A corner of Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)Speaking at the meeting on April 26, Director of themunicipal Department of Planning and Investment Le Thi Huynh Mai said the city’sIndex of Industrial Production (IIP) in April expanded some 2 percent from theprevious month and 9.7 percent year-on-year.
Its total retail sales of goods and services alsojumped 3.2 percent month-on-month and 6.2 percent year-on-year. Lodging andcatering services increased more than 12 percent and travel services grew over18 percent as compared with March.
In the first four months of this year, the southerneconomic hub’s budget collection was over 168.77 trillion VND (7.34 billionUSD), fulfilling 43.51 percent of the estimate for the whole year and up 13.87 percentyear-on-year.
Its IPP increased 2.6 percent during the four-monthperiod, of which the four main sectors of food processing,pharmaceutical chemicals-rubber-plastic, mechanical engineering, andelectronics rose some 6 percent against the corresponding time last year.
Despite difficulties caused by the COVID-19pandemic, a number of FDI firms are seeking local suppliers, which will be agood opportunity for enterprises operating in support industries to furtherintegrate into the global supply chain and improve their competitiveness, a representativefrom the municipal Department of Planning and Investment said.
Notably, outcomes in pandemic containment andeconomic recovery have helped warm up the tourism market, with foreigntourists in April increasing 100 percent year-on-year to 114,728. The cityearned around 8.76 trillion VND from tourism, a year-on-year rise of26.7 percent.
Since April 25, the municipal Department of Healthhas applied measures to renovate the quarantine at Tan Son NhatInternational Airport, including the exemption of COVID-19 test checks.
As airlinesare required to ensure all passengers are negative for COVID-19, the departmentasked the city’s Centre for Disease Control to skip this process at theairport.
Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the TourismDepartment, said the local tourism sector is also offering new products likecity tours by helicopters and cruise ships to attract more holidaymakers.
Associate Prof. Dr. Tran Hoang Ngan, Director of theHCM City Institute for Development Studies, held that the good control ofCOVID-19 has positively impacted local economic activities.
However, he said, the city should pay more attentionto living standards of labourers, poor households and social policybeneficiaries amid the increasing inflation.
He also suggested HCM City to speed up the implementation ofthe National Assembly’s Resolution No. 43/2022/QH15 on fiscal and monetarypolicies in support of the socio-economic development and recovery programme,along with the Government’s Resolution No. 11/NQ-CP on the programme, making iteasier for enterprises and people to access fiscal and monetary supportpackages.
Chairman of the city People’s Committee Phan Van Maiordered assessing the impacts of price hikes on people, especially low-incomeearners, and accelerating the implementation of support packages for peopleaffected by the pandemic.
Regarding tasks for May, he asked departments andlocalities to continue efforts to fight COVID-19 and dengue, and implementresolutions on socio-economic recovery and development.
The city will focus on organising and participatingin tourism and culture events and activities, with the highlight being the 18thHo Chi Minh City Tourism Festival, according to the official.
The southern metropolis will also work harder tocomplete procedures for the construction of Belt Road 3, and remove obstaclesto the disbursement of public investments, he said./.
VNA
