Hanoi (VNA) - The Government will continue doing its utmost,together with all ministries, sectors, localities, people, and soldiers and underthe supervision of the National Assembly (NA), to overcome the impact of floodsand storms now hitting the country, while stepping up disaster prevention andcontrol efforts to protect lives and guarantee economic stability anddevelopment.

PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the statement when delivering a report on theresults of the implementation of national socio-economic development plans for2020 and during 2016-2020, the socio-economic development plan for 2021, andseveral main missions and targets for 2021-2025, at the opening session of the14th NA’s 10th session on October 20.

The PMtook the occasion to extend his profound commiserations over the enormous lossesof life and property caused by the severe flooding in the central region.

He wenton to say that despite numerous difficulties and challenges, Vietnam posted importantand comprehensive achievements in almost all fields in the 2016-2020 period,thanks to the effort and determination of the entire Party, people, and army.

Vietnamfulfilled and surpassed targets set for 2016-2019, with annual results alwaysimproving upon those posted a year earlier. In 2020, in the context ofCOVID-19, Vietnam succeeded in disease prevention and control and stepped up itseconomic recovery, which won international praise.

Thesuccess demonstrated the great determination, will, and action of the Party,people and army; reflected the strength of solidarity and patriotism; andconsolidated people’s trust in the leadership of the Party and State, he said.

Themacro economy has been stabilised, inflation curbed at a low level, and growthquality raised. Average annual growth reached 6.8 percent from 2016 to 2019. Inthe first nine months of this year, despite the impact of COVID-19, Vietnamposted growth of 2.12 percent - among the highest in the region and the world.

Inaddition to its remarkable achievements, the PM also identified severalweaknesses and shortcomings, including low economic resilience, limitedcompetitiveness and self-reliance, unsustainable multi-dimensional povertyreduction, and development gaps between regions.

In2021 and during 2021-2025, the Government will aim for rapid and sustainabledevelopment based on maintaining macro-economic stability, stepping up theimplementation of strategic breakthroughs and economic restructuring in linewith growth model reform, increasing the application of science and technology,fulfilling socio-cultural development tasks, paying attention to environmentalprotection and disaster prevention and control, consolidating defence andsecurity, and improving the country’s position and prestige in theinternational arena, the PM stated.

TheGovernment will also continue working on the twin targets of effective diseaseprevention and economic recovery and development in the new normal situation, whilealso completing socialist-oriented market economy institutions, he added.

Inthis NA session, the Government submitted 12 main socio-economic andenvironmental criteria for 2021, including 6 percent GDP growth, a CPI of 4percent, skilled workers to account for 66 percent of the total workforce,health insurance coverage to reach 91 percent, and forest coverage to stand at 42percent./.