Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc on August 19 chaired a meeting of the Government’s permanent membersto discuss draft development plans for coming years, asking for effective andfeasible solutions to minimise COVID-19-caused losses and recover the economyin both short and medium terms.

The event looked into the draft socio-economicdevelopment plan and State budget estimates for 2021, the draft financial-Statebudget plan for 2021-2023, along with the draft medium-term socio-economicdevelopment plan and public investment plan for 2021-2025.

PM Phuc stressed that economic development mustbe ensured amid the COVID-19 pandemic so as to provide jobs and guaranteepeople’s livelihoods.

He also underlined the need for stayingproactive in governance and plan making, noting that facing serious impacts ofCOVID-19, effective and feasible solutions are necessary to ease losses and spureconomic development in both 2021 and the medium term of 2021-2025.

He asked Government members to be unanimous toexert efforts to support socio-economic recovery this year, as well as thefollowing years.

Noting countries around the world have takenmeasures like large-scale aid packages to minimise impacts of COVID-19,especially on people and businesses, the PM requested ministries and sectors,especially the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment,the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, and localities, to devisetimely support solutions that are strong enough to help affected people andenterprises.

Those solutions must be proactive, flexible andmatch the “new normal”. In particular, the fiscal and monetary policies shouldbe more flexible to stimulate demand, create jobs and promote growth whilestill maintaining macro-economic stability, according to the Government leader.

Meanwhile, the State budget plan for 2021 shouldinclude funds for social security policies for workers facing job losses andthose in the informal sector, and for vocational training to help labourersadapt to changes in supply chains.

PM Phuc also requested continued assistance forcertain sectors heavily affected by the pandemic like transportation, tourism,textile-garment, health care, and education; along with policies to encouragerational consumption.

He demanded priority be given to developmentinvestment, especially in developing socio-economic infrastructure, includingtransport facilities, by using every possible resource. 

The public investment plan for 2021-2025 needsto include projects and programmes important to national development like theones on North-South Expressway, coastal roads, and digital economy, he added./.