Nguyễn Thành Phong, chairman of the People’s Committee, speaks during an online meeting on June 11. Photo courtesy of the HCM City Press Centre

HCM CITY — HCM City authorities have set up a working team responsible for buying COVID-19 vaccines for at least two-thirds of its population by year-end, said Nguyễn Thành Phong, chairman of the People’s Committee, during an online meeting on June 11.

Speaking about the city’s economic development in the first five months of the year, Phong said the city would speed up the vaccination drive by encouraging the business community to connect with suppliers. 

The city had achieved “remarkable results” in its implementation of its “dual goal” of maintaining the economy while applying strict COVID preventive measures in the first five months, he said.

“The city will continue its flexible economic management and pandemic prevention measures.”

Since the fourth wave that began in late April, the city has detected more than 630 locally transmitted cases, ranking third in the country. The cases have been mostly related to the Gò Vấp District cluster. 

Phong said the outbreak was basically under control, but warned that the situation remained unpredictable because infection chains without known sources of infection continue to occur.

The city will continue to take serious measures to contain the spread. It has banned religious and group activities, suspended citizen-identification granting procedures, and postponed the entrance exam for 10th grade until further notice, among other social-distancing measures. 

The city plans to offer another support package for companies and workers affected by the outbreak, according to Phong.

Since the beginning of 2021, some 1,365 firms in the city have been affected, with more than 42,500 workers losing their jobs, according to the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

More than 400 companies are in urgent need of preferential loans for wage payments to workers to maintain their business operations.

More than 2,270 enterprises completed dissolution procedures in the first five months of the year (up 4.99 per cent year-on-year), and 9,308 enterprises temporarily suspended operations (up 22.99 per cent year-on-year).

Key projects 

Phong said the city would also set up a working group to speed up the progress of major traffic projects.

The city had asked the Department of Transport to report on seaport toll collection to the People’s Committee, and would continue to accelerate implementation of digital transformation and smart city projects. It would also strengthen fire and explosion prevention measures. 

Lê Thị Huỳnh Mai, director of the Department of Planning and Investment, said the city’s total retail sales of consumer goods and services in the first five months were up 8.9 per cent year-on-year. Accommodation and catering service sales increased in the period by 30.8 per cent year-on-year.

Exports reached $19.63 billion in the first five months, up 15.1 per cent year-on-year. Total state budget revenue was estimated at more than VNĐ174 trillion, up 22.8 per cent year-on-year.

Of the figure, exports of hi-tech products at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park reached $8.37 billion in the first five months, up 26.5 per cent year-on-year.  

The industrial production index (IIP) increased by 7.4 per cent over the same period. As many as 6,461 enterprises resumed operation in the period. — VNS