Spring Economic Forum to discuss economic reforms
Spring Economic Forum to discuss economic reforms
The 2015 Spring Economic Forum will focus on continuing to push for improvements in Viet Nam's business environment, as the country prepares for international integration.
The forum, which commenced on April 21 in the central Nghe An Province, will analyse and assess the implementation of the 2014 socio-economic development plan, and put forward measures for the 2015 plan.
Opening the forum, Chairman of the National Assembly's economic committee Nguyen Van Giau asked experts to assess the feasibility of implementing the 2015 socio-economic targets that were approved by the National Assembly.
The 2015 targets concentrate on removing difficulties for production and business activities, restructuring the economy and improving competitiveness, efficiency and capacity, he said.
He also asked the participants to review the implementation of the economic restructuring process, and assess and discuss measures for issues such as public debt, ODA mobilisation, bad debt and import and export activities, besides employment, healthcare and education.
Another important issue to be discussed was the country's global economic integration, particularly the impact of free-trade agreements and the globalisation process on the country's economy, he said.
Viet Nam recorded a growth rate of 5.98 per cent in 2014, 0.56 per cent higher than that of 2013, head of the Viet Nam Institute of Economics Tran Dinh Thien said.
However, he said, economic recovery remained low and unsustainable. In fact, last year's growth was much lower than the average growth rate during the 1990-2010 period.
The 2014 growth rate success was attributed to several factors, particularly the government's proactive implementation of many policies to stabilise the macro economy, promote regulatory reforms and actively integrate into the regional and global economy, he said.
Nevertheless, Viet Nam still faced many challenges, he said, adding that the country was in the process of negotiating a series of high-level trade agreements, while local businesses' competitiveness remained weak, labour productivity was low and the skills of workers lagged behind several regional countries and the world at large.
Additionally, Vietnamese businesses paid less attention to technology and had very little motivation to innovate, he said. The science and technology ministry reported that 80 to 90 per cent of the technology used in Viet Nam was imported, and 76 per cent of the machines and production lines were imported between 1950 and 1960.
Economic experts and scientists at the forum will also discuss concrete orientations to improve the business and investment environment in Viet Nam and measures to turn "words into actions".
They will provide in-depth evaluations of specific suggested standards for the business climate, in connection with the implementation of the 2013 Constitution and a number of newly issued laws such as the Law on Tendering, Law on Investment and the Enterprise Law.
Representatives from the business community, the association of small and medium-d enterprises and the Viet Nam Real Estate Association will analyse the evolution of the business environment in Viet Nam, and discuss the reforms required from their perspective.
The event is being jointly organised by the National Assembly's economic committee, the Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences, the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Central Institute for Economic Management.
