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Positive signs in production and trade (17/8)

17/08/2012 - 13 Lượt xem

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade's latest statistics, July's industrial production index increased by 3.2 percent compared to June. In the first seven months of this year, the index increased by 4.8 percent. Of which, the mining industry, manufacturing and processing industries and power and gas production and distribution increased by 3.2 percent, 4.3 percent and 13.7 percent respectively. These figures indicate that the industrial production index in the first seven months registered a slight increase compared to the first half of 2012.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Nam Hai when speaking at a regular press conference said that July's industrial production index revealed an increase compared to previous months, meaning that difficulties in industrial production were gradually resolved. However, the index in the first seven months was lower compared to the same period last year, particularly in terms of manufacturing and processing industries. Although the Government's preferential financial packages have begun to have an effect, it is still necessary to adopt more effective solutions to promote production in order to overcome difficulties facing enterprises.
Although industrial production increased slightly in July, purchasing power remained weak. Total retail sales of goods and services in July reached nearly VND190 trillion, an increase of 0.1 percent compared to June and 14.1 percent compared to the same month last year. In the first seven months of this year, total retail sales reached nearly VND1,328 trillion, an increase of 18.7 percent compared to the same period last year. If inflationary factors are excluded, the real growth in purchasing power stood at just 6.8 percent.
Exports continued to be the solution for domestic production. Export turnover in July this year reached US$9.6 billion, an increase of 2.1 percent compared to the same month last year. In the first seven months of this year, total export turnover totaled more than US$62.93 billion, an increase of 19 percent compared to the same period last year. Export turnover of manufacturing and processing industries in the first seven months stood at US$39.8 billion, an increase of 27 percent compared to the same period last year, accounting for 63.2 percent of the proportion of export sectors. In the context of an economic recession, it was a positive sign of export turnover in manufacturing and processing industries. Export turnover is expected to reach US$109.3 billion this year. To achieve this figure, it requires efforts in promoting goods, releasing inventories and boosting production.
The trade surplus in July reached US$100 million because export turnover totaled US$9.6 billion while import turnover stood at US$9.5 billion. The structure of the import sector is mainly raw materials serving production. This figure represented efforts of the import sectors in promoting investment in material production and reducing their dependence on imports.
To continue supporting enterprises in overcoming difficulties in production, the Ministry of Industry and Trade held a conference in July to harvest opinions from enterprises. The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed the State Bank to reduce mid-term interest rates below 12 percent per year; asking the Government to review lending rates for the mechanical engineering sector since investment credit interest rates currently stand at 11.4 percent per year and remain unattractive to investors; and to allocate additional funding for trade promotion activities. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Nam Hai said that a Ministry of Industry and Trade project would be issued next week and issues related to the Government, the ministries and the State Bank will be submitted to them respectively.
However, resolving the difficulties facing domestic production cannot be successfully implemented if it only rests on solutions proposed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The project would require a consensus of the State, enterprises and society. Therefore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has also proposed businesses actively seek methods to relieve their inventories. Business associations should provide suggestions and the Department of Industry and Trade should advise local leaders in resolving difficulties facing enterprises./.

Source: VEN