~ Le Viêt Nam, aujourd'hui. ~
The Vietnam News

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[Year 2000]
[Year 2001]

Vietnam's communists to ward off "evil elements" and raise living standards

HANOI - Vietnam's communist authorities launched their National Assembly's spring session on Tuesday with a pledge to raise living standards and a call for cadres to remain vigilant against hostile forces. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also used the opening to focus on the impoverished in the countryside, highlight corruption and push the advancement of Vietnam into a more high-tech age. This would be spearheaded by the government's 10-year development strategy aimed at opening-up key economic zones, rationalising the banking system and at least doubling Gross Domestic Product over that period by raising exports.

Dung said the government must press ahead with efforts to lower interest rates and improve access to capital in a bid to spur investment and pursue its bid to join the World trade Organisation (WTO). However, growth would be made difficult given the global economic slowdown which was weakening the currency exchange rates of competitors and making Vietnam a less attractive destination for foreign capital. Poverty alleviation would include subsidies to offset the high costs of borrowing for coffee, rice, vegetable and meat producers. Bureaucratic red tape and corruption had to be weeded out to maintain political and social order. Corrupt officials would be severely punished while demanding and receiving bribes had to be eliminated. "It is necessary to carry out measures to tackle the roots of corruption and continue to push reforming the

Dung said the government would increase investment for infrastructure in rural areas to create jobs, lift incomes for rural people and stimulate consumption. He cited unrest in the central highlands earlier this year, lamenting that "some of our people were fooled, incited or coerced by enemies and evil elements." Dung said a timely response had resulted in a stabilisation of the situation, but he admitted government shortcomings had contributed to the problem which led to at least 300 people fleeing Vietnam for Cambodia. Twenty-four ethnic Montagnards were given asylum in the United States last month. Government failings included: "shortcomings in implementating socio-economic development policy" and "taking care of people's material and spiritual life."

"Through this, the fact requires us to raise our vigilance against hostile forces, their sabotage schemes and actions" and having "the measures to overcome our shortcomings and weaknesses, not only in central highlands but also in other places." Weeding out corruption and introducing economic reforms have topped the government's agenda for the last three years, achieving mixed success. The spring session will sit for one month and was expected to elect a new National Assembly chairman to replace Nong Duc Manh who was elected general secretary of the communist party last month. Only the first day of the National Assembly session is opened to the public.

Agence France Presse - May 22, 2001.