Hanoi (VNA) – The Central Institute for EconomicManagement (CIEM) and the Australia Supports Economic Reform in Vietnam(Aus4Reform) on July 15 announced two economic growth scenarios for Vietnamthis year.

In an optimistic scenario, Vietnam’s gross domestic productgrowth will be lower than 6.5 percent targeted by the Government when COVID-19pandemic is under control in August. If the growth hits 6.2 percent, it willsurpass the National Assembly’s target by 0.2 percentage point.

If the pandemic is curbed by October, two months late thanthe best-case scenario, Vietnam is forecast to expand by 5.9 percent, or 0.1percentage point lower than the legislature’s target.

Director of the CIEM’s Department for General EconomicStudies Nguyen Anh Duong said the Vietnamese economy will continue facinguncertain developments at home and in the world in the last half of this year,including the risk of COVID-19 and coronavirus variants.

Other factors affecting growth include the progress ofpublic investment disbursement, macro-economic stability, facilitation ofdigital economy and transformation, opportunities from new-generation freetrade deals, and chances for female workers.

The CIEM also offered policy orientations regarding domesticmigration from a gender-based perspective.

CIEM Director Tran Thi Hong Minh suggested three importantmeasures to control the pandemic and propel economic growth, including ensuringthe combination between macro-economic policy and reform towards green andsustainable recovery, promoting business recovery and improving internalcapacity amid global economic integration, and accelerating innovation andscience-technology towards digital economic development./.