Hanoi (VNA) – Minister and Chairman of theGovernment Office Mai Tien Dung said the economic performance in theJanuary-August period is very positive, raising hope about achieving the targetof 6.7 percent economic growth this year.

During a press conference following the monthly Government’smeeting in Hanoi on August 30, Dung said the government and the Prime Ministerhave drastically directed ministries and agencies concerned to removedifficulties for enterprises. The Government held a specialized meeting on lawbuilding, with cutting unnecessary business procedures high on the agenda.

The ministries of finance and transport were assigned toreview legal regulations on BOT tolls and cut specialised inspection fees forexports-imports. Currently 35 percent of exports and imports are subject tosuch inspection, he said, adding that the government has required cutting therate to 15 percent.

Dung added that ministries, agencies and localities shouldstudy proposals raised by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MoPI) andthe Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry on cutting and amending nearly2,000 business conditions.

In order to achieve a 6.7 percent growth, Dung said the agriculturalsector should expand by 3.05 percent. He noted that agro-forestry-fisheriesexporters could bring home 35 billion USD compared to the planned 33 billionUSD thanks to favourable weather conditions.

In industry, electricity production and manufacturing andprocessing have been performing well. Moreover, disbursement for projects hasbeen sped up while interest rates dropped by 0.5 percent and credit growth hit21-22 percent.

According to the MoPI, as of August 21, credit increasedby 10.06 percent from December 2016. Inter-bank interest rates are on adeclining trend, the foreign exchange market has stabilised and liquidity hasimproved.-VNA