These opportunities and challenges pose heavy tasks for the country’s socio-economic development process in the next five years, thus requiring the entire Party and people to exert greater efforts to fulfil all the set targets.

Under the five-year socio-economic development plan, Vietnam aims to reach an average GDP growth rate of 7.5-8 percent from 2006-2010 during GDP growth in 2010 will be 2.1 times higher than the level of 2000, something between VND1,690 and VND1.760 billion, based on current prices. The country will strive to reach a GDP per capital of VND1,050-1,100 billion by 2010, telephone use rate of 35 telephone sets per 100 people and Internet use rate of 12.6 subscribers/ per 100 people.

In terms of social affairs, all provinces and cities throughout the country will have to finish secondary education universalisation and achieve the target of 200 university and junior college students per 10,000 people. The number of trained labourers will make up 40 percent of the total social labour force while 7.5 million labourers will be provided with vocational training and 8 million people will be given jobs. Meanwhile, employment will be generated for more than 1.6 million people, 50 percent of which will be women labourers.

By 2010, all new production establishments will apply clean technology and be equipped with pollution mitigation and waste treatment facilities. All third class cities, 50 percent of fourth class cities, and 100 percent of industrial and export processing zones will have waste water treatment systems. In addition, 95 percent of urban residents and 75 percent of rural residents will have access to clean water.

To obtain the socio-economic targets for the next five year, the Government has devised eight major policies, including creating favourable conditions for investment and business activities and strongly developing all kinds of business.

The Government has affirmed that every citizen has the right to invest and run a business in all fields and sectors not forbidden by law. They also have the right to own legal property and other equal rights to invest, do business and access information and opportunities.

On report submitted to the NA, the Government said it is committed to protecting the legal property of citizens and enterprises, abolish improper legal regulations on searching houses and offices and confiscating citizens and enterprises’ property, and compensate citizens and enterprises for losses caused by illegal regulations.

Strengthening administration reform, improving State management efficiency and implementing comprehensively anti-corruption measures are solutions that the Government has devised to improve administration reform in order to obtain the set socio-economic development targets.

In the next five years, the Government is determined to renovate personnel policies and staff management, and build a clear and transparent mechanism with qualified staff and civil servants. State agencies and civil servants should implement public, transparent and democratic principles in the interests of the people.

Especially, the Government will separate the activities of civil authorities from the activities of the public service so that public service providers can be financing self-control, and responsible for implementing their tasks, and renovating operating mechanisms.

Besides, the Government should give priority to taking drastic measures to combat corruption and waste by reducing the “give-and-take” relationship. It is necessary to implement a public and transparent mechanism when purchasing public facilities and controlling basic construction investment, as well as in terms of financial and State budget management. It is also important to clarify the power and responsibilities of each level, agency, unit and head of organisations.

To implement the socio-economic development strategy in the next five years, the Government should quickly punish cadres involved in corruption without shielding or protecting anyone.