This year has marked great achievements at home and the raised prestige for Vietnam on the international political arena after one year it joined the WTO with high economic growth of more than 8 per cent amid its purchasing power parity drop of 30 per cent by the World Bank.
1) Vietnam’s economy grew 8.5 per cent to VND1.144 trillion, or US$73 billion, the record high so far, driven by exports and industrial production. However, it faced ever-widening trade deficit, soaring 70 per cent on year. Its FDI attraction has set a record level of roughly US$20 billion and US$5.4 billion pledged by donors for next year.
2) Vietnam is nominated for the seat at the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for the 2008-2009 term, which is a golden chance to get its status and prestige boosted in the global games.
3) Vietnam has made so-called ever-biggest cabinet reshuffle, approved by the National Assembly, by cutting down its ministries to 22 from 26 in a bid to streamline administrative procedures and boost the fight against rampant corruption.
4) 2007 is regarded a year of corruption combating with eight most serious cases including the computerization project 112, PMU18, Land Corruption Case in Haiphong City, and others with senior state officials brought to justice.
5) Central Vietnam faced a series of natural disasters with most severe floods, which claimed 155 deaths, 12 missing, 137 injuries, damaged 5,000 houses, submerged roughly 19,000 hectares of rice with damages totaling VND4.434 trillion (US$227.125 million).
6) The quality of education and training remains at an alarming level when 33.3 per cent of high school students failed the graduation exam.
7) Vietnam contained diarrhea after 40 days with 1,991 patients and 295 cholera victims.
8) 2007 saw serious labor accidents of Can Tho bridge collapse with 54 deaths and 80 injuries and a petrifying rockslide on Ba Ve hydropower plant by Song Da Co 5, under Song Da Construction Corp killing 18 workers.
9) This year marked more-than-expected success by Vietnam in raising public awareness of importance to wear helmets in a bid to reduce traffic death toll, which costs Vietnam US$855 million a year.
10) Vietnam has recorded great sports achievements at the 24th Southeast Asia Games, ranking the second, and Vietnamese football fans once again missed the gold dream in male soccer game after U23 players were shot out on penalties against Myanmar rivals.
On the track to become a medium income earner by 2010 and an industrialized nation by 2020, the communist country will still face challenges such as infrastructure development tasks, rampant corruption and training high-quality human resources, observers said.
The World Bank December 17 announced its adjustment calculation of gross domestic product, or GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP), under which, Vietnam’s PPP dropped 30 per cent to US$178.1 from US$255.6 in 2005, or per capita GDP was down to US$2,142 from US$3,076 as statistics showed. (Labor, VietNamNet)
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