PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng’s online talk to Vietnamese people at home and abroad

PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng’s speech to open his online talk:

Dear countrymen and comrades,

I would like to express my respectful and friendly greeting to all of you who are living and working at home and abroad. I am very grateful to and highly appreciate your attention by sending me over 20,000 questions for this online talk.

I am deeply aware that this action reflects your legitimate aspirations, good sentiments, and high sense of responsibility toward the future development of our country, our nation, our economy as well as toward the Party’s leadership and the State’s management.

I would like to start sharing my opinions to all of you.

Phạm Anh Tuấn, Nguyễn Thị Thu Huyền (Hà Nội); Lê Trung Hưng (Biên Hòa, Đồng Nai Prov.); Phạm Văn Kiên (Vĩnh Phú Prov.) and others
Would you mind to give briefly your assessments on socio-economic situation in 2006, both achievements and shortcomings. Though the last year saw many great successes, there remain some burning issues including corruption and ineffective use of ODA. What are the Government’s solutions and decisions to recover the economy in 2007?

PM Nguyễn Tấn Dũng (PM): Your question covers a very large range. I would like to give some opinions as follows:

In 2006, we started to implement the Resolution drawn by the 10^th Việt Nam Communist Party Congress and the five-year plan 2006-2010. With the great efforts of the whole country and the entire nation, over the past 20 years of renovation and especially in 2006, we have gained significant achievements:

Firstly: Socio-political situation was stabilized, people’s legitimate democratic rights are respected and observed. Our people are very optimistic and confident in the bright future and prospect of the country and the nation as well as in the Party’s leadership and the Government’s administration.

Secondly: The economy continued to grow highly (GDP increased by nearly 8.2%), with better quality, efficiency and competitiveness. The economy has been restructured properly. Together with economic development, the life of different social strata has been considerably improved. About 3% of poor households were reduced in 2006.

Thirdly: Progressions were made in culture, social activities, education, science and technology, and healthcare.

Fourthly: Some initial results have been achieved in administrative reform and the fight against corruption which are much supported by our people. It is expected that better results will be gained in the future.

Fifthly: National defense and security were strengthened.

Sixthly: Externally-oriented activities were carried out fruitfully. Việt Nam became the 150^th WTO member; successfully organized the APEC Leaders’ Week; was selected by Asian countries with a high consensus to be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council during 2008-2009; and was put by the United States out of its List of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) in terms of religious freedom and granted with the Permanent Normal Trade Relation status.

It is possible to say that the achievements obtained in 2006 are considered as those of 20 years of renovation, helping create new position and strength; new opportunities and prospects; and new good conditions for us to speed up development growth rate in all fields, lift our country out of underdevelopment, lay the foundation for Việt Nam to become an industrialized country in the next decade.

However, in 2006, as you said, there were also some burning socio-economic issues. We must seriously acknowledge that many of these issues and wrongdoings were grave, namely:

First, the economic scale is small and Việt Nam remains a poor country (per capita income is expected to reach US$ 720 in 2007, ranking seventh out of ten ASEAN members) among the world’s 40 lowest-income countries.

Quality, efficiency and competitiveness of the country, enterprises and products are still low, though Việt Nam became a WTO member.

Socio-economic infrastructure is very poor.

Human resource has a low quality.

Second, there remain many burning cultural and social issues, such as job for laborers; people’s life in rural areas, especially remote ones and of ethnic minorities; educational and training quality; drug addiction, prostitution and HIV spreading; traffic accident, etc. requiring us to deal with in a better and more drastic way.

Third, corruption and prodigality are very notorious. This is a big danger and challenge to us.

Fourth, national administration and State governance, though obtaining progressions, still contain weaknesses and shortcomings. Administrative procedures are complex and troublesome, hindering development and making the public displeased.

There are many causes, both subjective and objective. As the leader of the Government, I must be responsible for those weaknesses and wrongdoings.

Nguyễn Đình Phong (Nghệ An); Phạm Anh Tuấn (Đồng Tháp); Nguyễn Thị Đỗ Quyên (HCMC)
Could you reveal the major targets for socio-economic development in 2007?

PM: To make use of opportunities and overcome challenges and difficulties, maintaining rapid and sustainable economic development, in 2007, the Government will take consistent measures to simultaneously realize duties set by the Party and National Assembly (as publicized by the Government Website and other mass media). The Government will strive best, through aggregate measures, to fulfill fruitfully the following goals:

First, to reach an economic growth of 8.5% while improving quality and competitiveness;

Second, to boost administrative reform in terms of institution, structure, organization, staff, and public financial management. The focus is to reform fruitfully administrative procedures to liberate production forces and response to the people’s demand;

Third, to take consistent measures in strictly dealing with corruption cases to prevent and eradicate corruption.

These are three key tasks to be conducted by the Government in 2007. Monthly, the Government will inspect and assess the realization of these three tasks. You are expected to advocate the Government’s effort in doing so.

Nguyễn Đình Chinh (Hanoi) and others
Through President G. Bush’s “State of the Union” address publicized on Internet and mass media, I can understand considerably the US President’s policies on internal and external affairs in 2007. We hope that you can give a similar annual address on your policies and plans of action, so the people can know, supervise and assess the Government’s and the Prime Minister’s performance. What is your opinion about this?

PM: I highly laud such a constructive recommendation of you.

Each country has its own method. In Việt Nam, there is no “Yearly Address" given by the Government’s leader. But at the end of each year, around October or November, the Prime Minister makes a report to the National Assembly to comment and assess the socio-economic situation of the whole year; in which he clearly points out what have done and what have not done and the reasons; and suggests goals, tasks and solutions for the next year.

The National Assembly, that is our people’s supreme organ of power, will discuss and consider the PM’s report, then issue a Resolution on yearly socio-economic development duties. The Government and the Prime Minister will make action plans to put the NA’s Resolution into reality right at the beginning of each year. In the case of Việt Nam, in my opinion, such a performance is proper and practical. Please read the PM’s report to the NA and the NA’s Resolution on annual socio-economic situation, containing major targets, tasks, solutions and policies to develop different fields of the country (economy, culture, social affairs, administrative reform, anti-corruption, national defense, security, foreign affairs and others). In some way, these can be considered as annual official addresses of our State and Government.

 

Phạm Trường Hà, Đinh Toàn Thắng (Hà Nội) 
What do you think of the statement that our State-run enterprises are weak and ineffective, causing damages to the national economy, and that the “current transformation of State-run corporations into economic groups is formalistic, even making them more cumbersome, and unsuitable to the nature of economic groups”?
PM: Frankly saying, such an opinion is not objective and correct.

Our State-run enterprises were formed in specific conditions of Việt Nam. Though having many shortcomings, they have actually made significant contributions to the country’s success, during the struggle for national independence and reunification, in the fight against the economic blockade and embargo and over the past 20 years of renovation. Our State-run enterprises have always been the economy’s key force.

We have launched the renovation, shifted to a socialist-oriented market economy and deepened our integration into the world’s economy. This process is also the renovation of State-run enterprises, from relying on State’s subsidies and support to acting self-reliantly and self-responsibly in the equal competition in the market mechanism. Most of State-run enterprises have been transformed into joint-stocks, some enterprises shared by different owners have been founded, operating under the Law on Enterprise (12,000 State-owned enterprises in 1996 were reduced to 1,800 ones). Though it is necessary to equitize more enterprises, it is possible to say that we have succeeded in renovating State-run enterprises. Up to now, most of these enterprises are operating in line with the market regime, competing and cooperating equally with enterprises of other forms at home and abroad, under Việt Nam’s laws and international practices.

Currently, State-run enterprises are contributing about 39% of GDP, 40% of State budget, and 50% of export turnover. Many economic groups and corporations grew at the rate of 11% in 2006. This is true information about our State-run enterprises from the Government.

Trần Thanh Hòa (Nghệ An); Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng (HCMC)

Việt Nam is now a full member of WTO. The Communist Party of Việt Nam has issued its resolution and the Government designed a comprehensive action program. And, in your opinion, what are our most important tasks?

PM: By becoming a WTO member, Việt Nam now faces both great opportunities and big challenges. Both the Party’s resolution and the Government’s action program clearly mentioned different goals, viewpoints and solutions for our country to gain a rapid and sustainable development. As the leader of the Government, I am responsible for putting these goals and solutions into reality. In my opinion, we should focus on three groups of key and primary tasks, immediately and in a long term, namely:

First, we must reform strongly and effectively the national administration in all fields, including institutions, regimes, organization and apparatus, staff, and public financial management among which the focus is administrative procedure reform in order to adapt ourselves to socialist-orientated market economy and international economic integration, liberate production forces, attract investment, mobilize the whole nation’s strength in economic development, and improve the competitiveness of our country, enterprises and products.

Second, we must train a qualified human resource as soon as possible and develop education-training and science-technology, considering this work the top national policy for a rapid and sustainable economic development.

Third, we should mobilize resources of the State, enterprises from all economic sectors, investors at home and abroad, and ODA from our friends in the world to build up socio-economic infrastructure, including transport, harbors, airports, electricity network, IT infrastructure, irrigation, schools, hospitals, water supply and others.

If we fail in fulfilling these tasks, we cannot improve our competitiveness and not develop in the context of integration and competition. The Government is consistently realizing different solutions and tasks, especially these three groups of duties.

Nguyễn Văn Sắc (age: 57, HCMC); Nguyễn Văn Tuấn (age: 43, Hanoi); Đỗ Văn Bình (age: 38, Phú Thọ Prov.); Nguyễn Chí Dũng (age: 28, Thái Nguyên Prov.); and Đinh Thị Cúc (age: 20, Hanoi) 
After Việt Nam joined into WTO, you wrote a meaningful article publicized on the Government Website and some newspapers. Do you believe that Việt Nam will surely succeed in integrating into the world economy?

PM: Our Vietnamese nation has many good and heroic traditions over thousands of years. And for the past 77 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, a revolutionary and scientific party founded and nurtured by President Hồ Chí Minh, our people have overcome a lot of difficulties, challenges and sacrifices to gain victories after victories, forming the present-day career.

It is possible to say that we were forced to take up arms in the victorious fighting for national independence and reunification. We have launched a successful renewal in transforming from a centrally-planned subsidized economy to a socialist-oriented market one. We have integrated into the regional and international communities and achieved important initial results. In the near future, we will further our integration into the world economy and surely succeed in obtaining a rapid and sustainable development and fulfilling the goals for rich people, powerful country, equal, democratic and civilized society. This is the strong will and determination of the entire Vietnamese people. So, we will surely be successful.

Nguyễn Thế Kim (age: 33, Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu), Nguyễn Sơn Nam (age: 21, Hanoi) 
Việt Nam is now the 150^th WTO member, and we must join international integration and fierce competition. However, there remain a lot of poor people. What are your solutions to shift our fellowmen out of poverty?
PM: After the last 30-year war, our seriously-ravaged country was further exhausted by a harsh economic embargo. However, thanks to great efforts of the whole nation and wholehearted support from our international friends, over the past 20 years, we managed to reduce the percentage of poor households (according to international standards) from nearly 60% down to 19% by 2006.

To fasten the reduction of poor households in the coming years, the Government has put forth the plan to obtain a decrease of 3% every year. Apart from general solutions on socio-economic development which encourage all citizens to get out of poverty and enrich themselves, the Government has also set up specific policies to facilitate poverty alleviation. The followings are some of such policies:

The Government has designed national programs on poverty elimination and job generation for the poor through aids in capital, animal breeds and crop varieties, and production skill, etc.

The State-financed Program 135 focuses on the construction of roads, irrigation works, clean water supply, electricity, clinics, markets and other welfare works for disadvantageous communes, hamlets, and villages.

Program 134 to support the poor with production land, residing land, housing and safe drinking water.

The program on settlement and fixed cultivation for wandering groups.

The program to relocate population along the borderlines.

The program on forest allotment and food aids in the Central Highlands.

The policy on exempting the poor from school and hospital fees.

Regular food aids to the poor and disaster-hit victims.

Recently, the Government has decided to provide about 80,000 households in need with VND 5 million each for production.

At present, there are around 200,000 makeshift houses throughout Việt Nam. The Government and the Việt Nam Fatherland Front will continue to implement the program “Day for the Poor, Housing for the Poor” to deal with this situation soon.

Our achievements in alleviating poverty and hunger are highly hailed by the international community. We are striving to fast reduce poor households and convert them into well-to-do and prosperous ones through national industrialization and modernization. This cause requires great efforts by everyone and the State. And this is also a goal and socialist orientation of our country.

The CPV and State always consider agriculture, rural area and peasant as strategic issues. Though their life has been improved, our farmers still face a lot of difficulties. To reach rapid and sustainable agricultural and rural development as well as improve farmers’ life, the Government will continue its general solutions, concentrating on the following goals:

   1/ To develop socio-economic infrastructure;

   2/ To train human resource, especially through vocational training,

   3/ To found and diversify enterprises, especially medium and small-sized ones in rural areas;

   4/ To invest in and promote the application of scientific and technical advances into agricultural production;

   5/ To soundly deal with burning cultural, social and environmental issues in rural areas.

I am convinced that, with the effort of our State and people, the cause of agricultural and rural industrialization will be realized and farmers’ life bettered.

Trần Văn Toán (age: 27, HCMC) 
What are your solutions to help those whose land has been taken back for building socio-economic infrastructure, urban areas or industrial parks to overcome their difficulties?

PM: Việt Nam is striving for a rich people, a powerful country, an equal, democratic and civilized society. We must speed up industrialization, modernization and rural development as well, so it is necessary to convert a part of agricultural and residing lands into socio-economic infrastructure, industrial parks, and urban areas. The land revocation and conversion require compensation and resettlement for the sufferers of land revocation to be conducted under legal regulations and with a view that they will have a better life in new residence, especially in terms of production, business and job opportunity.

The Government will continue to check and supplement policies to ensure that goal. The Government and local authorities at all echelons must be responsible for the failure in meeting those requirements. The Government pledges to pay attention to and take practical measures to promote this work. There is no reason to push our people into poverty in the process of industrialization and urbanization. This is the socialist nature of our regime and State.

Lê Thanh Tuấn (Hà Nội) 
The media and people have highly spoken of and expressed their confidence in your operation. What is your opinion?

PM: Thank you very much for your encouragement. Over the past seven months, I have done my utmost to fulfill the assignments from the Party, State and people. However, there are a lot to do in order to meet the country's requirements and people's expectations. I myself must try more.

The recent achievements in all fields are resulted from the great efforts of the whole nation and the entire political system under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam.

Phạm Dương Quốc Tuấn 

Why did you sign an instruction banning the privatization of the media in any form. Isn’t this against our nation’s goal to be more liberal and democratic?
PM: Yes, on behalf of the Government, I signed an instruction to tighten State management of the media to bring into full play the role of the media in the country's comprehensive development. The instruction aims at making each of more than 600 newspapers and magazines in Việt Nam to be a democratic organ and forum for all social strata as well as the fighting flag of our people for a socialist Việt Nam of rich people, powerful country, equal, democratic and civilized society.

The instruction has one stipulation banning the privatization of the media in any form, and not allowing anyone to control or influence the media for their individual gain, going against the law and national interests. My instruction suits Việt Nam's existing laws, most people’s aspirations and the country’s conditions. All good activities of the media must be praised and awarded timely but media outlets’ wrong doings should be also punished following the laws.

The Party, State and people are pleased at the rapid growth of Vietnamese media in all forms. We highly appreciate the media's proactive and considerable contributions to the country's renovation over the past two decades. We always wish and create favorable conditions for the Vietnamese media to develop their strengths and overcome weaknesses in the cause of development.

Phạm Trường Giang (age: 27, Hanoi); Huỳnh Mẫn Đạt (age: 21, HCMC); Huỳnh Lưu Đức Toàn (age: 34, Nha Trang); Nguyễn Hữu Duy (HCMC) 

Do you have solutions to help poor people go to school?

PM: The Party and State consider education one of the most important national values.

In the past years, we have focused on developing education and training.

The Party and State especially care about poverty stricken residents going to school. This is the target and nature of our government.

The State has policies to exempt tuition for all the primary pupils. Poor students are exempted from tuition in junior and senior high schools, colleges and universities.

Last year, 27.5 million people went to school, accounting for 33 per cent of total population.

We also have policies to support poor households that have children going to school. I believe that, with the State efforts as well as efforts by each family and resident, we can fulfill Uncle Hồ’s wishes, "For everyone to be able to go to school."

Jeremy Taylor 

Through mass media, I know your country fought against the US and hate it very much. Why did you allow your son to study in the US?

PM: I spent 13 years in the southern Việt Nam battlefields fighting against the American aggressors. We, fighters, and other citizens hated the US’s arrogant administration and its armies very much back then. I was injured four times and suffered more than 30 wounds over the course of my fighting career. My father and my two uncles died during the American War.

But we, and all other Vietnamese, did not hate all American people or the US as a country. We thanked Americans who protested the war in Viet Nam. We sympathized with American mothers who lost their sons and husbands. I am sure you still remember we were so moved when a young American lit himself on fire to oppose the war.

My son was already a member of the Party when he was a student. While learning in the US, he was Secretary of the Youth Union and Deputy Secretary of the Party Cell of Overseas Vietnamese Students.

My son’s study was covered by the State’s doctorate training fund. I think science and technology, and architecture in particular, had little to do with the war in Việt Nam.

As a state, a nation and a citizen, no one will forget our nation’s painful suffering. But, in terms of the nation’s reconciliation tradition, the Party and State advocate looking toward to the future, and at the same time building the relations for peace, co-operation, development and equality between two our countries and their peoples.

Nguyễn Chí Hiếu (HCMC) 
Some newspapers reported that your two children studied in the United States and your daughter married an overseas Vietnamese. How does this fact affect your post?
PM: This information is inaccurate. Only my son studied in the United States where he obtained a PhD degree in sciences. My daughter did not study in the US. She is now working in Hồ Chí Minh City. She is unmarried.

Lê Ngọc Hùng (age: 47, Netherlands) 

We, overseas Vietnamese living abroad, want to buy houses in Việt Nam so we have somewhere to stay during our visits home but are having trouble doing so. What measures are available to help us?

PM: The three million Vietnamese living abroad are part and parcel of the Vietnamese nation. The Party Politburo and the Party Central Committee have issued Resolution 36 to address overseas Vietnamese.

The Land Law states overseas Vietnamese people are allowed to buy houses in Việt Nam. Any overseas Vietnamese investor, individual who has rendered services to the country’s development, scientist, cultural specialist or people who want to return and settle in the country or have a permit to stay for six months, have the right to buy houses.

However, I understand the procedures are still cumbersome.

At the most recent cabinet meeting, I instructed the Minister of Construction – the ministry responsible for overseeing this issue — to work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other concerned agencies to give suggestions to the Government to facilitate conditions for overseas Vietnamese who wish to work and live in the homeland.

Lê Thanh (Nghệ An), Trần Văn Thanh (An Giang), Tống Mai Sang (Hà Nội), Vũ Sang (HCM City), Lê Công (HCMC), Tạ Vinh (Vietnamese national in Europe) 

Former Party General Secretary Lê Khả Phiêu said if we want to fight against corruption we must have a "steel but clean hand." How will you reflect the concept of "steel" and "clean" in the fight?

PM: Former Party General Secretary Lê Khả Phiêu did not elaborate what he referred to as "steel" and "clean hand" in the sentence.

However, in my opinion, a leader in the fight against corruption needs to have the following characteristics:

First, he/she must have great determination to engage in the fight. He/she must be devoted and be aware of the extensive damage corruption will cost the nation and live up to the people’s confidence.

The leader should think fighting against corruption is for the benefit of the country, the nation and the people and have a high sense of responsibility in the fight.

He/she should go after the guilty parties regardless of their social positions and not be afraid of difficulties or challenges, the possibility of revenge or being dismissed from his/her position.

Secondly, the leader, himself/herself, must not be involved in corruption or work with those guilty of sins against the nation.

And he/she must be knowledgeable about the laws and obey them.

Corruption is a crime, but to turn a blind eye to corruption or violating laws while fighting corruption are also crimes.

Phạm Đình Long (age: 78, Bình Định); Phạm Huy Hà (age: 63, Hà Nội) 

Will the Government Decree 61/CP still be valid so that tenants living in the government housing can eventually buy the homes?

PM: Decree 61/CP was issued in 1994 allowing tenants to buy government houses that were rented to them.

According to reports from the Minister of Construction, by late 2006, about 200,000 apartments had been sold to the families living in them. The remaining 64,000 apartments have not been sold although the Government has extended the deadline twice.

At the cabinet meeting early this year, the Government agreed to extend the time people have to purchase these houses until the end of 2007.

The Ministry of Construction and other functional agencies were assigned to review the Decree to enable and accelerate its implementation.

The Government also asked local People’s Committees to review all the purchases to see if any of them were mishandled and, if so, take corrective actions, including invalidating the purchase.

However, the government will not look into purchases made before Decree 61 was issued.

Lê Trung Hiếu 

I wish to be the Prime Minister in the future. Can you tell us about how you became the PM?

PM: During my time in the Party, I always obeyed the instruction of the organization, even though the duties might be difficult or dangerous. We did not avoid tasks but tried to implement them effectively.

Considering our work, we should give it our best try to benefit the country and nation.

In life, we should be always honest and be considerate of all people.