The People’s Committee of Hanoi hosted a press conference on March 4 to update the media on the capital city’s socio-economic development situation, which saw upbeat signals despite impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nguyen Anh Dung, chief of the Hanoi People's Committee's Office, speaks at the event (Source: VNA) The People’s Committee of Hanoi
hosted a press conference on March 4 to update the media on the capital city’s
socio-economic development situation, which saw upbeat signals despite impacts
from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As heard at the event, the city’s state budget collection
and local budget spending exceeded 59.83 trillion VND (2.58 billion USD) and
8.61 trillion VND in the first two months of 2021, respectively.
In February, Hanoi granted licences to 22 new foreign-funded
projects worth 12.1 million USD. In the first two months, the value of new FDI projects
and of capital added to existing projects in the city amounted to 58.9 million
USD.
Concerning the situation of agricultural products supply
exceeding demand, causing difficulties for farmers, Tran Thi Phuong Lan, Acting
Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said although farm
produce from the winter-spring crop were abundant, purchasing power has
decreased because local residents had stockpiled a large amount of goods for
the Lunar New Year holiday.
An increasing rate of online shopping and the closure of
hotels, restaurants, and schools due to COVID-19 has also caused a decline in
the purchasing power, she said, adding that in February, retail purchasing
power in the capital’s market dropped by 16.7 percent.
Meanwhile, Khong Minh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Centre
for Disease Control, informed that the city is making lists of prioritised people
for COVID-19 vaccinations.
He said the city plans to vaccinate all people from 18 years
old, with funding sourced from the state budget, financial assistance of
businesses and individuals, and self-payment./.