Building strong industry & trade sector towards Party General Secretary’s expectations

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivers a directive speech at the working session with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on July 11, 2018 - photo: CongThuong/Can Dung

On July 11, 2018, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong had a working session with key officials of the ministry regarding the implementation of the 12th Party Congress resolution and the Central Party Committee’s resolutions in the field of industry and trade, as well as the directions and tasks for the subsequent period.

It was a very special meeting because it marked the first time that the Ministry of Industry and Trade was honored to welcome the highest leader of the Party. This reveals the Party General Secretary’s profound concern for the sector’s development.

At the meeting, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong told the Ministry of Industry and Trade to thoroughly learn about the Party’s strategic guidelines, viewpoints and policies regarding the industry and trade sector.

According to him, these are not something abstract but fundamental and important. He said the sector needs to closely monitor domestic and international developments to avoid missteps in policy, remain proactive and unsurprised by situations, stay firm in ideology, and foresee and predict domestic and global trends to provide proposals for leaders of the Party and the State, as well as relevant authorities.

He emphasized the need for the sector to firmly grasp and effectively handle major relationships such as those between international integration and independence and autonomy, the relationship between a market economy and socialist orientation, and that between stability and development.

The Party General Secretary urged the Ministry of Industry and Trade to pay attention to institutional, mechanism, and policy construction, and strive to perform better.

He said that with good personnel arrangements and streamlined organization, work will flow smoothly. Party building is crucial, and human resource development is the most important, he added.

In a cheerful tone, the Party General Secretary concluded the working session, affirming that with the current confidence and momentum, along with the well-performing apparatus, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will grow well and advance strongly.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during a 2018 working trip to Tay An Commune of Thai Binh Province’s Tien Hai District

What Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said at the meeting with the Ministry of Industry and Trade are also fundamental issues of the country’s economic development strategy for the future. In the context of ensured economic growth, maintained macroeconomic stability, and deeper international and economic integration, these issues need to be further acknowledged and implemented thoroughly.

This is clearly reflected in the article “Some theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam” by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

In this important theoretical and practical work, the Party General Secretary pointed out, “a fundamental characteristic, an important attribute of the socialist orientation in the market economy in Vietnam is that it must link the economy with society, combine economic policies with social policies, and economic growth with social progress and justice at each step, in each policy, and throughout the development process. This means that we should not wait until the economy reaches a high level of development to implement social progress and justice, and certainly not ‘sacrifice’ social progress and justice for mere economic growth. Each economic policy must aim at social development; each social policy must create a driving force for economic development; legitimate enrichment must go hand in hand with sustainable poverty reduction and caring for national contributors and those in difficult circumstances.”

“This is a principle requirement to ensure healthy and sustainable development in accordance with the socialist orientation,” emphasized the Party General Secretary.

In strict compliance with the leadership of the Party, the directives of the National Assembly and the Government, and the objectives of the 13th Party Congress Resolution and the resolutions of the Party Central Committee, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has proactively and actively implemented its tasks, including operational apparatus and leadership streamlining, restructuring and improvement, and building a strong Party organization.

The industry and trade sector has provided the Party, the State and the Government with proposals on development policies for the sector in particular and the country in general, a notable one of which is Politburo Resolution 55/NQ-TW.

The sector has tried its best to complete and gain the competent authorities’ approval for national plans in the sector – the Power Development Plan VIII, the petroleum network development plan, the mineral plan, and the national energy plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050. For the first time, the country has had plans for economic sectors that are considered the ‘backbone’ for economic development and growth.

The industry and trade sector is always proud to have made worthy contribution to the country’s achievements. It always remembers what Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said at his working session with the sector on July 11, 2018: “We are happy, excited, and proud to gain momentum for the next phase, but we must not be complacent. We must maintain this position as there are still many difficulties and concerns ahead. We absolutely do not be subjective or satisfied with the results because there are many challenges ahead, and mistakes will lead to unforeseeable consequences.”

Following that directive, the sector continues to strive to overcome difficulties and reach new heights, deserving the trust of the Party, country and people.