Decision No. 06/1998/NQ-CP of the Government's regular meeting in May 1998

RESOLUTION
Regular Meeting of the Government in May 1998

On May 27 and 28, 1998, the Government convened its regular meeting for May 1998 to discuss and decide on the following issues:

1. Approving the project to organize the implementation of the program to plant five million hectares of forest, presented by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Huy Ngo. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is tasked to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Office of the Government, and related agencies to incorporate feedback, finalize and submit to the Prime Minister for signing and promulgation a Decision on the implementation plan to plant five million hectares of forest in June 1998, and policies aimed at effectively protecting existing forest areas, particularly special-use forests and protective forests. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will cooperate with the Land Administration General Department, relevant sectors, and People's Committees of provinces with forests to promptly implement the reorganization and modernization of forest enterprises; reasonably review and determine the area managed by each forest enterprise; carry out land allocation and forest assignment to households, organizations, and issue long-term certificates of land use rights for forest business operations to those assigned land and forests; submit to the Government for issuance of policies defining the rights and responsibilities of those assigned land and forests in production and forest business operations. Emphasis should be placed on encouraging citizens to plant scattered trees in urban and rural areas.

2. Approving the report on major economic and social issues in the first five months of 1998 and measures to continue implementing in the coming months, presented by Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Xuan Gia. In the first five months of 1998, despite significant challenges from natural disasters and the impact of the financial and monetary crisis in the region, alongside great efforts and important achievements in economic and social development tasks, the economic and social situation still faced many severe difficulties, with key indicators falling short of planned targets.

Over the past five months, the Government has focused on addressing difficulties caused by natural disasters, resolving bottlenecks in production, business, import and export activities, while implementing financial and monetary measures to mitigate negative impacts of the regional financial and monetary crisis. The Government commends the efforts of all levels, sectors, businesses, and the entire population in overcoming many difficulties, maintaining and developing the economy and society. From now until the end of the year, unpredictable weather conditions and new developments in the regional financial and monetary crisis must be anticipated. This situation requires greater effort and concentrated leadership from ministries, sectors, and localities to achieve new breakthroughs in the following major areas:

- Developing agricultural production and rural areas; preventing and combating floods; eradicating poverty;

- Developing industry and services; promoting exports;

- Continuing to attract foreign direct investment, adjusting the investment structure to ensure maximum efficiency;

- Reforming the financial and monetary system, enhancing the effectiveness of foreign capital utilization, and strengthening domestic capital mobilization for increased investment in production;

- Improving the operational efficiency of state-owned enterprises linked to restructuring and accelerating the shareholding reform of state-owned enterprises;

- Addressing employment for workers, especially surplus labor resulting from the restructuring of state-owned enterprises;

- Administrative reform, enhancing the effectiveness of administrative machinery at all levels.

The Government has decided on specific measures to adjust and supplement the policy system and institutions, and to improve methods of guidance and management to effectively implement these tasks.

3. Approving the Decree on the Foreign Exchange Management Regulations of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, presented by the State Bank of Vietnam. The State Bank of Vietnam is tasked to coordinate with the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Government, and related agencies to incorporate feedback, finalize the Draft Decree, and submit it to the Prime Minister for signing and promulgation in June 1998.

4. The Drafts: Decree on the Transfer of State-Owned Enterprises to Joint Stock Companies; Decree on Detailed Provisions on Technology Transfer; Decree on Administrative Sanctions for Violations in the Field of Intellectual Property; Decree on Detailed Provisions on the Implementation of the Ordinance on Safety and Radiation Control; Decree on the Regulations on Border Health Quarantine have been reviewed by the lead ministries in coordination with the Office of the Government, soliciting opinions from Government members, and results have been compiled; the Office of the Government is tasked to submit them to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers for consideration and conclusion before signing and promulgation.

The drafting ministries and agencies responsible for these Decrees are instructed to urgently submit to the Prime Minister for issuance or issue within their authority necessary guiding documents to ensure immediate implementation when the Decrees take effect.

5. The Government was informed about the damage caused by drought, food shortages in the early months of 1998, and measures to address them; the five-year implementation of Resolution 05/CP and urgent measures to strengthen anti-prostitution work; and the implementation status of the Government's Work Regulations.

The Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, and agencies under the Government shall promptly conduct a comprehensive and detailed review of the implementation of the Government's operational regulations during the recent period and the implementation of their own programs of work for the first six months of the year, and submit reports to the Government Office before June 10, 1998. The Government Office is tasked with preparing a consolidated report for presentation to the Government for discussion at the regular meeting in June 1998. At the same time, the Ministers, heads of agencies at the ministerial level, and heads of agencies under the Government shall be responsible for preparing and reporting to the Prime Minister recommendations on policies and solutions to address urgent economic and social issues within their respective sectors at the Government meeting in June 1998.

The Government requests the Ministries, agencies at the ministerial level, and agencies under the Government, and the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities to urgently take specific and practical measures to provide timely assistance to households experiencing food shortages; strongly implement efforts to mitigate the consequences of disasters; effectively prepare for typhoon and flood prevention; and implement the Government's Decisions on developing production and business activities and stabilizing people's lives./.