The Ministry of Planning and Investment is targeting an average income of 2,100 USD per person a year by 2015, nearly double that of the 2010 target.

This was revealed last week at an international conference on the nation’s socio-economic development plans for the 2011-15 period.

Vietnam ’s per capital income has recently risen to 1,200 USD. This is expected to improve further next year, moving the nation from the ranks of developing countries to the group of average income countries.

Over the next five years, the ministry targets an annual GDP growth of 7-8 percent, along with a reduction of 2 percent per year in the poverty rate and budget deficit maintained at 5.1 percent of GDP.

Accordingly, national GDP will reach 4,170 trillion VND (200 billion USD) by 2015, 18-19 percent of which will be contributed by agriculture, forestry and aquaculture sectors; 40-41 percent by industry and construction and 40-41 percent by the services sector.

Inflation of 2015 will be kept under a safe threshold, and labour productivity will increase 1.5 percent over 2010.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh said over the next five years, Vietnam will focus on developing human resources, building infrastructure, and implementing administrative reforms towards making a major breakthrough in socio-economic development./.