Hanoi (VNA) - The Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) openedits fifth plenary meeting of the 12th tenure in Hanoi on May 5.

Duringthe meeting, the central committee will debate improving socialist-orientedmarket economy institutions and rearranging, reforming and improvingState-owned enterprises.

TheCommittee will also review the implementation of the 15-year-old 9th Party Central Committee’s Resolution on the development of the private economicsector and will consider disciplinary measures against Party members.

Speakingat the opening ceremony, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong suggestedseveral issues to be discussed at the session.

Overthe past 10 years, the implementation of Resolution of the sixth session of the10th Party Central Committee on “continuing to complete the socialist-orientedmarket economy mechanism” has contributed to economic growth and moving Vietnamfrom the group of less developed countries to the group of developing countrieswith middle income. It also helped maintain the country’s socialistorientation, developed the economy coupled with social progress while improvingthe people’s material and spiritual life, and ensuring social welfare anddefence.

However,he pointed out shortcomings, especially in achieving sustainable economicgrowth, a lack of breakthroughs in using resources for development, State-ownedenterprises failing to perform, slow economic reforms and the slow development ofsome markets.

TheParty chief said that the conference’s task is to issue a new resolution forthe continued completion of the socialist-oriented market economy mechanism to2020 with a vision to 2030 on the basis of the 12th Party Congress’ Resolutionand the Resolution of the sixth plenum of the 10th Party Central Committee.

Heasked the Central Committee to analyse weaknesses in the work and map out resolutions.

On the issue of State-owned enterprise efficiency, he said theParty and State have often discussed and issued various policies tore-organise, reform and develop State-owned enterprises (SOEs), reaping welcomeoutcomes, noting that the number of firms wholly owned by the State droppedfrom over 12,000 to 5,655 in 2001 and 718 in October 2016.

However, SOEs have neither proved the core ofthe state economy nor led and created growth momentum. Most SOEs’ businessperformance remains low and is not commensurate with the resources the Statehas poured into them. A number of SOEs suffered losses, experienced corruptionand wastefulness, or invested in multi-trillion-VND but idle projects,worsening bad debt and public debt.

General Secretary Trong asked members of theParty Central Committee to point out the reason for the sluggish improvement ofthese long-standing issues.

He stressed that at this session, they need topinpoint targets, viewpoints and solutions to address this issue. They shouldreach a consensus on the role of SOEs amid the equitisation and divestment ofState capital at businesses completely owned by the State.

They also need to look into ways to reform thefirms’ apparatus and operations, as well as personnel work and the activitiesof Party organisations at SOEs.

He asked them to scrutinise the need to issue anew resolution from the Party Central Committee on SOE restructuring, reformand improvement.

Overthe past 15 years of implementing the Resolution on renovating mechanisms,policies and facilitating the private economy adopted by the fifth plenum ofthe ninth National Party Congress, the Party and State have issued a number ofpolicies, guidelines and measures to encourage the development of the privateeconomy.

Theprivate economy has made greater contributions to rallying social resources formanufacturing and trading, economic growth and restructuring, increasing Statebudget collection, creating jobs, improving local well-being, ensuring socialwelfare and settling social issues. Its contribution to gross domestic productis stable at nearly 39-40 percent. Entrepreneurship has grown, as has thestart-up movement.

However,the private economy’s growth rate has fallen in recent years due to limitedcapacity, mostly in individual and household businesses. Various private firmsoperate unstably and face losses, dissolution and bankruptcy. Law violations,trade fraud, tax avoidance and debt, unhealthy competition, environmentpollution, and food hygiene remain serious issues.

TheParty chief asked the Party Central Committee to assess past achievements andthoroughly analyse shortcomings and weaknesses.

Followingthe Resolution set by the 12th National Party Congress and thecountry’s situation, the Party Central Committee needs to reach consensus withthe Party and people on the goals, major tasks and measures to develop a strongprivate economy, making it a driver of the country’s socialism-oriented marketeconomy, he said.

Regardingself-criticism, the Party chief said that in March 2017, the Political Bureauand the Secretariat spent seven days conducting self-criticism on theirleadership and steering work in 2016 as well as on the implementation of theResolution on Party building and rectification adopted by the fourth PartyCentral Committee (12th tenure).

The work has been carried out in a democratic, frank, and sincere manner andthose who were criticised listened seriously, seeing it as a chance to learn,he said.

Each Politburo and Secretariat member reviewed his or her responsibility forfields they were in charge of and acknowledged weaknesses or limitations theyshould fix, according to the Party leader.

Through the work, the Political Bureau and the Secretariat agreed that in 2016the regional and international situation faced complicated developments whilethe country dealt with new incidents, like marine environmental pollution inthe central coastal area, severe droughts in the south central and the CentralHighlands, and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong delta.

In this context, the Political Bureau and the Secretariat stood united andpromptly issued appropriate solutions to lead the Party, people and army toreap important achievements, which have been lauded by the people, Partymembers and officials, he noted.

The achievements gained in 2016 were encouraging, paving the way for thecountry to enter a new development phase, Trong said.

He asked the Party Central Committee to correctly assess strong and weak pointsin the leadership and steering work of the Political Bureau and the Secretariatand the implementation of the Resolution on Party building and rectificationadopted by the fourth Party Central Committee (12th tenure). Itshould point out causes and lessons learnt as well as devise solutions toaddress weaknesses. -VNA