PM Khai set to leave economy in safe hands

PM Khai last week announces he wants to bring his term to an end

“My age is high already, and I would like to leave my post one year earlier than my term,” Khai told the National Assembly gathering last week.
Khai submitted a letter of resignation to the Central Party Committee following the Party’s 10th Congress in April.
“This would be my last speech before the National Assembly,” Khai added.
He said that beside outstanding economic achievements during his term, he was worried about weaknesses in the administrative machine, which had become more visible recently. Khai said the government should accelerate reform in its administrative management, and clarify functions and obligations of government members, as well as setting up a legal corridor so that the prime minister and deputy prime ministers would not be mired in daily affairs and could have more time and energy to devote to long-term development strategies.
“I do feel hurt about red tape, corruption, waste and other negative affairs which have become increasingly severe in recent years. I apologise to the people and I would like to take responsibility as the leader of the government,” Khai said.
The prime minister said he was very committed to dealing with the corruption cases that had been uncovered recently.
“The anti-corruption fight, reinforcement of the Party and building of a rule of law state must be based on the people. I would like my successor to draw lessons from my advantages and disadvantages,” he added.
At the beginning of the National Assembly, Khai announced that he had nominated as his successor Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, aged 56, who is currently in charge of economic matters. Khai said he would like his successor to have full powers to chair the upcoming APEC summit in November so that he would be able to negotiate with foreign partners.
Khai also said that his deputy would continue to keep Vietnam on its chartered course of economic reform.
Born in 1933 in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, Khai was appointed Prime Minister in 1997, at the peak of the Asian financial crisis, after six years working as deputy prime minister in Vo Van Kiet’s government.
During Khai’s two terms Vietnam has achieved outstanding economic achievements with a record average GDP growth rate of 7.5 per cent and record poverty reduction.
In addition, under Khai’s leadership Vietnam was able to approve the historical Enterprise Law in 2000, which had helped change popular perceptions the communist country.



No. 766/June 19-25, 2006