Export turnover doubles target for first month

Viet Nam’s export turnover for the first month this year reached US$6 billion, almost two times of the set target, Government Office chief Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a press conference yesterday.

Phuc also said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had requested ministers and provincial leaders to set priorities for maintaining a stable macro economy, keeping inflation under control and maintaining manufacturing efficiency.

Social affairs should also be taken care of, especially during lunar New Year holidays, Dung had said.

In the first month of this year, all ministries and localities had carried out tasks assigned by the Government, Phuc said. The trade deficit ratio had decreased compared to the previous month.

The service sector had been boosted, especially tourism; and agricultural production, although affected by the prolonged cold weather, had still remained stable.

The Consumer Price Index in January increased 1.74 per cent but was lower than the index of the two previous months.

There were, however, still many problems, Phuc said. They included the prolonged and extreme cold which had resulted in a lack of water for agriculture in the north and Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands).

This had caused the death of more than 20,000 buffaloes and delayed the period for growing rice and forestry plants. Pressure from the international market to push up prices had also made it difficult to control inflation.

Phuc said PM Dung had requested ministries to maintain the supply of essential goods, including oil and petrol, and called for action to overcome difficulties caused by the weather and to supply sufficient irrigation water. Food quality and hygiene also should be inspected to prevent diseases and epidemics. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam export turnover, Vietnam exports, Vietnam exports 2011