Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and cabinet members reviewed the implementation of Governmental working regulations in 2011 and discussed this year’s working programme at their regular December meeting in Hanoi on Jan. 4.

PM Dung and cabinet members recognised the good points in the Government’s performance last year, including the strict implementation of the Party’s policy and resolution and the timely issue of policies and solutions suitable for the country’s socio-economic development.

The strong and synchronous implementation of a wide range of measures has brought about positive results in inflation control and macro-economic stabilisation.

The rising trend of the consumer price index had slowed down since the second quarter, keeping the yearly CPI growth rate at 18.13 percent, lending interest rates also showed signs of falling, exports recorded a year-on-year increase of 33.3 percent and trade deficit represented 9.9 percent of exports revenues compared with the NA set target of 18 percent. Budget overspendings were reduced to 4.9 percent of the country’s GDP compared with the set rate of 5.3 percent.

PM Dung, however, pointed out a number of shortcomings and weaknesses in State management, law building, planning and natural resources management.

He emphasised one of the Government’s key tasks this year which is to create favourable conditions and environment for socio-economic development focussing on infrastructure, institutions and human resource.

Ministries, branches and localities should focus their efforts on removing barriers in State management to attract financial resources for development investment and developing planning strategies for the steel, cement and automobile industries, he said.

This year, the Government will continue to prioritise inflation control, macro-economic stabilisation, maintaining a suitable economic growth while renovating growth models and restructuring the economy in the direction of improving efficiency and competitiveness, at the same time ensuring social welfare and improving people’s life.

Regarding a scheme to increase the efficiency of the State-owned enterprise sector, PM Dung said restructuring State-owned enterprises will help them perform their key role in promoting socio-economic development, stabilising macro-economy, ensuring major balances of the economy and other national issues.

He also requested relevant ministries and sectors to review the legal framework for the operation of State economic groups./.