On the morning of April 21, the National Assembly continued discussions in the hall, evaluating the results of implementing the socio-economic development plan and the state budget.
Assessing the results of the 2021-2025 period, it was noted that during this period, 22 out of 26 targets were achieved, which is a very commendable result amidst many difficulties and challenges. Among the 4 targets not met, 2 were close to being achieved and 2 were not achieved.
From this situation, it was proposed that the subjective reasons for the two important targets not achieved—the proportion of the digital economy and labor productivity—need to be clarified.
It was pointed out that the two unachieved targets stem from the lack of synchronized digital infrastructure; small and medium enterprises making up the majority, with limited innovation capacity; and a shortage of high-quality human resources. According to the analysis, if these issues are not clearly identified and thoroughly addressed, they will continue to be “bottlenecks” in the coming period, as these two targets will play an important role in the double-digit growth goal for the 2026-2030 period.
Emphasizing that the goal set for the 2026-2030 period is growth of over 10% per year, reflecting a strong development aspiration, it was stated that to contribute to achieving this goal, there needs to be stronger institutional breakthroughs, especially more substantive decentralization and delegation to localities; and a strong release of resources, particularly land and private investment. Accordingly, double-digit growth must come from the word “substantive.”
Recognizing it as feasible, it was nonetheless argued that this goal can only be achieved by “boldly reforming in the right places, not by pumping more money into the old system, not by issuing more documents, but by changing the capital allocation mechanism, forcing every investment dollar to prove its value.”
Expressing interest in the private economic sector, it was clearly stated that developing the private sector economy is not only an urgent requirement but a strategic choice to enhance national resilience and competitiveness. Therefore, the capital channeling mechanism of the economy needs to be restructured so that capital flows go to the right address, meet the right needs, and directly serve growth drivers.
However, it was noted that the issue is not a lack of capital, but how capital is being allocated and used. The core reason identified is a maturity mismatch due to excessive reliance on the short-term banking system to finance long-term needs.
On this basis, it was recommended to gradually reduce dependence on bank credit by substantively developing the capital market, especially the stock and corporate bond markets, to form a genuine medium- and long-term capital channel; to form a secondary refinancing market through securitization of loans and developing a transparent debt trading market. Additionally, a “negative tax” mechanism for innovation should be studied to support enterprises from the early stages when they need a boost.
Proposal to raise the base salary to 2.65 to 2.7 million VND/month
According to one perspective, in the process of salary policy reform, adjusting the salary level is not only a technical matter but also a direct determinant of the lives, work motivation, and quality of the cadre, civil servant, and public employee workforce.
It was acknowledged that in recent years, the state has made positive adjustments by raising the base salary from 1.49 million VND to 1.8 million VND, then to 2.34 million VND/month, and it is expected to continue increasing to 2.53 million VND from July 1.
However, the issue now is no longer “whether to increase or not,” but at what level to increase to ensure livelihoods while being compatible with budget capacity, and at the same time create motivation for the public sector’s development.
The level of 2.53 million VND/month from July 1, 2026, was assessed as a technically reasonable increase, but not strong enough to ensure the livelihood of the majority of public sector workers. It was pointed out that a new civil servant with a coefficient of 1.86 only earns about 4.7 million VND
