(VOVworld) – The 2-day mid-year meeting of the Consultative Group (CG) for Vietnam opens today in the central province of Quang Tri. The main issues are a briefing of current macro-economy in Vietnam, its achievements and challenges and policies of the central provinces on poverty reduction. High on the agenda is the implementation of national and provincial policies on natural disaster risks management in central coastal provinces. Discussions will also cover assessment of projects being undertaken in Quang Tri province.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the World Bank today co-hosted a seminar on the country’s macro-economic situation. Vietnamese and foreign economists suggested that Vietnam should focus on monetary, credit and financial policies. A tougher control of prices is also needed, while boosting production and increasing consumption will maintain macro-economic stabilization and slow the inflation rate. They also called the quicker disbursement of funding on projects, which will help increase demand, reduce stocks and boost economic growth. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Cao Viet Sinh addressed the seminar: “The government is taking strong measures to generate jobs and raise workers; income, particularly for those who lost when companies failed. In addition, the government will work on improving social welfare, national target programs, Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and seek to mobilize more capital for infrastructure construction”.