Strengthening macro-economic stability in order to attain a higher economic growth rate, while preventing the recurrence of a high inflation are the major tasks of the government in 2010.

The tasks were highlighted at a regular cabinet meeting held on Jan. 4 and 5 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The government will focus its attention on implementing five major groups of tasks and solutions, one of which includes enhancing macro-economic stability and securing key balances of the economy, and another is maximising efforts to boost investment, production, business and economic restructuring, among others.

To this end, the government will foster economic recovery and improve quality of growth, adopt flexible and prudent financial and monetary policies to ensure macro-economic stability, control trade deficit, curb inflation, and ensure better social security.

Cabinet members also emphasised the need to make a breakthrough in the quality of education and training, accelerate scientific and technological development and enforce strict measures to protect the environment, prevent and control natural disasters and cope with climate change.

At the meeting, participants highlighted the achievements the country attained in 2009 when the government shifted priority targets from curbing inflation to preventing a recession while maintaining a reasonable growth rate.

As a result, Vietnam posted an economic growth rate of 5.32 percent that was higher than the adjusted target approved by the National Assembly. Its industrial production and construction surged by 5.52 percent, while services up 6.63 percent and the agro-forestry-fishery industry saw a 1.83 percent growth rate.

The country also successfully kept the rise of consumer price index (CPI) at 6.88 percent compared to 2008 and created jobs for some 1.6 million labourers.

In addition, the government paid due attention to social security by issuing new policies to support the poor, the unemployed, disadvantaged areas, low income earners and residents who were heavily affected by natural disasters.

The government allocated 10.7 trillion VND to assist the country’s 62 poorest districts in hunger eradication and poverty reduction. As a result, the number of poor households nationwide dropped to 12.3 percent at the end of 2009.

During the meeting, the government praised the contributions made by the press, especially the Nhan Dan (People’s) newspaper, the Vietnam News Agency, Radio the Voice of Vietnam and the Vietnam Television, for disseminating the Party and the State’s policies and guidelines to the people, thus creating a high consensus in the country’s issues, including socio-economic development, national defence-security, social order and political stability./.