Hanoi positive on COVID-19 situation with economic recovery underway

The Hanoi municipal People’s Committee held a press conference on March 4

Hanoi People’s Committee on March 4 held a press conference to review socioeconomic development in the first two months of 2021 and announce tasks for the next month to realise the dual tasks of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and boosting development.

Nguyen Anh Dung, Chief of Office of the municipal People's Committee, reviewed the city’s socioeconomic performance between January and February. Accordingly, the city’s total budget collection by the end of February was VND50.84 trillion($2.2 billion), equal to 95.6 per cent of the same period last year.

The index of industrial production (IIP) was estimated to have risen 7.5 per cent on-year in the first two months. The city’s import and export saw strong recovery. Specifically, export turnover in February fell 0.1 per cent on-month but rose 10.7 per cent on-year, resulting in the two-month figure of $2.34 billion, up 12.7 per cent on-year.

Import turnover in February was down 0.2 per cent on-month but increased 29.1 per cent on-year, thus enabling the two-month figure to rise 25.7 per cent on-year to $5.4 billion.

Nguyen Anh Dung, Chief of Office of the municipal People's Committee, chaired the press briefing

Total retail sales and service revenues in February fell 17.4 per cent on-month, but was up 0.4 per cent on-year. In the first two months, the figure rose 4.9 per cent on-year.

During the reviewed period, tourism was seriously hit by the pandemic. International tourist arrivals in February fell 47.4 per cent on-month and 95.1 per cent on-year. In the first two months, the city was estimated to welcome 33,100 tourists, fell 94.2 per cent on-year.

Regarding investment attraction, in February, Hanoi licensed 22 foreign-invested projects with a total registered capital of $12.1 million. In the first two months, the city’s total registered foreign investment of newly-licensed and added capital hit $58.9 million.

Regarding COVID-19 prevention and fight, since February 16, Hanoi has reported no new infections.

In March, the city continues to gear up efforts to fulfil the 2021 socioeconomic goals and ensure security and national defence. The People’s Committee has asked heads of units to make more efforts in COVID-19 prevention and fight so as to realise the dual tasks set out by the government.

In particular, the city will promote exports and the attraction of high-quality foreign direct investment, while strengthening the role of the private sector and accelerating public investment, public investment disbursement, and intensifying support for businesses hit by COVID-19, among others. In the prevention and fight against COVID-19, vaccine purchases and vaccination will be a focus.

Moreover, the city will take action and launch programmes to ensure economic growth in the first quarter, thus creating growth momentum for the other three quarters of 2021, focusing on ensuring sustainable state budget collection, collection tax arrears, managing state budget collection and expenditure, allocation and disbursement of capital for key projects, and accelerating public investment.

The city will continue to support businesses and tax payers who have been hit by COVID-19, intensify administrative reforms, create a more favourable business environment, enhance sci-tech activities, while promoting investment, trade, and tourism.

Linkages in goods consumption as well as supply and demand between Hanoi and other cities and provinces will also be strengthened so as to help deal with problems in goods transportation, while promoting the consumption of farm produce.

Other activities will include intensifying the inspection of market activities, preventing and fighting trade fraud and smuggling, among others.

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