Directive No. 32/1998/CT-TTg on overall planning for economic and social development up to 2010

DIRECTIVE

On the work of overall planning for economic and social development until 2010

Overall planning for economic and social development is an important stage in the entire process of national economic planning. Planning must be linked with the strategy for economic and social development and serve as the basis for building five-year plans.

In recent years, based on the strategy for economic and social development until 2000 and the vision until 2020, various sectors and provinces have actively built sectoral plans, regional plans, and local plans. To date, there are 34 sectoral planning projects, 56 provincial and centrally-administered city planning projects, and 12 large economic region, key economic region, and marine economic zone planning projects. These planning projects have made significant contributions to the Party Congress and the guidance of all levels and sectors, as well as to the construction of development plans across the country. However, these planning projects still reveal many shortcomings, particularly in inter-sectoral and inter-regional coordination and the justification of planning options and implementation conditions, which have not been clearly specified; territorial organization planning in many places still has overlapping and mismatching issues, even causing significant waste for the economy. This requires a rapid improvement in the quality of planning work.

To address the above deficiencies and unify understanding, guiding viewpoints, and tasks related to research planning linked with the construction of strategies for economic and social development and five-year plans, the Prime Minister instructs central ministries and agencies, provincial people's committees under the central government, and other relevant entities to implement the following matters:

1. Implement the planning process starting from the strategy, then planning, and finally specificizing through five-year and annual plans. Development planning must be based on the strategy and concretize the strategy, while plans must be based on planning and concretize the content and steps of economic and social development planning. In the field of investment development, major investment projects and foreign joint venture investment projects can only be considered if they are consistent with approved planning. Special cases require approval from the Prime Minister. Planning work must be studied regularly, and plans must be updated and adjusted to fit actual circumstances and conditions.

2. Sectoral planning and provincial planning under the central government must be based on the strategy and overall planning orientation for economic and social development in the region. Comprehensive economic and social planning must be done first, and all detailed planning such as construction planning, land use planning, specialized crop and livestock area planning, industrial park planning... must be based on comprehensive economic and social planning.

3. Entrust the Ministry of Planning and Investment to take the lead and coordinate with central ministries and agencies, provinces, and centrally-administered cities to regularize planning work and actively implement the construction, review, and adjustment of sectoral and local development planning nationwide. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is responsible for performing state management functions, providing business guidance in organizing research, urging, and inspecting the implementation of planning.

4. Require all central ministries and agencies, provinces, and centrally-administered cities to build long-term development planning projects, initially focusing on completing development planning up to 2010.

For sectors, provinces, and centrally-administered cities that have not yet built development planning up to 2010, it is necessary to quickly initiate research and complete it by 1999.

For sectors, provinces, and centrally-administered cities that have completed development planning and received approval, it is necessary to immediately implement reviews and adjustments to suit new circumstances and requirements.

When central ministries and agencies, provinces, and centrally-administered cities construct or adjust development planning, they must ensure unified leadership according to several main points.

When central ministries and agencies, provinces, and centrally-administered cities construct or adjust development planning, they must ensure unified leadership according to several main points:

- Planning must clarify potential, conditions, viewpoints, goals, directions of development, and implementation measures. It is necessary to thoroughly conclude the reform efforts in economic and social development, implement the ten-year strategy (1991-2000) and the five-year plan (1996-2000) to serve as the foundation for building future planning periods (as guided by the Steering Committee for Building the Strategy for Economic and Social Development of the Government, document number 44/BCS dated June 3, 1998 of the Government's Political Bureau).

- Development planning for the period 2001-2010 should start from the year 2000 and calculate for the milestones of 2005 and 2010. Issues of infrastructure construction and territorial use planning must look ahead to 2020 or longer.

- Regarding the content of development planning, sectors and localities need to focus on concluding the period 1991-2000, 1996-2000 (estimating completion for the year 2000), and calculating several planning development scenarios up to 2010, including specific calculations for the first five years (2001-2005). Development planning must emphasize market factors, regional and international impacts, maximize internal resources, and effectively utilize external resources. Sectors and centrally-administered provinces and cities need to fully consider internal resources to proactively advance without relying heavily on the central government and external capital; be proactive in all situations to develop efficiently and sustainably according to the overall strategy.

5. The Prime Minister shall approve the master plans for the development of major industries, large economic regions, and key economic zones. For the master plans of key centrally-administered cities and provinces, the Prime Minister shall approve the guiding principles, serving as the basis for the People's Committee Chairpersons to submit comprehensive master plans for discussion and approval by the People's Councils. To assist the Prime Minister in making approvals, the State Appraisal Council for Investment Projects shall organize appraisals, particularly focusing on inter-sectoral and inter-regional issues, and complete the procedures for submission to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.

Comprehensive socio-economic development master plans for provinces must be reviewed by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and comments from central ministries and sectors, as well as provinces and cities within the same large economic region, must be solicited to ensure consistency in development orientations with those of the large economic region and industry master plans; based on this, the People's Committee Chairperson shall submit the plan for discussion and approval by the People's Council.

The contents of the approval for planning projects include: socio-economic development orientations, structural transformation of the economy and infrastructure construction, important investment programs and projects, and implementation solutions for the master plan.

6. Central ministries and sectors responsible for researching and developing comprehensive master plans for the development of large economic regions and key economic zones must quickly review, supplement, and adjust the plans to suit new circumstances and submit them to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.

7. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall coordinate with central sectors and localities to develop annual and five-year plans consistent with the national master plan, ensuring that planning work has practical effects and achieves results.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to allocate funds annually for planning work./.