Tu Hoang
Speaking at the seminar, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that the nation has seen slow recovery while most regional countries have gained back their strength after the crisis. In absolute terms, the gap between Vietnam and regional countries has been widening, Phuc stressed at the conference.
The event, jointly held by the Central Party Committee’s Economic Commission, the National Economics University, the World Bank and the National Assembly’s Committee for Economic Affairs, aimed to review the implementation of the 2011-2015 development plan and make strategic adjustments.
Phuc said that many targets set for the 2011-2015 period might not be fulfilled as well. In 2013, seven out of 15 socio-economic development targets such as gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate, industrial added value, construction and employment would not be realized.
Local people are still facing many problems such as poor living standards, criminals in cities, and social conflicts in the rural area.
“Warnings of an economy full of risks and with gloomy growth outlook are nearing the reality,” Phuc said.
Adverse impacts of the global economic crisis and weaknesses of the local economy are culprits of high inflation, prolonged macro uncertainties, the slump in the real estate market and other challenges against local enterprises, Phuc added.
However, former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan said that the main reason is poor internal capacity of the country rather than external impacts.
“Impacts of the global economic turmoil are not the key factor as many countries have also suffered the same impacts. Meanwhile, some spheres exposed to external factors such as exports, foreign direct investment (FDI) capital and tourism have seen strong development. Therefore, we could not blame on external problems,” Khoan said.
Internal problems of the economy have existed for a long time, not just in recent period. However, the economy earlier did not face many difficulties like now, he said.
“Is it that our subjective management has resulted in macroeconomic uncertainties?” he pondered.
The 11th National Congress has adopted two groups of principles related to institutional mechanism and growth model renovation. However, these principles have yet to come into the real life. For instance, principles on sustainable development of the financial market, healthy development of the realty market, and building up strong conglomerates have been below expectation.
Policy makers have been either subjective in setting up utopian targets or failed to live up to their commitments. Furthermore, they have focused too much on solving immediate matters rather than setting up the right development course, according to Khoan.
Cao Sy Kiem, chairman of the Association of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises, said that the Government is still sticking to old thinking, and even issuing administrative orders like during the centrally-commanded economy. These problems have made the business community, the key factor of the nation’s development, shrinking.
Former head of the Institute for Development Strategy Luu Bich Ho expressed his skepticism over solutions to the current problems. “We have stayed in the talking shop but failed to work things out, and I think that this time we will also fail,” he said.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
