“Vice Minister Bui Thanh Son: Ministry of Industry and Trade, Focus on these 3 Critical Areas for Success”

On September 18, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son worked with the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The meeting was attended by leaders of ministries and branches: Mr. Cao Huy – Vice Chairman of the Government Office, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet; Lieutenant General Phung Duc Thang – Deputy Chief of the Police Administration for Administrative Order and Social Security, Ministry of Public Security.

On the side of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, there was the participation of Minister Nguyen Hong Dien; Deputy Ministers Nguyen Hoang Long, Truong Thanh Hoai, Phan Thi Thang and representatives of functional departments and units under the Ministry: General Department of Market Management, Ministry Office, Department of Industry, Department of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Department of Electricity Regulation, Department of Trade Defense, Import-Export Department, Trade Promotion Department, E-Commerce and Digital Economy, Department of Personnel Organization, Planning and Finance Department, Department of Multilateral Trade Policy, Department of Energy Saving and Sustainable Development, European-American Market Department, Asia-Africa Market Department, Domestic Market Department, Oil and Gas Department, Science and Technology Department, Legal Department, Office of the Steering Committee for International Economic Integration, Mechanical Engineering Institute, Cong Thuong Newspaper…

In addition, the meeting also had the participation of representatives of corporations, enterprises and corporations: Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PVN), Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Group (TKV), Vietnam National Petroleum Group…

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang reported briefly on the implementation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s tasks up to the end of August 2024, the industry and trade sector is on the right track to achieve the set targets in 2024 (IIP for the whole of 2024 grows by 7-8%; export growth of 6%; total retail sales of goods and services consumption in 2024 grows by 9%). Only the export growth and IIP targets may exceed the plan. However, the heavy losses caused by Storm No. 3 recently will require the whole industry to make greater efforts to achieve the results of 2024.

2024 is a year of acceleration and is of special importance in implementing the socio-economic development plan for the period 2021-2025, in the context that the international and domestic situation is forecast to continue to have both favorable conditions and difficulties and challenges. To contribute to achieving the country’s socio-economic development goals in 2024 as directed by the Government, the industry and trade sector strives to achieve and exceed the set targets.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Industry and Trade continues to implement a number of key tasks, including: Continuing to study, thoroughly grasp and seriously and effectively organize the implementation of the Party’s guidelines, resolutions of the National Assembly, and directions of the Government; Focusing on renovating and improving the quality of institutional building; urgently completing and submitting to the Government for issuance of mechanisms and policies in the field of energy (electricity, gasoline);

Continue to promote the implementation of solutions to restructure the industry and trade sector on the basis of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation; actively advising on summarizing mechanisms and policies on economic integration, especially the implementation of policies to attract FDI in the fields of industry and trade; focus on exploiting the effectiveness of free trade agreements (FTAs); develop domestic trade strongly to exploit the domestic market effectively; strengthen discipline, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of direction and administration, and promote the sense of responsibility of the head in performing tasks.

At the conference, Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang also proposed that the Government pay attention to and direct a number of issues such as: orienting the process of building mechanisms and policies, legal documents, and soon reviewing and approving after the Ministry of Industry and Trade completes and submits them to the Government; Consider and give directions on the use of the Master Plan for National Energy Development for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; Direct ministries, branches and localities to implement effectively and effectively the plans to implement the national industry planning in the fields of energy and minerals; urge ministries, branches and localities to actively implement the Prime Minister’s Directives on promoting the disbursement of public investment capital and stimulating consumption, supporting production and business and developing the domestic market in the last months of 2024…

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said that since the beginning of the term, the industry and trade sector has faced a series of difficulties and challenges: first of all, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, disrupting the supply chain of goods; economic crisis and geo-political conflicts in the world, greatly affecting the import and export activities of the whole country… At the same time, there have been many changes in personnel in the industry and trade sector, lack of personnel, lack of leaders of the Ministry…

Minister Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized that, nevertheless, since the beginning of the term, there has not been a single day without inspection, supervision, investigation and implementation of personnel procedures. In that context, with the timely and close direction of the leaders of the Party, State, especially the Government, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Ministers and the support and assistance of ministries, branches, localities and the efforts of the industry and trade sector, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has achieved remarkable results. remarkable as mentioned in the report, maintaining balance and making positive contributions to the country’s economic growth, which can be considered an impressive feat of the industry.

According to the Minister, there will be many difficulties and complexities ahead because the world situation is unpredictable, our integration is getting deeper, so the internalization of international law is also a challenge, and there are a series of commitments that Vietnam must implement… Regarding the recommendations and difficulties raised by the representatives of enterprises and corporations at the meeting, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien said that there are only typical difficulties and problems, and when going into specifics, there will be many issues that need to be solved.

Through the meeting, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien proposed that the Government, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son, together with ministries, branches and localities, continue to support and assist the industry and trade sector to well perform its tasks, contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the working session with the Ministry of Industry and Trade today aims to listen and grasp the common work, the general situation of the Ministry on the implementation of tasks in the first 8 months of 2024 and the construction of the industry and trade sector to implement those tasks. In addition, grasp the situation of implementing tasks from the beginning of the year to now and the key directions of tasks in the last months and the coming time.

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son highly appreciated the fact that in a short time, the leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade actively prepared a report to serve the meeting. The report outlines but is quite comprehensive about the industry and trade sector.

“In the context of the international, regional and domestic situation still facing many difficulties, under the leadership of the Party, the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Government, the Prime Minister, the ministries and branches have actively implemented tasks in a comprehensive manner and have achieved important results. In that common achievement, there is the contribution of the industry and trade sector “- the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledged and praised the results contributed by the leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade since the beginning of the term to now and 8 months of 2024.

Recalling the statement of the General Secretary and President that our country is entering a new period, a new period, striving to realize the aspiration and vision to become a developed country with high income by 2045. This is a goal and aspiration set for all levels and branches.

3 issues that the industry and trade sector needs to focus on

First, continue to improve the institution to remove difficulties and obstacles, and create in development.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Minister of Industry and Trade to directly direct the construction and perfection of the legal system, including legal documents, such as the amendment of the Laws on Electricity and Chemicals… and a series of Decree amendments.

Second, continue to join the Government, the Party and the State to promote the recovery process of the country’s development. No matter how difficult it is, the industry and trade sector must be the spearhead.

With that spirit, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the implementation of 3 contents: (i) Build regulations and decrees to promote and encourage the development of the electricity industry, first of all in renewable energy projects (including offshore wind power); (ii) Continue to focus on implementing the National Planning, Power Planning VIII; implement the unblocking of stagnant projects, including electricity and gas projects… to release resources to serve socio-economic recovery; cooperate in oil and gas exploitation and strengthen international cooperation in investment projects abroad; (iii) In terms of import and export, the Government highly appreciates the role of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and related ministries and branches in promoting import and export and growth in the context of complicated international situation, disrupted supply chain, disrupted production chain.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to take advantage and effectively exploit the signed FTAs, while continuing to negotiate and sign new FTAs, including negotiating an FTA with the Gulf region.

In the field of trade, the Deputy Prime Minister also highly appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the past time, even in the face of storms and floods, ensuring the smoothness of goods in the market, increasing domestic trade, especially the Campaign “Vietnamese people give priority to using Vietnamese goods”. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has combined with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related ministries and branches to expand the network of Vietnamese goods to foreign markets.

The Deputy Prime Minister appreciated the fact that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has deployed e-commerce, which is in line with the general trend of the world and needs to continue to promote this trend.

Third, the work of digital transformation and digital economy. In addition to the proposal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, it is proposed that the Ministry of Industry and Trade work with the Police Administration for Administrative Order and Social Security Security (C06) to implement the Project “Developing an application on population data, electronic identification and authentication to serve the national digital transformation in the period of 2022-2025, with a vision to 2030” (Project 06). At the same time, it is also necessary to promote administrative reform.

Regarding the proposals of the Ministry of Industry and Trade as well as the proposals of the representatives of enterprises, the Deputy Prime Minister said that he would ask the Government Office to synthesize and handle them in the earliest time, creating a driving force for enterprises to produce and do business, while ensuring the development goals of the economy.