Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung chaired the Government’s monthly meeting on June 29, requesting ministries, sectors, and localities employ concrete measures to increase socio-economic performance in the last half of 2015.

At the function, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh reported that Vietnam’s economy was on a recovery track in the first half of 2015 with rising indexes from a year earlier.

He noted macro-economic stability and the low consumer price index growth rate, adding that gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter grew faster than in the first and the six-month GDP growth rate hit a five-year high of 6.28 percent.

He also highlighted increases in industries, especially processing and manufacturing, exports, and imports of materials and machinery for production activities. Credit hiked up from the same period last year while lending interest rates were stabilised and declined from late 2014, facilitating company access to loans.

Over the period, moves to ensure social welfare were effectively implemented and political security and social order were sustained, Vinh noted.

His report also pointed out a number of difficulties, including slower growth in agriculture and fisheries, a fall in exports by domestic businesses, unsustainable poverty elimination in some localities and the high household poverty rate in ethnic minority communities.

During the following discussion, PM Nguyen Tan Dung said to see improved socio-economic performance in the next six months, ministries, sectors and localities must bring their sense of responsibility into play.

He told officials to scrutinise and clarify problems and shortcomings facing their sectors and localities to devise efficient solutions.

The leader also underscored the importance of Government Resolution No. 19/NQ-CP dated March 12, 2015 on main tasks and measures to improve the business climate and national competitiveness, telling officials to straightforwardly review resolution implementation and promote it moving forward.

“If we fail to enhance national competitiveness amidst a market economy and strong international integration, it will be difficult to meet the goal of fast and sustainable development,” he noted.