The Minister of Industry and Trade (MoIT) is likely to fulfil all the set targets for 2014, with industrial production index rising 7-7.2 percent, exports growing 12 percent to 148 billion USD and retail revenue expanding by 12 percent, said Minister Vu Huy Hoang.

Reporting to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on the ministry’s performance over the past nine months, Hoang said all indicators were higher than the same period a year just gone.

Industrial production index rose 6.7 percent, while exports inched up 14.2 percent to hit 109 billion USD, generating a trade surplus of nearly 2.5 billion USD, he noted.

Total earnings of the retail and service sectors were estimated at 2.1 billion USD, a rise of 11.12 percent year on year, said the minister.

Meanwhile, the ministry has stepping up the equitisasion and non-core capital withdrawal of its State-owned enterprises, with good results seen in the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group and the Vietnam National Coal- Mining Industries Group, he said.

Concluding the working session, PM Nguyen Tan Dung asked the ministry to pay special attention to completing the market economy institution, thus making the environment more competitive, transparent and equal.

He urged the ministry to ensure the stable supply of power, fuel and coal, which are major counterbalances of the economy.

Regarding the restructuring of enterprises, especially State-owned firms, he underscored the necessity to follow a specific roadmap with high determination.

The Government leader also requested the ministry to continue efforts to expand both domestic and foreign markets, while speeding up the campaign to encourage Vietnamese people to prioritise Vietnamese products.

At the same time, it is crucial to make full use of all opportunities created by existing free trade agreements, while staying active in the process of negotiations for new deals, he added.-VNA