Hanoi (VNA) – With its contributions overthe past 75 years, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) deserves therole of the captain who steers the economic ship to the sea, Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc said on December 31.

Speakingat a Hanoi ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the sector, theGovernment leader also said the MPI should strive to turn laws, systems andpolicies into a breakthrough for other breakthroughs of Vietnam now and in theyears to come.

TheMPI must identify challenges in realising the targets of national development,adopt a longer vision than those of other ministries and sectors, andlocalities throughout the country, he stressed.

The planning-investment and statistics sector has madeimportant contributions to Vietnam’s achievements to date, MPI Minister NguyenChi Dung said at the event

The country’s economy reached 343 billion USD thisyear with per capita GDP of 3,521 USD, he told the ceremony.

He noted the InternationalMonetary Fund (IMF) has commentedthat under purchasing power parity, the scale of Vietnam’s economy is 1.05trillion USD and per capita GDP more than 10,000 USD.

Dung held that throughout the 75 years of thecountry’s construction and development, the planning and investment sector hasprovided sound advice to the Party and State while completing all tasks assigned.

From an under-developed, low-income country, Vietnam nowstands as a middle-income country, he added.

He highlighted that throughout its history, the sectorhas played a pioneering role in creating a development vision for the country whilereforming internally to complete its task of providing strategic consultation.

The sector has exhibited strong performance in Statemanagement of strategy, planning, and socio-economic development planning, hesaid, adding that so far, three 10-year strategies and 10 5-year strategies onsocio-economic development have been designed.

Meanwhile, it has presented socio-economic policies,laws, mechanisms, and institutions to the Party and State, while coordinatingwith relevant agencies and localities to identify solutions to ensuremacro-economic stability and to respond to domestic and internationaldevelopments.

At the same time, investment and statistics activitieshave contributed a great deal to economic reform and renovation of the growthmodel, the minister said.

He stressed that amid the adverse impact of COVID-19,the ministry has built scenarios in economic management and offered solutionsto supporting economic recovery and growth, helping the Government roll out timelyand accurate decisions, with 2.91 percent in economic growth posted for theyear./.