Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Feb. 11 issued a dispatch asking ministries, agencies and localities to continue taking comprehensive measures to stabilise the macro economy, curb inflation, speed up production and investment as well as ensure social security after the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

According to the dispatch, the PM asks the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to coordinate with the municipal and provincial People’s Committees in steering the organisation of festivals in order to promote traditions and national cultural identities practically and healthily.

He requests the Ministries of Public Security and Transport should drastically implement measures to minimise traffic accidents and congestions.

The Ministry of Public Security is also asked to strengthen measures to thwart criminals and social evils, and to ensure social order and security after Tet.

The dispatch urges relevant ministries and localities to provide support for poor people during the between-crops period.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is requested to ensure the production and sufficient supply of electricity while speeding up the implementation of power-generating production and effectively implement measures to save electricity.

It should direct groups, corporations and businesses to step up production, minimise costs and reduce product prices, as well as solve difficulties for exports, says the document.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should guide localities to prepare enough seed for the winter-spring crop and provide timely support for households who had buffaloes and cows die during the recent prolonged cold spell.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), in coordination with the Ministry of Finance (MoF), will have to supervise and speed up the capital allocation for projects and works, especially those funded by the State budget and Government bonds.

MPI is also urged to coordinate with localities to strengthen foreign investment attraction in key projects and works in such fields as support industries and hi-tech.

The State Bank of Vietnam should keep a close watch on the developments of the domestic and international monetary markets, actively implement measures to control interest rates and have suitable monetary policies for the country’s situation and macroeconomic management objectives in 2011.

The MoF is asked to cooperate with the MoIT in implementing roadmaps to adjust prices of essential goods such as electricity, coal, oil and gas under the market mechanism, as well as policies for poor people.

The two ministries are asked to submit a new electricity price project to the Prime Minister for approval, in order to put the project into use in March this year./.