(VOVworld)- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has stressed the need to resolutely deal with bad debts in combination with restructuring the banking sector. Speaking at the government’s monthly meeting for Feb. in Hanoi on Thursday, the Prime Minister underlined the importance of preventing banks with weak performances from causing chaos on the financial and monetary market. According to cabinet members, the Consumer Price Index in February increased by 1.32% against January, the lowest rise compared with the same period in the recent 4 years. Export in the reviewed month valued at 19 billion USD, 24% higher than the same period last year. The Prime Minister stressed the need to focus on realizing the Government’s resolution on key solutions to the socio economic development and budget estimate plans for 2013 and a resolution on measures to tackle difficulties for enterprises, assist the market and deal with bad debts. Dung also urged ministries, agencies and localities to assist the maintenance of industrial and agricultural production and services in combination with accelerating the disbursement of public funding and paying more attention to investment attraction. He asked the State Bank to adjust the interest rates and increase credits appropriately and at the same time, maintain the stability of exchange rates and resolutely deal with bad debts. Prime Minister Dung says: “It is the Bank’s responsibility to deal with bad debts. The bank can use the risk reserve fund to deal with this problem and then restructure the debts. We must resolutely restructure the banking system and preventing weak banks from troubling the financial and monetary market, as this will impact the whole economy. We have to use all the means to deal with this problem”.

The Prime Minister suggested Ministries, sectors and agencies implement policies and programs on social security to help improve the lives of the poor and those living in remote areas. Dung called for strengthening the administrative reform, fighting corruption and waste, settling citizens’ petitions and complains and contributing opinions to the revised 1992 Constitution. The Prime Minister asked ministries to work closer in the negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

At the meeting, the cabinet members discussed programs and solutions to cope with climate change and protect the environment.