Workers at a garment-textile firm in HCM City (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – The southern economichub of Ho Chi Minh City has spent 465 billion VND (20.2 million USD) supportingmore than 336,550 business households and employees seriously affectedCOVID-19, according to Director of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalidsand Social Affairs Le Minh Tan.
Speaking at a press conference on June 4, Tanreported that 47,533 workers of 2,862 enterprises in the city are being laid offas a result of the pandemic. Local authorities have provided assistance for20,000 employees, he said.
Earlier, Chairman of the municipal People’sCommittee Nguyen Thanh Phong had requested more efforts to perform the dualtask of recovering the economy while fighting COVID-19.
He said short-term measures will helpbusinesses survive in the market in the first stage. Later, the city’s economyand market will be restructured to serve post-pandemic development.
About long-term policy, the city will optimisepublic investment by fiscal measures, ensure social welfare for all citizensand help workers keep their jobs, he added.
According to the municipal Department ofPlanning and Investment, the total retail of goods and services in the citysurpassed 506 trillion VND in the first five months of this year, down 4.9percent year-on-year.
The city’s industrial production index went down7.16 percent annually.
However, its exports rose by 6.3 percent yearlyto about 17 billion USD, mostly thanks to increases in earnings from computers,electronics and spare parts, vegetables and fruits.
The output of agro-forestry-fisheries topped 5trillion VND during the five months, up 2.2 percent year-on-year.
Among four key industries, electronics grew by11.83 percent while chemicals, rubber and plastics expanded by 8.37 percent./.
VNA
