pressed ministries to speed up FTA negotiations, diversify export markets and push – as a matter of urgency – for the EU to lift its IUU 'yellow card' on Việt Nam’s seafood sector.

He also called for stronger investment in emerging industries such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence and renewable energy, alongside greater regional planning, urban development and early exploration of underground, maritime and outer-space infrastructure.

PM Chính urged the rapid implementation of several new Politburo resolutions and asked ministries to submit additional proposals on state-sector reform, foreign investment and cultural development.

Administrative procedures must be overhauled, he said, in line with the country’s two-tier local-government model.

Stalled and long-delayed projects must be resolved decisively, he added, instructing the State Bank to press ahead with the restructuring of weak commercial banks and the Ministry of Finance to prepare mechanisms to clear nearly 3,000 pending investment files.

National defence, foreign relations and public communications also featured in his closing remarks. PM Chính called for more proactive diplomacy, stronger security preparedness and information campaigns that 'promote the positive and push back the negative' in the face of misinformation and online extremism.

As the meeting ended, he urged ministers and provincial leaders to 'work with full responsibility and effort' to meet this year’s targets and build the momentum needed for Việt Nam’s next five-year development cycle – beginning with giving every storm-hit family a roof over their heads before the new year arrives. — VNS