Members of the HCM City People’s Council vote on resolutions at a meeting that finished on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Khu

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Council adopted a number of resolutions at a session that closed on Saturday, including one to reduce the budgets of departments and districts this year.

The overall city budget will shrink by VNĐ2.5 trillion (US$108 million), including a VNĐ26.6 billion cut in salaries.

The other resolutions included one on laying off 2,299 employees working in communes, wards and towns but are not specialised in any field. They will receive total severance compensation of VNĐ120 billion ($5.1 million).

A resolution on improving public transport and reducing private vehicles was also adopted at the council’s 20th meeting.

In 2021-25 the city will focus on running enough buses to meet 15 per cent of travel demand by 2025 and increase that to 25 per cent by 2030. Toll will be collected from cars entering the city’s central areas.

A programme to provide milk to kindergartens and primary schools will continue to improve the nutrition and physical stature of children. It was first started in 2018 and ends this year.

It has been temporarily shelved due to COVID-19, and will resume in September and October benefiting children in kindergarten and first grade in the 10 districts of 9, 12, Thủ Đức, Tân Phú, Bình Tân, Củ Chi, Hóc Môn, Nhà Bè, Cần Giờ and Bình Chánh.

Children of those ages living in public and private social welfare centres will also get milk under the programme.

It will be expanded to all 24 districts in November and December.

At the meeting, Nguyễn Thị Lệ, chairwoman of the People’s Council, hailed the efforts of the city People’s Committee in carrying out socio-economic, cultural and other tasks in the first half-year, and said it has plans in place for the remaining six months too.

Lê Thanh Liêm, standing vice chairman of the People’s Committee, said the city’s total revenues in the first six months topped VNĐ163 trillion ($7 billion), or 40.2 per cent of the target.

Its gross domestic product grew by an estimated 2 per cent compared year-on-year and revenues from retail sales and services were 10 per cent up at VNĐ614.6 trillion, he said.

Its provincial competitiveness index ranking had risen to ‘good’ in 2019 from ‘fairly competitive’ the previous year, showing the efforts taken to improve the investment and business environment and quality of public services, but the improvement was inadequate, he said.

IT is being used to simplify and shorten procedures for public services, he said.

“The People’s Committee will strengthen its dialogue with enterprises to resolve their difficulties related especially to capital and technological renovation.

“It will connect manufacturers with each other and with suppliers. It will also help enterprises link up with those in other provinces and countries.” 

Party Committee Secretary Nguyễn Thiện Nhân said the city has maintained its role as the country’s economic spearhead for the last 20 years.

It has adopted new development models such as digital transformation, he said.

In the remaining part of this year the city would have to remain on guard to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

“Relevant agencies and local authorities should work closer together to resolve the public’s problems and speed up public investment.”

By the end of August all 8,500 enterprises faced with difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic would receive assistance to mitigate the difficulties caused by the pandemic, he added. — VNS