The capital city of Hanoi will employ an array of measures to gain faster economic growth in 2015, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao told Vietnam News Agency reporters.

The official said in 2014, Hanoi reaped comprehensive accomplishments with its economy growing at 8.8 percent, 1.52 times higher than the national average.

Such an outcome was attributable to the implementation of the Law on the Capital City, which provides specific mechanisms and policies facilitating the development, management and protection of the city, he explained.

To further stimulate economic growth next year, Hanoi authorities have devised dozens of concrete measures with the most critical ones being drastically removing hindrance to production and business and bettering investment environment, Thao noted.

Improving civil servants’ performance is also important to promote local competitiveness, the chairman said, adding that the capital ranked fifth among Vietnam’s 63 provinces and cities in terms of the Public Administration Reform Index and 33 rd in terms of the Provincial Competitiveness Index in 2013, up two and 18 positions from the previous year, respectively.

Meanwhile, Hanoi’s rural areas have also undergone a makeover in recent years with big investments into infrastructure and high-yield agriculture models which have resulted in higher incomes for farmers.

The city is also making good progress in building new-style rural areas, a national programme that aims to boost rural regions in Vietnam, as more than 100 communes meeting all 19 criteria, representing 20 percent of the total number of communes satisfying the standards nationwide, Chairman Thao said.

He said he hopes that amid a multitude of major requirements and challenges, grassroots authorities and people will join the municipal administration to realise objectives for 2015.-VNA