I-BASIC CONCEPS

The concept “growth” often refers to an economy with a standard known as the GDP’s raising speed. Since the middle of the 20^th century, it appears a new theory on “ development” with a wider contents – that means a country’s development emphasizing on the quality of growth, including all aspects of the social life in terms of politics, economics, culture, security, and national defense. “Economic development “ is a concept including both sides of quality and quantity of the economy. The United Nations’ conference on “Environment and development” hold in Rio de Janeiro 1992 defined the term “sustainable development” with the content focusing on the environment protection. Economic development just could be sustainable once linked closely with the environment protection.

Mentioning to sustainable development, one often focuses on three contents which are considered as three pillars: (i) economic growth, (ii) social equity and (iii) environment protection. However, it’s necessary to think comprehensively about the quality and sustainability of the development including all economic, cultural, and political aspects of the development

In Vietnam, the quality and sustainability of the development are considered as very important factors in the socio-economic development work. It reaches a consensus that the rapid growth speed needs to be linked closely with high quality, otherwise, high speed could not be maintained and the economy will be not sustainable.

II. THE POINT OF VIEWS ON THE QUALITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT

On the quality in the economic growth

In the long-term, economic development must be a combination among speed, structure and effectiveness. Rapid economic growth needs to go along with the quality of growth.

On the quality on the social equity

Although the implementation of social equity in each step of the development process is a difficulty facing many countries, but social equity is a critical factor to create the solidarity, and consensus among all people classes and regions in the whole country which guarantee the sustainable economic development.

On the quality in the environment protection

A society to develop sustainable must pay special attentions on the environment protection, use and maintain reasonably natural resources for the current life and the next generations. Vietnam promulgated the Law on Environment Protection in 1993; however, environment pollution and disaster are increasingly serious. Therefore, it’s necessary to issue more strict regulations on forest resource protection, biodiversification protection, air and water pollution prevention,…in the same time, it needs to enforce seriously all laws related to the environment protection in the modernization and industrialization process.

On the quality of the cultural development

Culture is either objective or motivation of the socio-economic development process. In a market economy, a civilized market is a one in which the culture factor is valued highly.

On scientific and technology development

Nowadays, science and technology have become main motivations for the development and important input for all socio-economic aspects; therefore, the countries in the region have focused on skilled labor training and scientific and technological development to maintain the economies’ competitiveness. In this context, it’s necessary to Vietnam to innovate strongly to foster the cause of developing science and technology and qualified human resources.

On the quality in democracy implementation

In Vietnam, freedom and democracy are considered leading targets of the Party and State in the country’s liberalization and build work; this objective has been implemented since the beginning of the independent state to nowadays.

Since the deployment of the reform work, the democracy expansion has been undertaken step by step in all aspects of the social life at all levels and sectors.

On the quality of the human development

Broadly defined, the concept of human development covers all aspects in the life of each individual, from health status to political and economic freedom. Economic growth itself could not be sustainable without the improvement of human development

To improve human development quality, it needs to pay more attention on supplying good public services in healthcare, education and infrastructure sectors… The State should make a strategy to train and use talents in all fields. It is firm foundation for sustainable development.

III.MAIN SOLUTIONS

Eliminating harmful factors

According to some researchers, there are five biggest crises, such as: bio-environment pollution- expressed in the conflict between human beings and the nature; (ii) the crises in society- expressed by the conflict between human beings and society ; (iii) the ethic decadence - evidence of the conflict among human beings; (iv) the spirit crisis – evidence of the conflict between human beings and the spirit world (v) the value crisis – expressed in the conflict among different civilizations among nations and within a nation when big shift on the social regimes happened.

Based on the current socio-economic development practices of Vietnam, it can be seen that there are some factors which cause the unsustainable situations and lower, even undermine the development’s quality; these factors are: Social elimination, Human beings neglect, Population ageing, Natural resource waste, Climate change, Bad infrastructure, Intellectual failures, and Ethic decadence

The breaking step

The breaking steps which have internal strength and link together all 6 development factors are science and technology, education and training. This is a first national strategy which has been confirmed by the Party and State

On science and technology

The urgent issue posed is to take over, create and apply immediately modern science and technology into socio-economic areas of Vietnam.

On education and training

The high qualified human resources is the final product of the education and training work; therefore, it needs to reform deeply and widely the education-training system from the lowest to the highest level both in contents and methods.

The administrative reform

To ensure and improve the quality of the country’s socio-economic development and to implement successfully the breaking steps, it’s necessary to undertake deeply and widely the administrative reform in terms of: institutions, policies, organizational settings, public spending,.. It’s urgent to overcome the weaknesses and failures of the state administrative machine , especially the bureaucracy and corruption among cadres which make difficult for enterprises and citizens.

It is necessary to form for cadres belief and love, respect; promote talent and intelligence of each individuals as well as the whole nation with strong belief in creative power of people and economic sectors. Cadres must solve completely each issue, not shift and avoid responsibility to another person, stop the states of lasting problems and petitions of enterprises and there is no agency taking responsibility in solving them.

The participation of the whole nation and each individual

The task of improving quality of the development as well as the living standard of people is not only the mission of the State but also that of the whole nation and every people including politicians, intellectuals, scientists, educators, writers, journalists as well as businessmen who are standing in the first line of the development and integration work of the country. The whole nation and each individual are standing before a sacred and lofty duty that is taking up talent contributing to the development of the country with high quality and sustainability.

CONCLUSION

1. Quality and sustainability of the development is the most important requirement in the socio-economic development work of a country.

2. Quality and sustainability of the development are expressed in a general of economic, political, cultural and social factors and only gained in conditions of a sound and suitable strategy in accordance with the practice of our country and our people as well as the advanced tendency of the world.

3. The target of the development is human, the comprehensive flourish of human in a society which is full of material, rich of spirit and culture, and reach equality of citizens, unanimity of society, harmony between human and nature so that human live with higher and higher humanity.

4. Solutions to ensure and improve quality and sustainability of the development of the country is promoting every potential of the whole nation, raising high self-help for self-improvement spirit of each individual, enterprise, cooperating equally and efficiently between public sector and private sector, and among the State - market - civil society.

Source:  VNEP, June - 2007