The economy has escaped decline and Vietnam has achieved significant growth, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said in a government report on socio-economic development at the sixth session of the 12th National Assembly meeting that opened on Oct. 20.

The report highlights important achievements recorded by the country in 2009 – a year with challenges and difficulties--such as maintaining the stability of the macro economy, keeping inflation under control, ensuring political security and social order, and creating favourable conditions for the implementation of the nation’s tasks for 2010.

The country expects to export a record 6 million tonnes of rice by the end of the year. Total social investment capital is estimated at 708.5 trillion VND or 42.2 percent of the GDP, a year-on-year increase of 16 percent. GDP growth is forecast to reach 5.2 percent for the whole year, meeting the target set by the NA, according to the report.

Social security expenditures see a year-on-year rise of 62 percent. The rate of poor households is expected to fall to 11 percent by the end of this year.

However, this year’s GDP growth rate is the lowest in the past 10 years, the economic structure remains ineffective and labour productivity and competitiveness are low.

The government proposes the overall targets for the 2010 socio-economic development plan, focusing on accelerating the pace and improving the quality of growth, strengthening macro-economic stability and preventing high inflation.

The 2010 plan also aims to enhance social security and continue to improve people’s living standards, integrate into international economic cooperation, maintain socio-political stability and national defence and security and exert efforts to meet the targets and tasks of the 2006-2010 plan.

The report mentions the key strategies that need to be employed to meet the targets, including the full and effective use of all resources, focusing on rural and agricultural development, combining social development with economic development, making a breakthrough in administrative reform and creating a fair competitive environment as well as defending national sovereignty and ensuring political security, social safety, and public order.

Improving State management, administrative reform, combating corruption and practising thrift, along with strengthening security, national defence and expanding external affairs are also identified as important solutions to fulfilling the tasks faced by the nation.

Prime Minister Dung stressed that challenges lie ahead in the remaining months of this year and the 2010 socio-economic development plan.

He asked that more be done in the area of politic-ideological work and communications, to strengthen consensus within the political system and the society as a whole, as well as shoring up coordinated efforts to promote the national interest and future development./.