Hanoi (VNA) – The achievements Vietnam recorded in 2018 have given thecountry valuable lessons, creating a firm foundation for the country to develop,reform, and integrate further into the world, Party General Secretary andPresident Nguyen Phu Trong has said.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of theupcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) festival, the leader said despite a range of difficultiesand challenges, the country has maintained rapid and comprehensive developmentin most spheres last year.

Vietnam has completed all 12 set targets, with its gross domestic product (GDP)growing more than 7 percent to exceed 245 billion USD and about 2,580 USD percapita, he noted.

The stable macro economy, controlled inflation, and consumer price index (CPI) atbelow 4 percent were also marked achievements in the year, he said, adding thatthe country’s exports continued to rise and trade surplus hit a record of over 7billion USD.

Last year, the tourism sector earned 620 trillion VND (26.66 billion USD) fromserving nearly 15.6 million international tourists and 80 million domesticarrivals, gradually becoming the country’s economic spearhead.

The important socio-economic achievements have also contributed significantly toraising people’s material and spiritual life, ensuring political stability alongsidesocial order and safety, the leader said.

External affairs and international integration have been stepped up,contributing to protecting national independence, sovereignty, territorialintegrity, and strategic interests; consolidating a peaceful and stableenvironment for development and elevating Vietnam’s prestige and position onthe world arena, Trong said.  

He affirmed that joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-PacificPartnership (CPTPP) is a step forward to materialise policies of the Party andthe State in international integration, and assert Vietnam’s important role andgeo-political position in Southeast Asia, Asia-Pacific, and the world at large.

The CPTPP membership is also significant for Vietnam in taking advantage ofexternal resources and mobilising internal strength, thus effectively servingnational construction, defence, and development.

Regarding the fight against corruption and other negative phenomena, he said thatcompetent agencies have taken an active part in the combat and sped up the verification,investigation, and settlement of serious and complex corruption and economiccases, especially those in the fields of oil and gas, banking, and public assetand land management.

According to the leader, the strict punishment of many officials, Party members,leaders, and managers at all levels who committed violations have demonstratedthat there are no restricted zones and exceptions in the fight.

This is a long-term struggle that requires resolve, patience, and scientificmethods for the purity and prestige of the Party, sustainable development ofthe country, and the wish and happiness of the people, Trong underlined.

According to the leader, anti-corruption must go in tandem with streamlining apparatus;improving the operational efficiency of public agencies; reforming wage andsocial insurance policies; building a contingent of key officials at alllevels, especially at the strategic one; and perfecting institutions, policiesand laws.

Mentioning major tasks for 2019 and the years to come, the Party and Stateleader called for more efforts to consolidate the macro economy, maintain thegrowth pace, improve growth quality, accelerate the implementation of threestrategic breakthroughs, reform the growth model, and restructure the economy.

“There are many more jobs to do and do better, but the first hurdle lies withhow to create more remarkable changes in administrative reform and pragmaticallyremove bottlenecks and barriers to the investment, production, and businessactivities, thus facilitating the mobilisation of all resources for development,”he said.

More attention should be paid to building and developing culture and society,building human resources, and promoting social equality and progress in eachdevelopment step and policy.

Priority must also be given to addressing issues of public concern, such as thewealth gap, or the morality decline and increase of social evils, he said,stressing the need to further consolidate and increase national defence andsecurity potential; firmly maintain national independence, sovereignty, alongsideterritorial unity and integrity; and effectively perform external affairs andinternational integration.

“A constant key task is to build a pure, strong, and effective Party and politicalsystem,” he told the VNA.

On the occasion of the Tet holidays, the Party and State leader called on soldiersand people nationwide to join hands in order to successfully complete the settargets and tasks, taking the country to the period of rapid and sustainabledevelopment, with higher position and greater strength. –VNA