Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (third, from right) speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on January 17 urgedthe industry and trade sector to continue speeding up reforms so as to surpassall targets set by the National Assembly, thus creating a long-term and firmfoundation for national economic development.
Attending the sector’s conference to outlineits tasks for 2019, PM Phuc hailed its intensive administrative procedurereform with 72.1 percent of business conditions cut down, which, he said, hashelped facilitate production and the development of enterprises.
He also appreciated the Ministry ofIndustry and Trade’s efforts in contributing to the nation’s growth.
However, he pointed out severalshortcomings facing the sector, including the slow implementation of severalplans and the asynchronous revision of some others that have knock-on effectsfor the country’s general development.
The industrial sector has yet to meetnational economic development requirements as there is currently no spearheadindustry that can really take the lead and improve national competitiveness.Meanwhile, there are still issues that persist relating to digitalisation inindustrial production and trade that need to be tackled soon, he added.
Minister of Industry and Trade Tran TuanAnh said that the ministry will focus on building and completing institutionsin 2019 to create favourable conditions for business and investment activities.
Continued attention will be paid to cuttingdown business and investment conditions, simplifying administrative procedures,and increasing the quality of online public services, Anh stated.
He affirmed that this year, the ministrywill reduce and simplify 79 administrative procedures, and strive for 173 outof 291 online public services provided for at level 3 and 4 by the end of 2019.
The sector will also speed up restructuringin accordance with a project approved by the Prime Minister, while fosteringinnovation and implementing the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
It will also carry out mechanisms,policies, and measures to ensure the country’s socio-economic development in along term and sustainable manner on the basis of mobilising the engagement ofthe private sector. It will also work with the Committee for the Management ofState Capital at Enterprises (CMSC) to handle ineffective and slow-progressprojects.
The minister added that the ministry willfocus on solving issues related to exports, trade promotion, and foreign marketexpansion, as well as synchronously addressing problems arising ininternational trade such as trade barriers, and anti-subsidy and anti-dumpingpolicies imposed on Vietnam’s exports.
The industry and trade sector expects to contributeto the nation’s GDP growth rate of 6.8 percent in 2019 by increasing the totalexport turnover by 8-10 percent to reach 265 billion USD. The trade deficit willcontinue to be kept below 2 percent. –VNA
VNA
