Positive economic signals in first six months

VGP – In July and the first seven months, industrial production went on smoothly; agriculture gained significant fruit; services developed vigorously; export value was quite high while trade gap tended to get narrow; and most notably, FDI hit a record of US $45.2 billion.

July 26, 2008 8:00 AM GMT+7

Total goods circulation increased by 30% compared with the same period last year

The July industrial value is estimated to reach VND 56.4 trillion, up 16.1% against the same period of 2007. The figure for the first seven months as a whole was around VND 382.3 trillion, 16.4% higher than the same period.

Some products saw a higher growth rate than the sector’s average, namely paving tiles (166%), compact bulbs (142%), lorries (96%), and cargo vessels (26%).

Despite difficulties posed by natural disasters, epidemic and price storm, 1,806,000 ha have been cultivated in the south (completing 104.4% of the plan) and 1.047,000 ha in the north. The aqua-cultural output in July might reach 2.5 million tons, up 14% compared with the same period last year.

The total retail of goods and services was VND 76 trillion in July and VND 520 trillion in the first seven months.

The export turnover in July was estimated to be US $6.25 billion, and in the first seven months US $36.6 billion, up 36.8% against the same period. The excess of import over export is declining, worth of US $0.8 billion in July and US $15.24 billion in the first seven months, accounting for 41.6% of the export turnover.

Up to July 20, the total ODA capital reached US $1,389 million. Around US $1,205 million of ODA have been disbursed in the first seven months, equivalent to 63% of the 2008 year-plan.

In July, 167 foreign-invested projects were licensed, with a total registered capital of US $13.5 billion.

In total, the FDI capital, both newly registered and supplemented, reached US $45/2 billion in the first seven months, going up by 373% compared with the same period of 2007.

By Nguyên Hồ