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The Government’s regular meeting – March 2015

April 20, 2015 2:56 PM GMT+7

GOVERNMENT     

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No.  25/NQ - CP

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM

Independence - Freedom - Happiness

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                                   Ha Noi, April 05, 2015

RESOLUTION

The Government’s regular meeting – March 2015

GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;  

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree 08/2012/ND-CP, dated February 16, 2012 promulgating the Working regulation of the Government;

Based on the discussions among the Cabinet members and the conclusion of the Prime Minister at the Government’s regular meeting held on March 3, 2015.

RESOLOVES:

1. Regarding reports: Socio-economic situation in March and in the first quarter of 2015, the implementation of Resolution 01/NQ-CP dated January 3, 2015 of the Government on major tasks and solutions guiding the realization of the Plan for socio-economic development and State budget estimates for 2015; the implementation of Government’s resolutions, assignments delegated by the Government and the Prime Minister, and the Government’s working program; the settlement of complaints and denunciations and anti-corruption, administrative reform, the implementation of the Government’s law and ordinance building program and promulgation of legal documents guiding the realization of laws and ordinances in the first quarter of 2015.

The Government unanimously agreed: Ministries, agencies, localities, mass organizations, people and enterprises quickly and seriously grasped and endeavored to implement resolutions adopted by the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, and the Government regarding socio-economic development by introducing concrete measures right from the beginning of the year. As a result, the first quarter witnessed positive changes in almost all fields with stable macro-economy, tamed inflation, slight increase in consumer price index, encouraging credit growth, stable exchange rate and foreign currency market, exports maintaining growth momentum. The GDP expanded 6.03% between January and March, the highest rate compared to the same period of the recent five years; industrial sector, especially oil and gas, processing, manufacturing posted robust growth; agricultural production continued expansion, service sector grew fairly and total retail sales of goods and services was on the rise. Domestic revenues were high. Total disbursed investment capital volume was higher against the same period of the previous year, disbursement of official development assistance and preferential loans was encouraging, foreign direct investment inflow saw positive progress. Social security and welfare policies were deployed effectively to support beneficiaries, especially people with meritorious services to the revolution, poor households, residents in remote and disadvantageous areas. With much attention, progress was achieved in such areas like public healthcare, education-training, job creation, science and technology, culture, sports, environmental protection, and response to climate change, settlement of complaints and denunciations and anti-corruption. Administrative reform was strengthened, yielding real changes, especially in tax, customs and insurance. National defense and security was enhanced, national sovereignty was maintained, political and social environment was stable. Major activities of Party and State agencies and leaders and international events took place safely. Traffic accidents fell in all three criteria thanks to drastic measures. Diplomatic activities and international integration were accelerated.

However, the country still faced numerous difficulties. The global oil price plunged and was hard to forecast, affecting our country’s budget revenues and trade balance. Drought and saltwater intrusion, especially in central region and central highlands, posed adverse impacts on productivity and output of crop plants. Demand for agricultural products was sluggish. Service, agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture expanded slower against the same period last year. Exports failed to meet the targets, leading to trade deficit. Equitization of State-owned enterprises and divestment were slowly carried out. Business environment and capacity of the economy slowly improved. Administrative procedure reform made progress but shortcomings still remained. A number of people struggled to find jobs and increase incomes. Crimes occurred complicatedly. State management revealed shortcomings in some areas and places. Legal documents guiding the implementation of laws and ordinances were slowly promulgated. Guidelines, tasks and solutions somewhere were not promptly and drastically implemented.

The Government requested all levels and sectors to promote the attained achievements, surmount difficulties and challenges, and continue synchronous deployment of major tasks and solutions enshrined in the Resolution 01/NQ-CP, resolutions adopted at the Government’s monthly meetings as well as instructions of the Government and the Prime Minister, focusing on the following key issues:

- The State Bank of Viet Nam shall pursue an active and flexible monetary policy; strive to level medium and long-term interest rates by 1-1.5% per year; accelerate credit growth in favor of production and business; manage the exchange rate in support of macro-economic stability, take into account the impacts of the exchange rate on exports, imports, inflation and public debt; take strong measures to restructure credit organization system and handle bad debt.

- The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take prime responsibility to keep close watch on the global economy, timely analyze impacts for effective policy response; design measures to mobilize social resources for investment; beef up disbursement of state budget, Government bonds, official development assistance, foreign direct investment, and public-private partnership, adhering attention to address corresponding capital shortages; direct and speed up the check of works before acceptance for completion of settlement procedures in order to minimize capital construction debt.

- The Ministry of Finance shall continue monitor price fluctuations, especially the commodities priced by the State in accordance with market rules in a bid to contribute to stabilizing macro-economy and controlling inflation; forecast the global situation, especially the world’s oil prices for proactive policy response; fruitfully realize finance-budget tasks; enhance inspection and detection of, strictly and timely deal with tax evasion, price transferring, tax losses; manage State spending in a tight, economical, and effective manner; focusing on restructuring securities and insurance markets, improve the role of these markets in mobilizing medium and long-term capital for development; take prime responsibility and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to allocate funding for State agencies to hire IT services; add spending on IT to the list of budget-financed items; take prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to mull over tax solutions in accordance with the import-export tax reduction roadmap and the country’s international commitments to achieve the double objectives of deepening economic integration and protecting and expanding domestic production; promote its role as the standing committee in coordinating with ministries, agencies and localities to strengthen the fight against smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit and low-quality goods.

- The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall expand export markets, especially for farm and aquaculture products; discuss with Chinese partners on a possible agreement to export rice to the market; fruitfully exploit the advantages of free trade agreements, international commitments, and ASEAN economic community; stimulate domestic consumption, effectively carry out the campaign “Vietnamese prefers to use made-in-Viet Nam goods”, enhance management measures to protect consumers’ rights. Relevant ministries, agencies shall develop more technical norms in order to strictly control imports in accordance with international practices; take synchronous measures to beef up exports.

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall speed up the realization of the Project to restructure agriculture sector, focusing on shifting the structure of crop plants, applying scientific advances, and multiplying good production models; keep close watch on drought in the central region and Central Highlands and propose ways to provide assistance to farmers; review and make necessary adjustments to fruitfully deploy aquaculture development policy; closely monitor and prepare plans to cope with natural disasters  and epidemics; actively partner with foreign countries in rubber and coffee production; actively deploy forest development policy in association with improving living standards of ethnic people.

- The Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry shall coordinate with the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Planning and Investment, Foreign Affairs, and relevant ministries, agencies and localities, and associations of construction companies in devising some plans to accelerate bilateral trade and investment linkages between Viet Nam and strategic partners, then report to the Government for consideration.

- The Ministry of Transport shall continue accelerating the progress of key transport projects; deploy the Public Telegraph No. 433/CD-TTg dated March 31, 2015 of the Government on ensuring smooth travel and traffic safety and order during the Hung King festival, the anniversary of the national reunification (April 30) and the International Labor Day (May 1); quickly coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance to add the local road and asset project (LRAMP) to the loan portfolio in the 2016 fiscal year.

- The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall enhance management of cultural and artistic activities, especially shows and competitions regarding the national image, people, and culture; be responsible for granting certificates for organizing international beauty contests in Viet Nam in line with Decree 79/2012/ND-CP dated October 5, 2012 of the Government; focus on developing and popularizing Vietnamese tourism brandname to the wider world; consolidate niche in traditional markets while expanding new ones; diversify and improve the quality of tourism products and services; coordinate with competent agencies to quickly review and amend mechanisms and policies towards bettering attraction of international arrivals to Viet Nam.

- The Ministry of Health shall focus on realizing measures to reduce hospital overload while strengthen technology transfer to, improve treatment capacity of medical establishments; enhance preventive medicine and avoid the occurrence of dangerous diseases.

- The Ministry of Education and Training shall focus on effectively organizing the national secondary school final examination; further promote the efficiency of preferential credit program for students.

- The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs shall continue effective deployment of social security and social welfare policies, the national target program for sustainable poverty reduction; closely monitor life of people in remote and disadvantaged areas, poor households, and those living in natural disaster hit regions for timely relief aid; strengthen management of labor safety, salary policy, and insurance for laborers; take prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training to quickly submit to the Government a draft Decree on detailed implementation of some of articles of the Law on Vocational Training, in which State management of vocational training at central level should be clearly defined.

- The Ministry of Home Affairs shall take prime responsibility and coordinate with ministries, agencies and localities to step up reform of administration and regimes for public duties and civil servants; intensify communication and inspection of the implementation of administrative reform.

- Ministries, agencies and localities shall actively deploy Resolution 19/NQ-CP dated March 12, 2015 of the Government regarding major tasks and solutions to further improve business environment and competitiveness in the period 2015-2016. Ministers, heads of agencies and Chairmen of provinces and centrally-governed cities shall be responsible to the Government and the Prime Minister for their key norms; accelerate IT service outsourcing in order to strengthen the effectiveness of IT application in State agencies, especially in providing public services; deploy measures to guarantee information security and safety.

- The Government Inspectorate shall focus on improving the quality of inspection, quickly issue conclusions of finished inspection cases; enhance the enforcement of inspection conclusions; focus on areas in which corruption and wrongdoings are easy to arise; review and evaluate the implementation of the Law on Corruption Prevention and Fighting as planned. Ministries, agencies shall strengthen specialized inspection. Heads of State agencies shall effectively realize the Law on Reception of Citizens in association with organizing dialogues and settling complaint and denunciation petitions; focus on completely addressing persistent lawsuits.

 - The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security shall enhance the assessment of the situation; deploy comprehensive measures defense and security missions to firmly protect the national sovereignty; strengthen political security, social order and safety, especially during the occurrence of major political events and national festivals; take measures to prevent and control fires and explosions, prepare plans to cope with storms and floods, conduct search and rescue activities and handle situations relevant to security and order; request the military telecommunications group (Viettel) to quickly develop population database to serve State population management and public service development.

- Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and Governmental bodies shall focus on directing the implementation working programs and guiding documents issued by the Government and the Prime Minster; actively prepare for projects as scheduled, especially projects which will be submitted to the plenary session of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee (CPVCC), the Politburo, the Party Secretariat as well as bills which will be submitted at the 9th working session of the 13th National Assembly; focus on law-making, especially the formulation, promulgation and enforcement of documents guiding the realization of laws and ordinances.

- The Ministry of Information and Communications shall provide quick instructions for ministries and governing bodies to rearrange press agencies on the basis of the Politburo’s conclusion on the Press Planning Project and the Press Rearrangement Plan referred by the Ministry; enhance dissemination of information regarding socio-economic situation, guidelines, mechanisms and policies in order to create public consensus for successfully obtaining preset socio-economic targets; take prime responsibility and coordinate with the Party Central Commission for Propagation and Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to propose communication contents regarding the protection of sea and island sovereignty in the new circumstance, then report to the Politburo.

- Ministries, agencies and localities shall arrange workforce to handle public duties, especially works related to businesses and foreign visitors during the death anniversary of Hung Kings, the Southern Viet Nam liberation and national reunification day (April 30) and the international labor day (May 1) and ensure smooth trade, financial, banking transactions.

2. Regarding additional assessment of socio-economic development in 2014 and the realization of the socio-economic development plan in 2015; additional assessment of State budget in 2014 and budget estimates for 2015

The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall be assigned to collect the Cabinet members’ comments on and finalize the supplementary assessment report on socio-economic development in 2014 and socio-economic development outcomes in 2015. The Minister of Planning and Investment shall be authorized by the Prime Minister and act on behalf of the Government to present the report to the National Assembly.

The Ministry of Finance shall be assigned to collect the Cabinet members’ comments on, thereby finalize the supplementary evaluation report on State budget in 2014 and 2015. The Minister of Finance shall be authorized by the Prime Minister and act on behalf of the Government to present the report to the National Assembly.

3. Regarding the 2013 State budget report

The Ministry of Finance shall be assigned to collect the Cabinet members’ comments on and finalize the report. The Minister of Finance shall be authorized by the Prime Minister and act on behalf of the Government to submit the report to the National Assembly.

4. Regarding lump-sum payment of social insurance

After considering the proposal of the Ho Chi Minh Municipal People’s Committee, the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labor, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, and comments of the President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, the Government agreed to ask the National Assembly to mull over adjustments to the Law on Social Insurance passed in 2014 towards: In case social insurance premium payment duration is too short as prescribed by law to enjoy retirement pensions, workers can be entitled to lump-sum social insurance benefit as stipulated in the Law on Social Insurance passed in 2006 or reserve their social insurance premium payment period to continue compulsory/voluntary premium payment until they are eligible for enjoying monthly retirement pension.

The Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs shall be authorized by the Prime Minister and act on behalf of the Government to report this issue to the National Assembly Standing Committee to request the National Assembly to amend the 2014 Law on Social Insurance before it takes effect.

5. Regarding the Report on some issues of the Law of Organization of the Government (revised)

The Ministry of Home Affairs shall take prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice, the Office of Government to collect the Cabinet members’ comments on and finalize the report. The Minister of Home Affairs shall be authorized by the Prime Minister and act on behalf of the Government to submit the report to the National Assembly Standing Committee.

6. Regarding the handling of administrative violations in the domain of road traffic

The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Security shall enhance traffic patrol, strictly handle violations of traffic safety regulations, especially acts that may lead to high traffic accident risks and infrastructure damages.

The Government agreed that violations of axle load specified in Government Decree 171/2013/ND-CP dated November 13, 2013 and Decree 107/2014/ND-CP dated November 17, 2014 will be temporarily spared from administrative sanctions.

In principle, the Government agreed with the Ministry of Transport’s proposal to take touch management measures and sanctions to deter violations. The Ministry of Transport shall take prime responsibility and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to mull over another Decree to replace the above ones and submit it to the Government for issuance.

7. Regarding membership addition to the Social Insurance Management Council

The Government agreed to add leaders of the Ministry of National Defense and Public Security to the Social Insurance Management Council based on the proposal of the Council./.

ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT
PRIME MINISTER
(Signed)
 

 

Nguyen Tan Dung