President Truong Tan Sang said active assistance from the International Monetary Fund had improved Viet Nam's macro-economy management.
HA NOI —
Sang said it had lifted Viet Nam from a country with shortages to a developing nation with much potential for international co-operation.
He was speaking during a meeting with out-going IMF representative in Viet Nam, Benedict Bingham.
Sang said Viet Nam was still facing many challenges over the stability of the macro-economy and social-welfare because of the regional and world financial situation.
He said he hoped the IMF would continue to tightly co-operate with ministries and sectors to establish practical policies to help Viet Nam renew its growth model and economic restructuring.
Sang said he valued Bingham's efforts in Viet Nam and hoped Sanjay Kalra, who would be the new IMF chief from October, would further enhance the relationship.
For his part, Bingham said the Vietnamese Government's assistance and care has contributed to the IMF's financial assessment and consultancy towards Viet Nam.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said yesterday the IMF's annual assessments of Viet Nam's macro-economy had helped the Government formulate sound fiscal policies, Dung added, during a seperate meeting with Bingham and his successor Kalra.
The Prime Minister thanked Bingham for the work he had done over the past years in Viet Nam.
Dung said Viet Nam would give top priority to curbing inflation and stabilising the macro-economy in the months to come.
He also said the Government would strive to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the economy, while ensuring stable economic growth.
Dung added that the Government would focus on the effective implementation of social security tasks, particularly for poor, disadvantaged and unemployed groups.
Dung said he hoped the IMF and Viet Nam would continue to work closely together.
He asked Kalra to support Viet Nam's hosting of the next IMF annual meeting.
Meanwhile, Bingham said Kalra, as an expert in finance and monetary policy in Asia, would actively work with Viet Nam to help the country overcome the negative consequences of the global economic crisis.
During the meeting, Kalra affirmed that he would do his utmost to ensure the Vietnamese Government successfully met its socio-economic development targets. — VNS