Assembly to lower growth targets

16:50' 23/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – The National Assembly needs to reduce its 2008 economic growth targets from 8.5-9 to 7% at the 3rd session of the 12th NA held next May.
Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc.
Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc made the proposal on behalf of the Government at the working session of the NA Standing Committee yesterday.
Phuc said changes in the global and domestic economic climate from the end of last year have created many difficulties, and the Government has to adjust economic growth targets appropriately this year.
Phuc said the country's major task was to control inflation, as well as maintain the macro-economy and assure social welfare and sustainable development.
Phuc said the Government would focus efforts on eradicating hunger, reducing poverty, stabilising living conditions for the poor and residents in mountainous, ethnic minority areas and areas hit by recent natural disasters and price changes.
In the current economic climate, achieving these aims would be all the more challenging, the minister said, especially in regards to controlling inflation. To assure the implementation of sustainable economic growth along with stable living conditions, the Government would pursue the following tactics;
to implement monetary policy firmly, actively and flexibly;
boost budget collections and raise efficiency of the use of State budget capital; apply measures to manage the cost of consumer goods, and effectively organise domestic trade;
control elements that form monopoly prices;
boost exports and reduce trade surplus;
solve difficulties to assure that investment, production and business can develop sustainably;
and boost measures to assure social welfare and stabilise living conditions.
Phuc said four Government targets were not fulfilled last year, including creating added value on agriculture, the forestry and fishery sector; increasing total import turnover; harnessing the increase of the consumer price index; and reducing of the birth rate. The other 19 targets gained or exceeded the plan, he said.
According to his report, last year 271 enterprises were rearranged, 150 of which were equitised. In 2007 the country had more than 58,000 newly-registered businesses, with total registered capital of VND489tril.
VND505tril (US$31.5mil) was mobilised to invest in development last year, accounting for 44% of GDP.
More money needed
The National Assembly heard on Monday that cities and provinces would need more time and funding to develop rehabilitation programmes and create jobs for former drug users.
A National Assembly resolution, that came into effect August 1, 2003, and set to expire on the first day of August this year, prompted the evaluation of projects helping drug users rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.
In reviewing requirements for seven central cities and provinces to create new management models, vocational training programmes and job creation for rehabilitated drug users, only HCM City had implemented given targets on time. Overall, limitations in health status, education level, vocational training and discipline were still reported among former drug users.
Two key reports presented at the session included suggestions for improvement. Cities and provinces involved with the resolution were required to design pilot projects on their own and submit them to the Government for approval. This resulted in varying start dates for projects.
According to a Government report by Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, the varying start dates did not keep the cities and provinces from developing successful projects.
Her report did, however, state that only Hanoi and HCM City had enough funds to implement their projects; it was also recommended the resolution's validity be extended until 2010 to give targeted cities and provinces enough time to fulfil their targets.
The report emphasised it takes most former drug users a full 24 months to be rehabilitated. It was recommended that some laws be amended to help rehabilitated drug users, such as the possibility to continue treatment and detoxification programmes after the two year period if the drug habit has not been completely kicked.

The report produced by the NA Social Affairs Committee largely agreed with the Government's report. Both reports will be presented to inform opinions in the NA this coming May.

HCM City was the first locality to implement its rehab project and has invested in building 20 rehabilitation centres and schools for 30,000 drug users. Before the resolution, HCM City only had five centres with 8,000 people.

The HCM City People's Committee reported that more than 60 businesses provide vocational training and employ drug users at rehabilitation centres.

These centres have generated jobs for nearly 18,000 current and rehabilitated drug users at present.

According to the Government's report, the number of new drug users increased by several hundred between 2007 and 2008.