VIETNAM, July 15 - HÀ NỘI — The Government Office has issued an official dispatch on Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s directions requiring the acceleration of public investment disbursement for the remainder of the year.

The PM has requested ministries and central and local agencies study the Ministry of Finance’s recommendations and focus on implementing drastic, timely, appropriate and effective solutions to enhance the disbursement of public investment in accordance with their respective functions, tasks and authority.

Standing Government members will preside over a national teleconference with ministries, agencies, economic groups and state-owned enterprises to assess the implementation of the public investment plan for the first six months of this year and to carry out tasks and solutions to boost the disbursement in the second half. The conference is scheduled for July 17.

The PM required ministries, agencies, economic groups and state-owned enterprises to prepare reports evaluating the disbursement situation in the first half, including achieved results, limitations, causes, lessons learned and tasks and solutions to enhance the work in the latter half of 2024.

According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), the disbursement of public investment from the State budget in the first five months of this year was estimated to reach VNĐ190.6 trillion (US$7.44 billion), equal to 26.6 per cent of the yearly target and 5 per cent higher than the same period last year.

Of the sum, investment managed by the government was estimated at VNĐ32.5 trillion, equivalent to 29.3 per cent of the yearly plan, a year-on-year decrease of 2.6 per cent. Some ministries posted estimated disbursement rates lower than those recorded last year, namely the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (down 34.8 per cent), the Ministry of Transport (down 19.1 per cent), the Ministry of Health (down 1.5 per cent) and the Ministry of Education and Training (down 1.1 per cent).

The GSO also said that implemented investment capital managed by localities was estimated at VNĐ158.1 trillion, equal to 26.1 per cent of the yearly plan and up 6.7 per cent over the same period last year. — VNS