HCM CITY — HCM City’s economic performance in the first five months of the year has been rock steady.

Exports have gone up in comparison with the same period last year.

International and domestic investment in the city continues to grow, with the latter surging by 2.4 times. FDI was worth nearly $1.37 billion, an increase of 45.8 per cent.

Job creation, vocational training and support for poor people have been efficient to ensure social welfare.

The city’s revenues were VNĐ147.5 trillion (US$6.6 billion), an increase of 18.4 per cent.

Total exports turnover of enterprises in the city was around $14 billion, an increase of 17.1 per cent compared with the same period in 2016.

The star performers were rubber whose export value rose by 39.8 per cent, computers and electronic equipment (67.3 per cent), and transport vehicles and accessories (95.1 per cent).

Imports cost $16.6 billion, an increase of 18 per cent.

Services and retail sales grew by 10.6 per cent and industrial output increased by 7.1 per cent.

Some 15,492 new companies with a combined registered capital of VNĐ453.6 trillion ($20 billion) were licensed in the first five months, 2.4 times the number incorporated in the same period last year.

“The rainy season is approaching and the flooding situation is still bad,” Võ Văn Hoan, head of the Office of the People’s Committee, said.

“Encroachment of the drainage system should be dealt with.”

After a meeting held on Monday to review the socio-economic performance, a reporter asked why the city’s campaign to clear pavements of encroachers and hawkers seems to have gone quiet.

He replied that the next measures have been thoroughly considered for implementation to ensure poor people are not affected while also maintaining urban order.

“The city will soon announce parking regulations with fixed fees. The management will be improved through technology and cameras.”

When another reporter asked about the quality of the nearly 250km of Chinese pipes used in the city’s water supply system -- or 53 per cent – a Department of Transport official assured that all pipes meet safety criteria and the water quality is often checked.

He revealed that the department plans to recommend a temporary halt to licensing of ride hailing companies to reduce the number of cars on the streets.

An official from the city Anti-Flooding Centre reported that the centre maintains 80 per cent of the drainage system, 10.3km of canals and all water pumping stations.

“We have arranged for workers to clean the drainage system during heavy rains but encroachment of the drainage network is severe.” 

City’s intelligentsia urged to boost development

Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Nguyễn Thiện Nhân urged professionals and intellectuals to continue making significant contributions to socio-economic development while speaking with more than 120 professionals on Sunday about the importance of their ideas and contributions to the city as well as country.

He said that effective planning to develop public transportation and IT infrastructure were especially critical in today’s economy.

He recommended that the city promote connections between universities and businesses and provide more funds to universities for research purposes and practical application.

Nhân asked the attendees to suggest ways in which civil servants could better serve the public.

Noting that the private sector should be growing faster, he asked for suggestions on how to spur growth.

Nhân emphasised the important roles of human resources, land resources and foreign, private and State-owned enterprises.

Nhân said the Government must be transparent and that civil servants must listen to the public and satisfy their needs.

HCM City has around two million workers, of which 30 per cent are university graduates. The city has 600,000 university students.

To become a “smart” city, he said that HCM City needs smart administration, smart citizens who can suggest ways to improve the city and government, smart enterprises that can contribute to planning, and smart services that meet both social and personal needs.

In addition, the city needs to resolve the problems of flooding, pollution, traffic jams and crime, while increasing income per capita and quality of life. — VNS