Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the government's meeting for November. (photo: VOV)

At the 16-day session of the National Assembly, which concluded last Saturday, the legislature directed the government to swiftly finalize and implement a Master Plan on COVID-19 prevention and control and a Program on socio-economic recovery and development. The government was urged to come up with breakthrough measures and mechanisms to give new momentum to socio-economic development.  

A people-centered approach

After nearly two years of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam now has the experience to safely and flexibly adapt to the pandemic and keep it under control. Vietnam has defined the key pandemic control tasks of quarantine, testing, and treatment.

The draft Master Plan on COVID-19 prevention and control calls for a people-centered approach and working to create public unity.

The Program on socio-economic recovery and development calls for speeding up vaccination coverage and improving medical treatment capacity to minimize severe illness and deaths.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told the National Assembly session: “In pandemic prevention and control and socio-economic recovery and development, we should apply President HCM’s philosophy of acting in accordance with circumstance. The ultimate goal is protecting people’s lives and health. To handle pandemic changes and develop the economy, we need the appropriate organizational methods and solutions.”

The government’s Master Plan on COVID-19 prevention and control will review, develop, and complete plans and scenarios and prepare necessary resources for epidemic prevention and control. Preventive healthcare and local healthcare should be strengthened. Purchasing plans for vaccines, medicines, test kits, and medical equipment should anticipate the demand for the remainder of this year and next year. The government must review and report to oversight agencies the establishment of a COVID-19 Prevention and Control Fund based on the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund.

Keeping abreast with economic recovery trend

The strong economic recovery now occurring in many countries who are trading partners with Vietnam is an opportunity for Vietnam’s renewed socio-economic development. It also poses the risk of lagging behind the global trend if Vietnam doesn’t make the right decision quickly. The government is drafting a Program on socio-economic recovery and development, including suitable tools and policies, resources, and impact assessment in all fields, and will submit it to the National Assembly for approval. The program will set priorities and feasible approaches to support individuals, businesses, cooperatives, and business households, especially in those industries and fields most affected by the pandemic.

Vietnam will combine fiscal and monetary policies and a roadmap for mobilizing social resources to optimize socio-economic recovery and development.

Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Le Thi Hong said: “The State Bank of Vietnam will continue to direct efforts to cut operating costs and reduce interest rates while ensuring the safety of credit institutions, and to coordinate with ministries and sectors to calculate reasonable interest rate support packages aimed at macro stability and avoiding inflation.”