Government seeks ways to contain COVID-19 outbreaks, care for people during Tet

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaking at the meeting (Photo: NDO/Tran Hai)

In his opening remarks, PM Phuc said the meeting followed the successful organisation of the 13th National Party Congress, which formally adopted many important Party documents, creating the foundation for further national development in the time ahead.

Talking about the new COVID-19 outbreaks, he noted 271 locally-infected cases have been recorded in 10 provinces and cities nationwide since January 27, adding that the Government, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the Ministry of Health, and localities have taken concerted and drastic action to respond to the pandemic.

Although there remain certain complex developments, the outbreaks have been basically brought under control, he said, asking Government members to deliberate the allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine to people in the first quarter of 2021.

Telling officials to discuss the measures needed in the context of the new coronavirus outbreaks’ impacts on the economy, PM Phuc emphasised the importance of both capitalising on opportunities and creating a more favourable environment to attract both domestic and foreign investment, particularly from tech firms like Foxconn, and encouraging others such as Intel and Samsung to expand their projects.

He requested the promotion of “three new economic spaces”: the domestic economy with its market of nearly 100 million people, the international economy with a number of free trade agreements signed, and the digital economy.

Data from the General Statistics Office (GSO) showed that the economy continued recovering in January, most clearly in industrial production - up 22.2% from a year earlier, most notably with a rise of over 27% in the processing - manufacturing industry.

Retail sales and consumer service revenue also increased 3.7% month-on-month and 6.4% year-on-year to VND 479.9 trillion (US$20.8 billion).

Other figures also revealed improvements in the economy compared to the same period last year. Trade revenue in January grew 45.2% to about US$ 53.9 billion. This includes US$27 billion in exports, up 46.7%, and US$26.9 billion in imports, up 43.7%, resulting in a trade surplus of US$ 100 million.

During its meeting, the Government looked into Tet preparations, the proposed law and ordinance making programme for 2022 and revisions to the law and ordinance making programme for 2021, as well as some other issues.

Source: NDO