Vietnam has fulfilled its set target of national goods reserves to be used only in urgent cases, the General Department of State Reserves (GDSR) revealed.
Lam Van Thoi, GDSR deputy head, said at a conference in Hanoi on September 25 that among the stockpiled goods, crude oil is purchased domestically and no longer a product benefited from stabilisation programme.
Although the Ministry of Finance has asked for the Government’s permission to reserve 30,000 cubic metres of crude oil, a far cry from the projected figure of 150,000 cubic metres, the target is still under consideration to ensure the State’s budget balance.
Reportedly, the GDSR extracted more than 77,000 tonnes of rice from the stockpiles as relief aid to over 870,000 people in 16 cities and provinces during the Lunar New Year, students in underprivileged areas and drought victims, among others.
By September 20 this year, the general department had provided materials and equipment, including lifebuoys and fire fighting tools, to six ministries and 62 cities and provinces via the National Committee for Research and Rescue.-VNA