WB forecasts Vietnam’s growth at 5.5 percent in 2022
Hanoi (VNA) – The World Bank (WB) has forecast that Vietnam’s economic recovery is likely to accelerate in 2022 as GDP growth is expected to rise to 5.5 percent from 2.6 percent in the year just ended.
The forecast was made in the WB's economic update for Vietnam that
was released during a press teleconference in Hanoi on January 13.
Entitled “No time to waste: The Challenges and
Opportunities of Cleaner Trade for Vietnam”, this edition argued that greening
the trade sector should be a priority. Trade, while an important driver of
Vietnam’s remarkable economic growth over the past two decades, is
carbon-intensive - accounting for one-third of the country’s total greenhouse
gas emissions - and polluting.
While Vietnam has started to decarbonise activities associated with trade, more need to be done to respond to mounting pressures from main destination markets, customers, and multinational companies for greener products and services, it said.
“Trade will be key component of Vietnam’s climate actions in the years to come,” said Carolyn Turk, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam. “Promoting greener trade will not only help Vietnam follow through on its pledge to reach net zero emission in 2050 but will also help it keep its competitive edge in international markets and ensure trade remains a critical income and job generator.”
The report recommended that the Vietnamese Government act on three fronts: facilitate the trade of green goods and services, incentivize green foreign direct investment, and develop more resilient and carbon-free industrial zones.
Assuming the COVID-19 pandemic will be brought under control at
home and abroad, the forecast envisioned that Vietnam’s services sector will
gradually recover as consumer and investor confidence restores, while the
manufacturing sector benefits from steady demand from the US, the European
Union, and China. The fiscal deficit and debt are expected to remain
sustainable, with the debt-to-GDP ratio projected at 58.8 percent, well below
the statutory limit.
The outlook, however, is subject to serious downside risks,
particularly the unknown course of the pandemic. Outbreaks of new variants may
prompt renewed social distancing measures, dampening economic activity.
Weaker-than-expected domestic demand in Vietnam could weigh on the recovery. In
addition, many trading partners are facing dwindling fiscal and monetary space,
potentially restricting their ability to further support their economies if the
crisis persists, which in turn could slow the global recovery and weaken demand
for Vietnamese exports.
WB experts said careful policy responses could mitigate these
risks. Fiscal policy measures, including temporary reduction of VAT rates and
more spending on health and education, could support aggregate domestic demand.
Support for affected businesses and citizens could be more substantial and more
narrowly targeted. Social protection programmes could be more carefully
targeted and efficiently implemented to address the severe and uneven social
consequences of the crisis. Heightened risks in the financial sector should be
closely monitored and addressed proactively./.