1.    Macroeconomic stability, inflation curbing

-    Consumer Price Index: CPI of January 2016 did not increase as compared to the last month and rose 0.8% as compared to the same period last year. Inflation of January 2016 increased by 0.27% over the last month and by 1.72% as compared to the same period last year.

-    State budget revenue and expenditure: State budget revenue of the first 15 days of the month was estimated at 35.45 thousand billion dong, equaling 3.5% of the yearly estimate; state budget expenditure was estimated at 46.86 thousand billion dong, equivalent to 3.7% of the yearly estimate.

-     FDI attraction achieved rather good results: number of newly registered FDI projects and number of registrations of existing projects with additional capital increased by 2.9 times as compared to the same period last year; realized FDI capital was estimated at US$ 800 million, up 23.1%; registered capital was estimated at more than US$ 1,334.8 million, higher 2 times as compared to the same period last year. Disbursement of ODA and preferential loan of foreign donors was estimated at US$ 130 million, up about 10%.

2. Economic development

-    Industrial production: IIP of January 2016 increased 5.9% as compared to the same period last year, of which: electricity production and distribution rose by 13.2%; water supply, rubbish and wastewater treatment by 9.7%; processing and manufacturing by 8.2%; mining decreased 4.2%.

-   Agrucultural, forestry and fishery production: as of January 15th 2016, as much as 1,894.5 thousand hectares of winter spring rice was cultivated nationwide, equivalent to the same period last year. Livestock & poultry had a relative stable development, preparing supply resource for demand of coming Lunar New Year. However, complicatedly changed weather, particularly damaging cold weather and snow in Northern provinces affected livestock. The provinces implemented several measures to combat the cold and prepare epidemic prevention for cattle after this cold spell.  

-   Service sector: Total retailed sales of consumer goods and services in January 2016 was estimated to rise by 11.7% as compared to the same period last year, if excluding the price change factor, it rose by 11%.

International visitors to Vietnam in January were estimated at about 805.1 thousand arrivals, up 12.3% as compared to the same period last year.

-   Export and import: In January, total export turnovers was estimated at US$ 13.8 billion, up 2.2% over the same period 2015; total import turnovers was estimated at US$ 14 billion, down 0.8%; trade deficit was around US$ 200 million, equaling 1.4% of total export turnovers.

3. Labor, employment, social welfares and others

Levels, branches implemented well social welfare policies, people’s health care. Implementation of activities on culture – art, information, propaganda were carried out actively. Master planning, conserving and embellishing cultural heritage, especially national cultural monuments were cared about. Activities of high performance sport were focused on; People fitness and sports program of 2016 was actively deployed generally. In January, number of traffic accidents decreased by 20.96%, number of death toll by 5.89%, injury by 24.28% as compared to the same period 2015.

Generally, in January 2016, ministries, branches, localities actively and strictly implemented Resolutions of the National Assembly and Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP dated January 07^th 2016 of the Government and direction of the Prime Minister; focusing on assigning socio-economic development plan, plan on development investment and state budget estimate; setting out action program to implement the plan; enhancing measures to stabilize the market and prices, preparing for people to welcome the Lunar New Year joyfully, healthily and safely. Consumer price was stable, CPI did not increase over the last month. Industrial production rose as compared to the same period last year. Agricultural production continued developing, localities focused on irrigation and tillage for winter spring rice cultivation. Service sector developed stably. Aggregate demand and purchasing power continued improving; branches and localities boosted direction to ensure fully supply resource for the Lunar New Year; international visitors to our country increased highly. Total export turnovers rose, trade deficit decreased sharply. FDI capital attraction and disbursement increased higher as compared to the same period last year; disbursement of ODA and preferential loans achived fair results. Enterprises development continued changing well; number and size of newly registered enterprises rose much higher than those of the same period last year. Social welfare was ensured; life of people, especially policy families, the poor, elderly and disabled people were paid attention; information, propaganda, traffic safety and food hygiene safety were focused on; political security and social order were maintained to ensure absolute safety during the 12^th National Congress.

However, slow and insubstantial recovery of the world economy and the sharp decrease of world oil price without any recovery signal were expected to affect the economy of our country, especially state budget expenditure. The last heavy and damaging cold weather caused damage to crops and livestock in the Northern mountainous provinces, these require direction and corrective measures, especially in protection and disease prevention for cattle. Life of people living in the mountains and ethnic minorities still faced many difficulties./.  

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