On December 11st, 2020, the General Statistics Office (GSO) held a conference to summarize 5 years to implement the Scheme on renewing the process of compiling regional gross domestic of cities/provinces under central government (GRDP). The conference was held directly in Hanoi and online at 63 points of People’s Committees/Provincial Statistical Offices of cities and provinces directly under the central government. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, the Director General of GSO chaired the Conference.
Directly attending the meeting in Hanoi were leaders of GSO; leaders and senior statistics of units under GSO; representatives of concerned ministries and branches. Leaders of provincial People’s Committees; leaders and staff of local departments, agencies; leaders and statisticians from PSO participated online at 63 points. The purpose of the Conference is to summarize contents and activities that have been implemented and completed in the past period; results as well as limitations exist; also clearly define responsibilities and tasks to implement the Scheme in the coming period of ministries, branches, localities as well as the whole Statistics sector.
Delivering the opening remarks of the Conference, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong said that on May 22nd, 2015, the Prime Minister issued Decision No.715/QD-TTg approving the Scheme “Renewing the process of compiling GRDP of cities/provinces directly under the central government”. The scheme was born due to limitations of GRDP in recent times, also due to needs to update from SNA 1993 to SNA 2008 as well as the role and importance of GDP indicators, GRDP in the planning, management and administration of leader levels.
According to the Director General, positive results of the scheme’s implementation have made an important contribution in building the Socio-Economic Development Strategy for the period 2021-2030 and the socio – economic development plan for the period of 2021 – 2025 of Vietnam; to promptly serve the management and administration activities of socio-economic activities of the Government, the Prime Minister, all levels and branches.
Speaking at the Conference, Mr. Duong Manh Hung, Director of the National Account System department presented the Report on Summary of 5 years to implement the scheme of renewing the process of compiling GRDP of cities/provinces directly under the Central Government with the following contents: (1) The implementation situation and results to implement the Scheme in 5 years (2015-2020); (2) way forward to implement the scheme in the coming time.
The report stated that, after 5 years of implementation, the scheme has achieved main results as follows: The process of compiling and announcing GRDP has been renewed; GRDP data compiled and published under the new process are more accurately reflects the socio-economic situation of localities, trusted to use; compiling GRDP and GDP conducted concurrently at GSO makes it possible to compare and improve data quality of both indicators. In spite of shortcomings in the past 5 years’ implementation, GSO has set out a way forward to implement the scheme in the coming time to improve data quality and conduct the scheme to achieve objectives, requirements and contents, including: (i) Continuing to renew and improve the process and regulations to compile and public GRDP; (ii) Improving calculation tools; (iii) Improving the quantity and quality of input sources; (iv) Researching to adjust the time to public GRDP. The report also proposes recommendations to the Government, ministries, branches and localities.
Delegates had presentations on the scheme’s implementation of the Department of Information Technology and Statistics (Ministry of Finance); Can Tho City Statistical Office; Construction and Industry Statistics department. The process to implement the Scheme and problems emerging also discussed; delegates highly appreciated the results achieved of the Scheme and proposed solutions for the next time.
Closing the Conference, Director General Nguyen Thi Huong stated that the success of the scheme is very clear, but in the short term there are lots of work to be solved to improve the process, enhance GRDP data quality and serve better increasing information needs of leaders of the Party, Government, ministries, branches and local authorities./.