VietNamNet Bridge – Impressive statistics of Vietnam’s economic and social achievements were made public at the end of 2010. Readers have emailed VietNamNet to express their opinions and their support to the government.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and former Party Chief Le Kha Phieu at the closing meeting of the 7th National Assembly session in June 2010.

2010 was a special year because it was the last year of Vietnam’s 5-year development plan (2006-2010) and the last year of the ten-year economic-social development plan (2001-2010).

“Year-end achievements have proved that Vietnam has escaped from recession and it is gradually recovering and growing quickly. The country’s GDP for 2010 reached 6.78 percent, higher than the National Assembly’s goal (6.5 percent). All sectors attained higher growth rates than 2009,” wrote Ho Quoc Viet from HCM City at viethq@…

Viet continued: “We must congratulate the Prime Minister and his cabinet because they successfully overcame the difficulties in 2010. Though the government didn’t meet some of people’s expectations, but as a Vietnamese citizen, I would like to share difficulties with the PM, who had to cope with wind and waves to steer the boat named Vietnam”.

Economic changes in the early of 2010 brought a gloomy forecast of a low growth rate, high unemployment and social crisis for Vietnam. Natural calamities and floods made the situation more difficult. Many other countries also fell into the financial crisis.

Reader Hoang Phong, from the central city of Da Nang, wrote: “under the government’s management, especially the Prime Minister, Vietnam had a rather successful year. Though the inflation rate failed to meet the yearly target, but the growth rate of 6.78 percent is a remarkable result, especially in the common difficulties of the world in 2010 and in comparison with other countries in the region”.

Nguyen Thanh Hai from Hanoi wrote: “I would like to share a difficult year with Mr. Prime Minister. Perhaps 2010 was a stormy year for many leaders in the world, when the global economy didn’t entirely recover after crisis. I was impressed by the way Mr. Prime Minister presided international meetings in 2010, which helped strengthen Vietnam’s position in the world and the country’s rising prestige”.

Nguyen Truong at truongnguyen2002@… wrote: “In difficult situation, the government still gave big resources for social welfares, in which hunger eradication and poverty alleviation still achieved encouraging results. Good administrative reform and foreign relations have brought Vietnam to a new height in the world arena”.

According to Truong, in 2010, Vietnam completed some significant works, which will make a firm foundation for the future development, for example the first turbines of the Son La hydropower plants being put into operation in late 2010, two years before schedule. Vietnam also introduced important policies for the country’s development in the next 5-10 years.

Many readers showed their trust in the government’s development plan for 2011.

Hoang Phong from Da Nang wrote: “The solutions that the Prime Minister introduced are correct. As domestic and international economists have advised, Vietnam should place focus on stabilizing macro-economics, control inflation, completing policies, reviewing and raising the effectiveness of public investment. The people expect that these solutions would be taken drastically in 2011 to make the national economy take off”.

Mai Ha at hamai2003@… was very optimistic: “In the last three years, the government has learnt a lot of lesson in running the state-owned sector, balancing macro-economics and dealing with shocks of the economy. There are success and failure but it is the most important for Vietnam to learn from the experiences. The biggest expectation of all enterprises and the people is stabilizing the economy and reducing inflation”.

VietNamNet readers believed that 2011 will be a successful year for Vietnam, with higher economic growth rate.

“The Prime Minister’s solutions are completely right but I think that we have to do our best to improve the effectiveness of public investment. The roots of instability in Vietnam in recent years were unreasonable economic structure, low productivity and especially low effectiveness of public investment. That is the problem. Once we cut down public spending and public investment, we can improve financial and monetary policies,” analyzed Hung Anh from Thanh Hoa province.

“The Prime Minister targets are to gradually reduce public investment and encourage investment from social resources. This will be an extremely difficult mission because it will affect the interests of ministries, sectors and local governments but I believe that he can do it,” Hung Anh concluded.

Most of readers said that once leaders can share their difficulties, transmit their feeling and messages to the public, that’s their success.

“Once a majority of the people understand the government, they will be side by side with the government to overcome difficulties,” wrote Le Manh from Hai Phong city.

Thu Le