The country’s largest economic hub, Ho Chi Minh City, tries to achieve a GDP growth of 9.5-10 percent in 2014, 1.5 times higher than the national rate.

The goal was reconfirmed by Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan at the 16th meeting of the Party Committee on December 4.

To achieve that, it is important to accelerate the implementation of a programme to support economic restructuring, improve the business environment and raise the enterprises’ competitiveness, according to the chairman.

The city’s GDP growth is estimated at 9.3 percent and GDP per capita at 4,513 USD this year, according to a socio-economic report presented by Chairman Quan.

Regarding the poverty reduction programme, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Dua said the city helped 120,000 poor households in their business and production in the 2009-2012 period.

By the end of 2013, 20,000 households escaped from poverty, thus reducing the poverty rate in the city to 1 percent and fulfilling the target of the 2009-2015 programme two years ahead the schedule, he said.

The meeting, chaired by Secretary of the Party Committee Le Thanh Hai, will last until December 5.-VNA