On February 24, General Secretary To Lam chaired a meeting with the Central Policy and Strategy Committee, discussing economic growth targets for 2025, aiming for 8% or higher to establish a solid foundation for double-digit growth in subsequent years.

Attending the meeting were Nguyen Xuan Thang, Politburo Member and President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics; Le Hoai Trung, Party Secretary and Head of the Central Office; Tran Luu Quang, Head of the Central Policy and Strategy Committee; Nguyen Chi Dung, Deputy Prime Minister, and various senior officials, economists, and policy experts.

After listening to expert discussions, General Secretary To Lam expressed broad agreement with 10 strategic solutions proposed by the Central Policy and Strategy Committee. He commended experts and government representatives for their insightful recommendations, which will help the Party and Government craft policies to achieve sustainable economic growth.

To further advance economic expansion, To Lam urged continued efforts in removing regulatory barriers and unlocking economic bottlenecks, particularly by fostering private sector growth.

Economic growth must be driven by public participation

"The key to economic and social development is mobilizing all citizens to actively participate in wealth creation. When every household and every economic sector is fully engaged, growth will naturally accelerate," Mr. To Lam stated.

Therefore, government policies must be designed to encourage participation from all economic sectors.

To improve the business environment, Mr. To Lam called for:

Reducing administrative processing time by at least 30%
Cutting business costs (including customs, regulatory compliance, and unofficial costs) by at least 30%
Eliminating at least 30% of unnecessary business conditions

The objective is to position Vietnam’s investment environment among the Top 3 in ASEAN within the next 2–3 years.

Legal reforms and investment incentives

General Secretary To Lam emphasized the need for a specialized legal framework to support Vietnam’s digital economy, innovation, and global integration. He highlighted the urgent need for a controlled regulatory sandbox for new technologies such as fintech, artificial intelligence (AI), platform economies, and e-commerce.

Additionally, he proposed separate legal frameworks for special economic and technology zones, which would include:

Preferential tax mechanisms
Unique dispute resolution frameworks
Boosting urban and real estate growth

To stimulate the real estate market and attract investment, To Lam outlined key strategies:

Accelerating real estate transactions
Developing smart cities as growth drivers
Building a national digital land planning and pricing map
Establishing a "National Housing Fund" to promote affordable housing in major cities

He also proposed: An open financial policy for international financial centers, A "duty-free port" model to position Vietnam as a major logistics hub, A National Investment One-Stop Portal to simplify foreign investment procedures, Talent retention and public sector reform

To enhance human resources and governance, Mr. To Lam emphasized:

Attracting top talent and creating policies to reward outstanding public officials
Removing underperforming personnel from government agencies
Encouraging bold and innovative leadership within the civil service
Enhancing decentralization and delegation of power to local governments
He also stressed the importance of policies addressing population aging.

Strengthening economic demand and exports

To boost economic growth from the demand side, the General Secretary outlined key investment priorities:

Expanding public investment in strategic infrastructure
Encouraging private sector investment by ensuring a transparent, low-cost, and accessible financial environment
Boosting domestic consumption as a foundation for sustainable GDP growth
Increasing net exports, particularly in high-value agricultural, forestry, and seafood products
Digital currency and financial innovation

Regarding digital currency, he stressed that Vietnam must not fall behind, urging proactive engagement with emerging financial technologies and modern transaction methods.

TTXVN