PM urges push for agricultural production, IUU fishing combat

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a dispatch on removing obstacles to and promoting agricultural production and consumption; implementing the three national target programmes; and fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The document pointed to challenges to the national growth and the domestic agricultural sector, with high material prices and narrowed market, saying no remarkable improvements have been seen in the IUU combat, and the implementation of the national target programmes, which cover socio-economic development in ethnic-inhabited and mountainous areas, sustainable poverty reduction, and new-style rural area building, remains stagnant.

Such difficulties are expected to linger on, the PM said, asking ministers, heads of ministerial and government agencies and chairpersons of People’s Committees of cities and provinces to boost agricultural production and trade.

The leader stressed that attention should be paid to administrative reform to attract more investments in agriculture and rural areas, targeting the firms that use high tech and specialise in intensive processing.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment will coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and relevant agencies to quickly perfect the decree amending and supplementing some articles of a decree on mechanisms and policies encouraging investments in agriculture and rural areas.

More heed are also needed in the three growth engines of domestic consumption, export and investment. Meanwhile, digital transformation and high-tech application should be stepped up to raise production values and efficiency, as well as competitiveness of Vietnamese products, according to the dispatch.

The Ministry of Science and Technology will coordinate with other relevant ministries and agencies to complete the draft decree on high-tech parks and submit it to the Government this quarter.

 

The dispatch also highlighted product diversification, intensive processing, the “One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme, trade promotion, market expansion and trade remedies.

For the IUU fishing combat, the dispatch called for more drastic actions and thorough preparations for the fourth inspection by the European Commission (EC), slated to take place from May 25-31.

Strong measures will be taken to handle violations of fishing regulations by individuals and organisations, and inspections intensified to prevent and put an end to such violations.

The provinces of Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan and Kien Giang whose fishing boats have infringed foreign waters were asked to identify responsibility of leaders.

The PM also asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of National Defence to take measures against IUU fishing.

Regarding the implementation of the national target programmes, the dispatch urged the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs to quickly complete amendments and supplements, or the issuance of circulars and documents guiding the work this month, saying specific breakthroughs should be made in the second and third quarters of this year./.