Hanoi’s first half GDP slowest among five major cities
Hanoi’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew at the slowest pace in the first six months of the year among Vietnam’s five major cities, the capital city government said Tuesday.
The other four cities are Can Tho, with a GDP growth rate of 7.8 percent, Hai Phong, at 5.8 percent; Da Nang, 5.1 percent; and Ho Chi Minh City, 4.6 percent, the newswire VnExpress reported.
The city recorded a GDP growth rate of 4.1 percent in the first half of the year, deputy chairman Phi Thai Binh of the Hanoi People’s Committee told a regular session of the city’s People’s Council that opened Tuesday.
The rate accounts for one third of last year’s first-half figure, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
Hanoi’s GDP is estimated to grow at 5.5-6 percent this year, lower than the annual target of 9.5-10 percent, Binh said.
The slowdown in the city’s economy was caused by the global crisis, with exports hit hardest, slumping 9.9 percent year-on-year, while a few sectors like construction, backed by the government’s stimulus economic package, recorded positive growth, he added.
Hanoi’s recent expansion with the merger of adjacent provinces was also a factor, with significant gaps between the growth rates of some localities, Binh said.
Gia Lam District deputy mayor To Yen Khanh complained of bad management in the city as the 1,000th anniversary approached. “The anniversary (next year) is coming but roads in the city remain messy,” she said.
“Sidewalks are still being turned into parking lots.”
Viet Chien - Thu Net
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