Hanoi (VNA) – Work to be done in December needs to ensuresocio-economic goals set for 2018 are accomplished or exceeded to create aspringboard for the implementation of 2019 plan, said Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc.

At the Government’s regular monthly meeting for November held in Hanoi on December 3, theGovernment leader said over the past 11 months, ministries and sectorsproactively took prompt and proper countermeasures against complicated globaleconomy effects.

Production and business performance has been faring well and businesses havehad stronger confidence in the country, creating favourable conditions for thefuture socio-economic development, he said.

Localities, ministries and sectors, however, should not becomeneglectful, he said, adding that they need to drastically implement setmeasures and solutions during which office heads need to heighten theirresponsibility, administrative disciplines enhanced, administrative reform spedup, and existing problems addressed.

“Localities, ministries and sectors have to work to persistently safeguard thecountry’s strategic interests,” the leader said.

He noted that all innovative ideas and technology applications that bringwealth for the country and people are welcomed and encouraged, saying thisissue should be a focus of works to be done in not only December, 2018, butalso in the whole 2019.

The work required to be implemented in December included the refining of adraft of Resolution 01 of the Government (Resolution 01/CP), which, the PMsaid, needs to reflect “a high determination and a revolutionary spirit of theGovernment” in accomplishing tasks and plans outlined for 2019.

“The lowest GDP growth rate should be 6.8 percent,” he requested, asking thoseinvolved in compiling Resolution 01/CP to have solutions to unlockingbottlenecks in socio-economic development while achieving a higher growth ratethan that of 2018 with secured macroeconomic stability and growth quality.

“What people want from us is the quality of growth and the handling of socialproblems,” the leader said, asking ministries and sectors to “think out of thebox” and step up technology application in all aspects of life.

The leader asked ministries and sectors to focus on providing sufficient amountof commodities for people in the upcoming Lunar New Year festival 2019,especially gifts and financial assistance for those who rendered services tothe nation. He mentioned to the tasks of ensuring traffic safety and fightingcrimes, trade frauds and smuggling.

He pointed to the need to ensure supply and demand of the market andcredit capital to meet the national economy’s needs in the last month of theyear, reiterating the request to stringently tackle “loan sharks”.

He also repeated the functions and tasks of a special working group headed byDeputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh to inspect the slow handling ofdenunciations lodged by businesses and people at localities.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the macroeconomicsituation remained stable since the beginning of the year.

The consumer price index in November fell by 0.29 percent, the lowest in ninemonths.

Trade surplus hit 6.8 billion USD while there were over 121,000newly-established firms with a total registered capital of 3.4 quadrillion VND(146.2 billion USD) during the 11-month period while nearly 32,000 enterprisesresumed their operations.

More than 14 million foreign tourists arrived in Vietnam in the past 11 months,up 21.3 percent. -VNA