Ministry of Finance conference in Hanoi

Vietnam's Ministry of Finance (MoF) will focus on seven major financial measures to ensure economic growth of 8-8.5% in 2005, Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said at the two-day conference (Nov. 25-26) in Hanoi He said that localities must try to collect VND200 trillion (US$12.7 billion) for the state budget next year, up 19.8% against the estimated figure for this year. The National Asembly recently approved budget estimates for 2005, with a planned deficit reaching VND40.75 trillion ($2.6 billion), up from VND34.75 trillion ($2.2 billion) targeted for this year. (Vietnam Financial Times Nov 26 p2, Labor Nov 26 p3, Investment Nov 26 p1, Family & Society Nov 26 p5; Vietnam News Briefs, Nov. 26)