That is the direction of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a national online conference between the Government and localities on April 10 on solutions and tasks for 4 major issues to respond overall and comprehensively to the Covid-19 on socio-economic aspects, including: Remove difficulties for production and business; accelerate disbursement of public investment; solve social security issues and support workers; ensure social security and order.
Enterprises in the province make endeavors to sustain production amid the pandemic. In photo: Production activities at Binh Duong Garment Joint Stock Company.
"4 in 1" Conference
Speaking at the opening of the national online conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized, the online conference was to define urgent tasks and solutions to overcome difficulties for production and business; accelerate disbursement of public investment; support people, ensure social security; ensuring social order and safety, in which all levels, all branches, all people and businesses make efforts to overcome difficulties, and drastically prevent epidemic outbreak and at the same time sustain, develop production and business activities, stimulate economic development, ensure that basic life needs of vulnerable members of society to be satisfied during this period.
The Prime Minister stated that these issues are urgent for our country in the coming time, vital for the business and production sectors and most types of Vietnamese enterprises. If there is no measure to sustain normal socio-economic activities and strongly stimulate the recovery and development of production and business, it will lead to many major socio-economic consequences, including social instability. Therefore, this conference is considered to be the "4 in 1" conference or can be called "all in 1" to call for all resources in the country with determination, patriotism, resilience of the Vietnamese people to overcome the Covid-19 time; at the same time, efforts to overcome difficulties in production and life.
According to Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, although Vietnam's economic growth is the highest (3.82%) in the region over the first quarter of 2020, it was the lowest level over the past 10 years, only by more than half of the target. The Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting comprehensively many sectors and fields of our economy. According to preliminary estimates, 19% enterprises suspended operation and downsized; 98% workers of tourism industry and services quitted their jobs; 78% workers of transport, leather and textile industries got laid off or stopped their jobs; 98% of aviation workers took off from work.
Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs also said that the Covid-19 also affected other vulnerable people such as social protected beneficiaries, poor households, near-poor households... In April and May, the disease is predicted to be still complicated, about 2 million laborers would stop working and lose their jobs; in case of strong outbreak, about 3.5 million laborers would stop working and lose their jobs.
Solutions to be drastically implemented
At the conference, the Prime Minister asked ministries, branches, localities and people all over the country to continue implementing the "dual task" which is to both prevent the pandemic and stimulate socio-economic growth; At the same time, immediately implement measures to support vulnerable people and businesses affected by the epidemic, and strive to achieve the socio-economic development goals set in 2020 according to the Central Government and resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government.
Accordingly, regarding the fiscal policy, Pham Dinh Thi, Director of Tax Policy Department (Ministry of Finance), said that the tax extension and land rent support package was increased from more than VND80,000 billion to over VND180,000 billion, and at the same time, expanded the scope of beneficiaries in terms of businesses and organizations enjoying incentives. It is estimated that up to 98% of total enterprises in the country would be allowed to have their taxes and land rents extended. In this regard, the Prime Minister requested to change the method to be more drastic, which is administrative reform, creating a favorable business environment. The common objective is focusing on reforming, perfecting legal regulations, cutting administrative procedures to create favorable conditions, contributing to reducing costs for people and businesses. Regarding the monetary support package, which has been raised to about VND 300,000 billion, the Prime Minister stated that the Government would not to let enterprises in lack of credit capital, create favorable conditions for enterprises to continue developing production and business.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged levels and sectors to accelerate the disbursement of public investment capital, consider this to be the most important and meaningful task to offset the growth deficit caused by the Covid-19. Accordingly, the remaining capital of 2019 and the planned capital of year 2020 must be disbursed, not to be accumulated at the end of the year. "The investment capital is nearly VND700,000 billion, equivalent to $30 billion. Heads of agencies, departments, sectors, and localities are in charge of the implementation.
Regarding workers support package, the Prime Minister stressed, the Party, the State allocated around VND62,000 billion to approximately 20 million social beneficiaries of 6 different groups for a maximum period of 3 months. The important issue is that the organization must be done locally, promptly, given to the hands of social beneficiaries. To ensure social security in the difficult context, the Prime Minister asked Ministry of Public Security and all localities to devise plans, schemes, specific solutions for theft, criminal offenses arising by unemployment, the wave of labor migration, people return to rural areas, speculation and price fever; and measures to repression the anti-destructive behaviors of hostile forces, take advantage of the difficult situation.
The Prime Minister required regular evaluation, inspection of the implementation of tasks and solutions, especially key economic zones, large provinces, cities, especially on the disbursement of public investment capital, removing difficulties for business; pay attention to in the situation of all economic sectors, promote the dynamic features and creativity of the private business sector; devise solutions to encourage social investment and private sector investment to facilitate development, strong reform of administrative procedures, strengthen online public services; stimulate foreign investment, improve the business environment, attract investment capital into Vietnam.
Reported by Ngoc Thanh - Translated by Ngoc Huynh
