To meet the targeted annual GDP growth rate of 5 percent, the country must achieve a growth rate of at least 6.5 percent in the last quarter of the year, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

At the Government’s two-day monthly meeting in Hanoi which wrapped up on September 1, he directed relevant business sectors and levels of government to step up the implementation of solutions, measures and resolutions adopted by the Party, the National Assembly (NA) and the Government in order to reach the growth targets set by the 12th NA at its fifth session

The PM also instructed ministries and local authorities to continue concentrating on maximizing the deployment solutions within five areas, including effectively implementing economic stimulus measures, enhancing management, use and disbursement of investment capital and flexibly managing financial and monetary policies. At the same time he asked them to continue with solutions to ensure social welfare, and improve guidance and follow-through during the implementation process.

At the meeting, the government officials heard the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Finance Ministry’s reports on national socio-economic and budgetary performance so far this year.

Based on what has been achieved in the past eight months of the year and the global economic forecast, the Ministry of Planning and Investment predicts that this year the country’s GDP growth rate will meet or slightly exceed the set target of 5 percent, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), targeted at below 10 percent, will come in at about 7 percent. State budget deficit, targeted for less than 7 percent, will come in just under the wire at 6.9 percent, and the overall rate of poor households in the nation will meet the goal of below 12 by sinking to 11 percent.

The government members discussed the 2010 socio-economic development plan and agreed on the plan’s general goals, including a GDP growth rate at 6.5 percent, 6 percent growth for export earnings, and development investment that will account for 41.7 percent of the GDP.

The other goals will include keeping the CPI target to below 7 percent, reducing the birth rate by 0.2 per thousand, creating jobs for 1.6 million people, including sending 85,000 people to work abroad, pushing the rate of poor households to below 10 percent, and malnutrition rates in children to below 18 percent.

The Government is set to make all-out efforts to regain momentum to achieve higher growth rates in coming years; maintain macro-economic stability; ensure social welfare, and further improve the people’s spiritual and material life; cooperate and integrate into the global economy effectively; maintain political stability and ensure defence, security and social order; and accomplish all targets and tasks laid out in the 2006-2010 socio-economic development plan.

At the closing session of the meeting on September 1, the Government members heard and commented on reports on orientations for the national nuclear power development plan through 2030, an investment project on the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant, the nationwide golf course development plan through 2020 in addition to a number of decrees and bills./.