Day: October 22, 2022

The 15th National Assembly discussed in groups the 2022 socio-economic performance and the 2023 socio-economic development plan during the ongoing fourth session in Hanoi on October 22.

 

 

 

Lawmakers also mulled over the State budget 2022, the 2023 State budget estimate, public investment plan and allocation of State budget.

 

 

 

According to the Government report, GDP growth hit 8.83% in the first nine months of this year and is estimated at about 8% for the whole of this year. So far, about 87 trillion VND (3.78 billion USD) worth of aid has benefited nearly 56 million people and workers, and over 730,000 employers hit by COVID-19.

 

 

 

The Government set 15 key socio-economic targets for next year, including a GDP growth of some 6.5%, a 4.5% hike in consumer price index, labour productivity growth of 5-6%, unemployment rate in urban areas below 4%, and a 1-1.5% reduction in multidimensional poverty rate.

 

 

 

The NA Economic Committee suggested the Government consider key measures to stabilise macro-economy, control inflation, enhance the resilience of financial-banking system, and further expand fiscal policy space in tandem with the efficiency of public investment.

 

 

 

In the morning, deputies also debated in groups the implementation of the Resolution on piloting special policies and mechanisms for the development of Ho Chi Minh City.

 

 

 

In the afternoon, they listened to a report examining the draft amended Law on Cooperatives, and discussed the draft Law on the Implementation of Democracy at the Grassroots Level in plenary session./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

 

The Vietnam Federation on Disability in partnership with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam held a seminar on October 22 discussing orientations for a training programme for disabled candidates to join people-elected bodies.

 

 

 

The event was held to introduce and discuss the training programme for candidates who are the disabled to help them ready to stand for elections of deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels in 2026.

 

 

 

About 100 promising candidates will be chosen for the 2023-2025 programme, which will equip them with necessary skills such as leadership, communications, lobbying and legal knowledge.

 

 

 

In a survey conducted by the UNDP last year, 98.2% of the disabled respondents wished to have the presence of their peers in people-elected bodies while about 44% said they are willing to stand for self-nomination.

 

 

 

At the event, 28 candidates were chosen for interview round before the next training seminar comes to Hanoi./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III has spoken highly of Indonesia’s role in ASEAN, the Indo-Pacific and the world during talks with his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto.

 

 

 

According to a press release by the US Embassy in Indonesia on October 21, the two officials met and discussed opportunities for the two countries to coordinate in pursuit of a “free and open” Indo-Pacific as well as global issues of shared concern.

 

 

 

They emphasised the importance of continued cooperation as regional security dynamics become increasingly complex.

 

 

 

Austin expressed his interest in continuing to assist in the modernisation of the Indonesian Military and to strengthen interoperability between the two countries.

 

 

 

He also expressed his support for his counterpart’s focus on military professionalisation, noting that Indonesia now has cadets in three US service academies.

 

 

 

The officials also discussed significant advancements in bilateral defence cooperation, including the recent expansion of the Super Garuda Shield joint military exercise this summer, the largest exercise of its type between the two nations./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Vietnam reported 475 new COVID-19 infections on October 22, according to the Ministry of Health.

 

 

 

The new cases lifted the country’s total to 11,496,829.

 

 

 

The same day, 277 patients were declared to be free from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, raising the total number of recoveries to 10,600,857.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the death toll was kept at 43,159 as no fatality was reported on the day.

 

 

 

The country has so far administered more than 261,168,871 doses of COVID-19 vaccines./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on October 22 for visiting United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

 

 

 

PM Chinh thanked the UN for standing side by side with Vietnam in every development stage. During the difficult period of COVID-19 in particular, the UN’s support helped Vietnam drive back the pandemic.

 

 

 

According to him, Vietnam promptly switched to safe and flexible adaptation to the pandemic for economy re-opening and socio-economic recovery and development, with positive results recorded so far.

 

 

 

As Vietnam still faces difficulties and challenges in fulfilling the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), responding to climate change, and ensuring energy and food security, he expressed hope to receive the UN’s further assistance toward three strategic breakthroughs, namely perfecting institutions, developing human resources, especially high-quality ones, and building a synchronous and modern infrastructure, both economically and socially, to achieve the goal of becoming an industrialised and high-income country by 2045.

 

Speaking highly of Vietnam’s role and voice on the international arena, the UN Secretary-General committed his full support for main pillars of Vietnam’s development policy.

 

 

 

He expressed his impression and admiration for Vietnam’s steadfastness in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its post-pandemic economic achievements, especially safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control of the pandemic, maintenance of macroeconomic stability, socio-economic recovery and development.

 

 

 

The guest hailed Vietnam as one of the pioneering countries in the fight against social inequality and climate change response, as well as its achievements in ensuring human rights.

 

 

 

The Vietnamese PM emphasised a need for a global, all-people and comprehensive approach in dealing with current common challenges facing the world.

 

 

 

He said he supports the central role of the UN as well as the Secretary-General’s initiatives and efforts, affirming that Vietnam is ready to do its best for the UN’s common works in all pillars.

 

Guterres Guterres affirmed that the UN and he himself will continue to pay attention to and support Vietnam’s development priorities and offers the nation policy advice on a green, sustainable and resilient post-pandemic recovery.

 

 

 

The UN Secretary-General wished the two sides to closely cooperate to ensure food and energy security, fight climate change, promote human rights, and develop digital technology, among others.

 

 

 

On the occasion, the host and guest shared concerns about the pandemic’s negative impacts, climate change, food and energy security, and inflation. They emphasised the need for countries worldwide to join hands in addressing such challenges.

 

 

 

The leaders also agreed to step up collaboration between ASEAN and the UN, highly value ASEAN’s role, and make efforts to maintain peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea, and peacefully settle disputes on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)./.

 

 

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on October 22 met with the Vietnam War Veterans’ Association (VWVA) Central Committee to discuss the preparation for the association’s 7th National Congress for the 2022-2027 tenure.

 

 

 

At the meeting, Chinh recommended the association, which has over 3 million members nationwide, closely follow the Party’s guidelines and policies and the State’s laws, especially the content of the 13th Party National Congress’s Resolution on its activities and tasks in the coming term.

 

 

 

He requested the association proactively prepare documents, personnel, and organisation work for the congress, ensuring the event takes place in a scientific and quality manner in line with the principles.

 

 

 

Chinh agreed with the theme of the congress that spotlights loyalty, solidarity, example-setting, innovation, for the building a strong and comprehensive association.

 

 

 

The PM also suggested the association improve the quality and effectiveness of its apparatus, and human resources, particularly the admission of new members.

 

 

 

He tasked the Ministry of Construction and relevant agencies to study the association’s proposals on building and upgrading houses for revolutionary contributors or families of war martyrs.

 

 

 

As heard at the function, the association houses over 8,300 enterprises and nearly 1,700 cooperatives, and attracts about 775,000 workers.

 

 

 

Its members have donated closed to 2 trillion VND (80.49 million USD), over 4.2 million work days and more than 5.7 million sq.m of land to build rural roads and joined the construction of some 5,300 schools and other facilities./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency