Can Tho hosts Vietnam socio-economic forum

The Vietnam Socio-economic Forum opened in Can Tho city on September 24 (Photo: VNA)

Can Tho (VNA) - The Vietnam Socio-economic Forum opened in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on September 24, focusing on the situation in the first nine months of 2020 and potential solutions.

The forum was jointly held by the National Assembly (NA) Office and the NA’s Commission on Economic Affairs, with technical support from Germany’s Hanns Seidel Foundation.

Deputy head of the NA Office Pham Dinh Toan underlined that the forum aims to review socio-economic development over the last nine months and assess the impact of COVID-19 on Vietnam’s economy.

It will identify opportunities and challenges in realising the dual targets of fighting the COVID-19 and boosting socio-economic development, as well as socio-economic growth in the coming years and prospects for Vietnam’s development in digital platforms.

The forum offered the chance for NA deputies to meet experts, scientists, representatives of localities, associations, and businesses and discuss the country’s socio-economic development.

Nguyen Xuan Thanh, a senior lecturer at the Fulbright University Vietnam, highlighted that while most of the world’s economies contracted in the first half of 2020 due to COVID-19, Vietnam posted growth of 3.8 percent in the first quarter and 0.4 percent in the second.

The country is likely to be among economies posting positive growth for the whole year, he added.

The two-day forum comprises three sessions on the country's economy in the first nine months, along with prospects for the development of digital platforms./.