(VEN) - With a 90.4 vote in favor on November 9 the National Assembly (NA) adopted the Resolution on Socioeconomic Development Plan for 2012, which describes inflation control as the primary task.
The NA predicted that the world economy would continue changing drastically in 2012. As for Vietnam, weaknesses and disadvantages would expose more clearly, and macro economic managers would face difficulties in harmonizing the needs to stabilize the macro economy, control inflation and maintain the growth momentum. Next year would create both opportunities and challenges requiring the Government to take tough steps and make the most of national internal strength.
The Resolution shows that the Socioeconomic Development Plan for 2012 emphasizes the need to curb inflation, stabilize the macro economy, maintain a proper growth, renew the growth model, restructure the economy, improve competitiveness, ensure social welfare and social security, increase people's living standards, maintain and stabilize the political system, strengthen national defense, ensure national security and social safety, and improve foreign affairs and international integration.
Major economic goals for 2012 are to (1) increase the gross domestic product (GDP) by 6-6.5 percent, (2) increase export earnings by 13 percent, (3) peg the trade deficit at 11-12 percent, (4) reduce the amount of overspent budgets to less than 4.8 percent of the GDP, (5) invest capital equal to 33.5 percent of the GDP in social development and (6) peg the consumer price index (CPI) growth at less than 10 percent.
It is expected that about 1.6 million jobs would be created and that the urban unemployment would drop to about four percent. Trained workers would account for 46 percent of the total workforce. The poverty rate would reduce by two percent and that in poor districts in particular would drop further by four percent. The malnutrition rate among children under five years old would fall to 16.6 percent. The hospital bed coverage rate would be 21.5 beds per 10,000 people, not including hospital beds at commune healthcare stations.
Seventy-nine percent of facilities that have seriously polluted the environment would be treated comprehensively. Seventy percent of waste water treatment systems in industrial zones and export processing zones would meet environmental standards. The forest coverage rate would increase to 41 percent.
For this to happen, the NA asked the Government to quickly complete the master plan for economic restructuring and growth model renewal through increased competitiveness in all sectors throughout the country.
The NA also asked the Government to closely and cautiously apply fiscal, monetary and import-export policies to maintain low and stable monthly CPI growths.
It is expected that excessive state budget revenue in 2011 would make up for excessive budget spending and increase debt payment. The Government would strictly control and minimize import purchases, particularly the import of luxury consumer goods. It also needs to closely watch market prices to ensure supply-demand balance and stabilize the market, increase price law enforcement and market administration to prevent speculation, monopoly, counterfeit and substandard goods.
The Government would continue to bolster industrial development to cater to the demand for domestic consumption and export, particularly regarding added-value service sectors and products that are competitive and are able to take part in the global value chain. Other tasks are to (1) examine and modify the policies on land, taxes, credit, labor and market to draw investment in agriculture and rural areas, (2) overcome natural calamities and epidemics to increase food and foodstuff production, (3) boost farming, forestry and fisheries to help farmers increase income and living standards, (4) set up and develop linkages between production, processing, distribution and consumption of agricultural products and (5) launch rural improvement campaigns in provinces and cities.
The Government would also (1) draw-up incentive policies and mechanisms for the development of industry and trade to facilitate agriculture and rural areas, (2) examine regional industrial development plans to improve the efficiency of industrial zones, (3) invest in new power projects and petrochemical products, (4) promote export-oriented production and (5) improve services to draw foreign tourists. /.