Illustrative image (Source: VNA) The General Statistics Office (GSO) revealed that industrialproduction expanded 8.5 percent month-on-month and 5.4 percent year-on-year, withprocessing and manufacturing up 6.1 percent.
Trade and services maintained their growth rates, withrosy signs seen in lodging, catering and tourism services.
Total retail sales and service revenue last monthincreased 3.1 percent from the corresponding time last year.
Export-import value in the first two months reached108.52 billion USD, a rise of 13 percent, of which export revenue was 53.79 billionUSD up 10.2 percent, the office said.
Notably, the number of newly-established firms and thoseresuming their operation in January and February stood at 42,600, a year-on-yearincrease of 46.2 percent.
During the reviewed period, the consumer price index(CPI) climbed by 1.68 percent, and core inflation rose 0.67 percent.
The disbursement of investment sourced from the Statebudget fulfilled 8.8 percent of the target, up 10.4 percent as comparedwith the same period last year. Meanwhile, foreign direct investment (FDI)surged 123.8 percent, reflecting foreign investors’ confidence in the domesticmarket.
At a recent Government meeting, Prime Minister PhamMinh Chinh asked ministries, agencies and localities to take drastic measuresto spur socio-economic development this year, and effectively implement tasksand solutions of the programme on socio-economic recovery.
The GSO also proposed authorities to prioritise the COVID-19prevention and control programme in a concerted and effective fashion tosafely and flexibly adapt to and effectively control the pandemic, takingthis as a foundation for economic recovery.
To diversify the export market and ensure the smoothcirculation of goods, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hongn Dien suggestedthe Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development closely coordinate with his ministryin market forecasting and seeking solutions to ensure production stability.
Agencies and sectors should devise plans and solutionsto maintain the supply of essentials goods as traditional supply sources woulddecrease, he added.
The minister also stressed solutions to restore andstabilise the labour market, saying localities with major industrial parksshould have enough workforce.
Over the past time, the Government has also taken appropriatesolutions to maintain the stability of the monetary and foreign exchangemarkets.
Dr. Nguyen Bich Lam, former director general of the GSO, saidpolicies in support of economic recovery, especially the programme onsocio-economic recovery and development, give a hope that the national economywill further recover and grow in the time ahead./.
VNA
