At the meeting (Photo: VNA)

They agreed that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken an unprecedented toll on Vietnam’s economy, but they pointed to some encouraging signs in the third quarter of this year.

Deputy Hoang Van Cuong of Hanoi, said, “Agriculture was the only sector that recorded positive growth in the third quarter. We need to take a closer look at its growth potential and lure more investment there. Agriculture provides a large part of Vietnam’s exports, which have grown 10% in the past nine months. Vietnam needs to pay close attention to exports and give priority to our hard currency earners during this period of economic recovery.”   

Deputies noted that, although some localities are below expectation, generally Vietnam’s vaccination rollout has been remarkable, with 70 million doses of vaccine administered since April. The Government has issued Resolution 128 urging a coordinated effort from central to grassroots level. Debt restructuring policies have been introduced to relieve businesses of burdens imposed by the recent crisis. Deputies called for a comprehensive review of the fight against COVID-19, a balancing of the state budget, and a search for more resources to drive the economy forward.