HCMC strives to complete tasks, targets for 2023 in last 60 days of 2023

Mr. Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the People's Committee of HCMC, presides the meeting.

On the evening of October 30, the People's Committee of HCMC convened a meeting to address the socio-economic developments for October and the first ten months of the year, as well as to outline the key tasks and solutions for the remainder of 2023. Mr. Phan Van Mai, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee cum Chairman of the People's Committee of HCMC, presided over the meeting.

Focusing on key solutions

In the monthly report on HCMC's socio-economic situation for October, Ms. Le Thi Huynh Mai, Director of the Department of Planning and Investment, highlighted the ongoing positive trends in the city's economy. Total revenue from retail sales of consumer goods and services, tourism revenue, and the Industrial Production Index (IIP) have all shown significant growth. During the last months of the year, the city has outlined ten crucial strategies to ensure the successful attainment of its objectives and tasks for 2023.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the HCMC Tourism Department, revealed that the department would focus on implementing five key solution groups to invigorate tourism and consumption.

These strategies prioritize the establishment of tourism stimulus alliances to attract visitors and the organization of year-end tourism weeks with the participation of various regions, as well as tailored international communication solutions catering to the industry's requirements. Additionally, the department has actively engaged in fostering regional collaboration with the provinces in the Mekong Delta to create linked tourism models.

Mr. Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the People's Committee of HCMC, further emphasized that in the final two months of the year, the tourism sector will closely cooperate with relevant entities to strengthen regional partnerships, presenting a promising opportunity to stimulate tourism and consumption.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Hoang, Director of the HCMC Statistics Office, pointed out that industrial production in October reached its highest growth in the last ten months, and there was also a substantial increase in the domestic consumption index. As for the disbursement of public investment capital, the Director of the Statistics Office noted that, in order to maintain a disbursement rate of at least 80 percent, the city must achieve disbursements ranging from 22 percent to 30 percent in the remaining months, which imposes considerable pressure.

Chairman Hoang Tung of Thu Duc City's People's Committee mentioned that the land clearance compensation rates for two important projects involving a total capital exceeding VND2 trillion had been approved. This decision is expected to expedite the disbursement of the city's public investment capital in accordance with the commitments.

Situation of passing the buck remains

In his closing remarks, Chairman Phan Van Mai of the People's Committee in HCMC noted that the city's socio-economic situation maintains stability. However, the city's economic recovery is sluggish, marked by declining exports, reduced foreign direct investment (FDI), and low credit growth. Especially, the disbursement of public investment capital remains low. Mr. Phan Van Mai underscored the critical importance of this issue, urging leaders across various departments, committees, sectors, and localities to evaluate their performance against the year's objectives and tasks. He stressed the need for a concentrated effort to not only meet but also exceed the targets set for 2023.

Mr. Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the People's Committee of HCMC, presides the meeting.

The Chairman of HCMC's People's Committee asked all units to remain steadfast in their efforts to reach the disbursement target of 95 percent set at the beginning of the year. Currently, 475 projects have successfully achieved a disbursement rate exceeding 95 percent. Regarding projects anticipated to disburse less than 80 percent, the Chairman urged coordination to overcome challenges and emphasized a strong determination to achieve results of no less than 80 percent.

To achieve this objective, he urged investors and departments to fully engage and work around the clock to disburse public investment over the next 60 days. Earlier, the city had requested units to pledge their commitment to the progress of public investment disbursement. Currently, 19 units have not submitted their commitments. The Chairman of the HCMC People's Committee instructed the HCMC People's Committee Office and the Department of Planning and Investment to compile a list and investigate the underlying causes to handle them by disciplinary actions.

In relation to the enforcement of coordination regulations among departments, committees, and sectors, Mr. Phan Van Mai noted that after one year of implementation, although there has been an improvement in coordination among various units, there are still issues of passing the buck and a lack of clarity in viewpoints and opinions. He called for adjustments in this regard and underscored the importance of clear and timely question-and-answer sessions among units to ensure progress. He also emphasized the monthly compilation and publication of a list of agencies and units that exhibit sluggish coordination in task resolution.

Furthermore, the Chairman of the People's Committee of HCMC called for a comprehensive review and focused improvements in areas with low-performance indicators. Simultaneously, they must focus on standardizing the handling of administrative procedures within the administrative procedure resolution information system of HCMC. Efforts are also concentrated on resolving lingering issues for businesses and addressing obstacles in real estate projects.

During the last months of the year, the Chairman of the People's Committee in HCMC requested a concentrated effort to ensure social welfare, review, and implement vocational training and skill development for laborers. Units, departments, and districts are encouraged to treat the final two months of the year as an intense 60-day campaign to attain the best possible results for 2023.