1. Macroeconomic and market stabilization and inflation control

Consumer price index (CPI) in April, 2013 increased 0.02% from the previous month, the lowest year-on-year rise over the past four years. Slight CPI increase in April was attributed mainly to: (1) an increase of 3.62% in prices of medicine and medical services of which medical services posted a surge of 4.51%; (2) an expansion of 1.2 % in price of transportation.

In comparison with December, 2012, CPI in April expanded 2.41%, representing the lowest level in the past four years. Against that of the same period last year, CPI in April, 2013 increased by 6.61%. On average, the first four months’ CPI rose 6.83% compared to the same period  last year.

Over the first four months, total export turnover was estimated to reach US$ 39.46 billion, increased 16.9% compared to the same period last year; of which: the local economic sector achieved an increase of about 7%; the foreign invested sector (including crude oil) was estimated to grow 23.2%. Total import turnover was calculated to hit US$ 40.2 billion, a rise of 18%; of which: the local economic sector edged up 10.5%; the foreign invested sector increased about 25.2%. Trade deficit reached about US$ 722 million, equal to 1.8% of the total export turnover.

State budget collection and expenditure: Total State budget revenue accumulated as by April 15, 2013 was estimated VND201,39 trillion, accounting for 24.7% of the yearly estimate; Total State budget expenditure was estimated at VND 257,98 trillion, making up 26.4% of the yearly estimate.

Disbursement of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the first four months was estimated to stand at US$3.75 billion, increased by 3.9% compared with the same period last year; registered capital was about US$8.22 billion, up by 17%. ODA capital: Disbursement of ODA was estimated to stand at US$450 million, equal to 10.4% of the yearly estimate in 2013.

2. Economic growth target

Industrial production index (IIP) in April was estimated to grow at 5% (last year: 5,9%), of which: the index of the mining industry rose 2.1%; the processing and manufacturing industry edged up 5.5%; that of electricity production and distribution expanded 9%; and that of water supply and waste water treatment increased 8.8%.

Some industrial products achieved high year on year growth rates in the first four months: Urea fertilizers rose 83.3%, cell phones increased by 22.7%, rolled steel was up by 21,7%, motorbikes increased 16.6%, beers rose by 14.9%, refined sugar increased by 14.4%, and power production increased by 8.8%.

Agricultural, forestry and aquatic production developed in a stable manner but difficulties have arisen due to bad weather and epidemic diseases. As by April 15, 2013, about 3.1 million ha of land have been planted with winter-spring rice nationwide, up 1.4% from the same period last year; about 1.69 million ha of winter-spring rice crop have been harvested by Southern farmers, decreased by 1.6% against the same time last year, of which the Mekong delta farmers harvested rice from 1.568 million ha, making up 93% of the harvested area and increasing 3% compared to the same period last year. Total caught and farmed seafood output in the first four months reached 1.561 million tones, increased only 0.9% from the same period last year. Over the first four months, about 14,700 ha of forest have been grown, decreased by 17.9% compared to the same period last year.

Drought and salinity intrusion: The provinces in the Mekong delta have been facing salinity intrusion, which negatively affected the newly-grown summer-autumn rice crop. Drought in the Central, Central Highlands and Southern provinces remains complicated and the number of households facing a lack of water and the cultivated area being dry may be on the rise in the coming time. Poultry breeding is fighting risks of H5N1 virus spreading in the country and import of H7N9 virus from China.

The services sector was fighting back difficulties in the first four months: Total retail goods turnover and consumer service revenue in May were estimated to rise 11.8% compared to the same period last year. International visitors to Viet Nam in the first four months decreased by 5.3% in comparison with the same period last year. The volume of transported goods in the reviewed period was estimated to increase by 2.6%; the flow of goods decreased by 9.8%. The number of   passengers transported was estimated to rise about 4.4%; the volume of transit passengers was estimated to increase 4.1%.

3. Social security, healthcare, culture and other social fields

- Training - education, science - technology, natural  resources - environment: Exam consultancy activities have been carried out in some provinces and cities with a view to providing students and their parents  with new information that can aid their choices of professions; The subjects of the final high school examination in the 2013 academic year were announced and guidance on reviewing knowledge for the final high school examination of 2013 was provided for localities; the new model of primary schools have been realized in the North and the South; the methods to build, organize and manage key national-level Science and Technology programs continued to be reformed and research tasks continued to be implemented at other levels; the Program supporting intellectual property the period from now till 2015 was carried out and a national conference to launch the Strategy on Science and Technology Development for 2011-2020 was organized; People’s opinions on the draft of the revised law on land were collected.

Labor, employment, social welfare, hunger eradication and poverty reduction: it was estimated that about 133,000 people got job in April; As a result, over 495,000 people were employed in the first four months, fulfilling 30.9% of the planned target. Social security has been paid attention in the fields of supporting efforts to look for jobs and to reduce poverty, and encouraging and visiting families benefiting social policies and people with meritorious services to the country. As by April 18, 2013, the number of the households facing hunger decreased by 2.9%, and the number of people facing hunger was down by 2.1% compared to the same period last year.

- Healthcare: Action Plan for H7N9 avian influenza prevention and fighting was issued; Developments of H5N1 avian influenza in Dong Thap province and deployed measures were tightly monitored; Coordination with competent authorities to strengthen supervision at border gates was enhanced to timely detect, prevent and minimize the appearance and spread of epidemic diseases. In the first four months, there have been more than 18,000 cases of hand-foot-mouth nationwide, decreased by 36% against the same period last year; more than 11,000 people caught dengue fever, increased by 3.1%,. In the month, eight poisoning cases occurred, affecting 250 people without any fatality. In the first four months, 23 food poisoning cases made 737 people suffer, including four deaths.

- Culture, information, and sports: in the first months, many cultural events have been organized such as a modern dance festival, an art festival, an exhibition on Japanese paintings in Da Lat, the compilation of a scientific dossier on Dong Ho paintings to submit to Unesco for getting recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The sports sector has dispatched a delegation to some provinces to survey experience in management, exploitation and usage of cultural and sports works; preparations have been carried out for the eighth national sports competition for ethnic groups in 2013.

Generally, in April and the first four months of 2013, sectors and branches at all levels have actively taken measures stated in Resolutions made by the Party Central Committee, and the National Assembly, as well as Resolutions No. 01/NQ-CP and No. 02/NQ-CP dated January 7, 2013 and the Resolution of the Government’s regular meetings. Therefore, the macro-economy has initially yielded good results. Inflation was curbed, price and market was kept relatively stable. CPI, which experienced a decrease in March, has increased in April but at a level that was the lowest in comparison with the same period over the past four years. Interest rate continued decreasing, contributing its part to solving difficulties for production and business activities. The forex market was relatively stable and the liquidity of commercial banks has improved significantly; foreign currency reserve by the State Bank of Vietnam was on the rise; the gold market operation has been stabilized step by step. Exports continued maintaining its high growth, imports of materials for production increased again. Registered and realized FDI increased from the same period last year; dispersed ODA rose considerably. Social security continued to be ensured; people's living standards, especially of the poor, the unemployed, families with meritorious services to the country were paid attention. Political security and social order were maintained firmly.

However, the economy still has many difficulties and challenges ahead. All the sectors including agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and industry, construction are facing many difficulties. Animal and poultry breeding and aquaculture go down. Industrial production, especially the processing and manufacturing industry, is grappling with hardship, sparked by high cost input, decreasing purchasing power and slow consumption. State budget collection is slower than the progress recorded in the same time last years; disbursement of capital coming from the state budget for development investment remains low. Over the first four months of the year, the number of traffic accidents and the injured decreased but the number of death soared against that of the same period of 2012. Employment, income and living standard of laborers are still dealing with  difficulties./.