The National Centre for Socio-economic Information and Forecasting expects export earnings to top 66 billion USD this year, or 5.88 percent more than last year.

The centre has also forecast two different scenarios for the overall economy. The first has it growing at 6-6.5 percent along with 3-3.2 percent growth for the agro-forestry and fisheries sectors, 6.4-6.8 percent for construction, and 7.1-7.9 percent for services.

Inflation will be below 10 percent and imports would be worth 77.5 billion USD, 7.58 percent higher than last year.

The second plan envisages a higher growth rate of 7 percent. Exports will be worth 67.8 billion USD and imports, 80 billion USD.

The centre said this year the global and Vietnamese economies just entered the first stage of recovery and trade and foreign direct investment would not increase in the short term. Thus, achieving high growth would require the Government to increase investment and spending.

But with growth becoming contingent on spending, there would be the risk of inflation returning, the centre warned./.