Re-elected Prime Minister pledges to prevent a second Formosa

July 26, 2016 | 20:00
(0) user say
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc swore in today as the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the 2016-2021 term, after the 14th plenum of the National Assembly voted to keep him in the position with a landslide 98.18 per cent in support.
photo : Duc Thanh

In his inauguration speech in front of the National Assembly, the prime minister said the country should grow fast to take advantage of the current golden population structure, which is expected to end in 10 years.

He said the government is going to downsize the administrative system, reform the political apparatus and education, and take stringent measures to protect the environment. “The government is not going to sacrifice the environment for growth,” he said.

The Formosa incident, according to the prime minister, is a lesson for the government to exercise more caution in approving and managing foreign investment projects in order not to let another Formosa happen. He said government agencies are going to review all big projects and scrutinise their environment commitments.

Phuc said the country’s biggest resource is its human resources, so the government is going to spend more on education to improve classrooms, libraries, and washrooms, especially for students in remote and mountainous areas, to create equal opportunities for all children.

He said that at the moment, the domestic private sector is not performing at its fullest capacity because the policies meant to encourage them are not good enough. This the government will address by creating a more conducive business environment, improving administrative procedures, removing bottlenecks, encouraging start-ups and innovation, and encouraging Vietnamese companies to be successful both in Vietnam and around the world.

He also said that the whole country is going to be more disciplined and pay greater respect to the law. The government is going to increase the satisfaction of people and companies with more efficient and transparent administrative services.

The prime minister said that Vietnam maintains its territorial claims in the East Sea, and asked that stakeholders respect international laws and refrain from complicating the already taut situation. Vietnam is going to be proactive in its foreign relations, to ensure national security and peace, as well as a stable environment for economic growth.

Born in 1954, Nguyen Xuan Phuc was a member of the Politburo at the 11th and 12th plenums, a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee during the 10th, 11th, and 12th plenums, and a member of the National Assembly at the 11th and 13th plenums. According to the government’s website, from 1993 to 1996 he served as the director of the Danang Department of Tourism and chairman of Furama Danang Resort. From 2011 until he became Prime Minister in April, he served as deputy prime minister, and led numerous governmental committees, including the National Steering Committee on Crime Prevention, the National Steering Committee on Smuggling, Counterfeit Goods and Trade Fraud, and the government’s Steering Committee on Administrative Reforms, as well as the National Traffic Safety Committee.

RELATED CONTENTS:
Trần Đại Quang sworn in as President
National Assembly re-elects Chairwoman Ngan
14th NA considers key positions for legislative body
National Assembly to consider personnel changes

By By Hong Anh

What the stars mean:

★ Poor ★ ★ Promising ★★★ Good ★★★★ Very good ★★★★★ Exceptional