Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has selected Vietnam’s 10 most notable events of 2017as follows:

1. Overcoming difficulties to fulfill all 13 socio-economic criteria

For the firsttime in years, Vietnam completed and surpassed all 13 socio-economic targetsset by the National Assembly. The macro economy was stable, inflation was undercontrol, while the State budget collection and major economic indicators metrequirements. Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 6.81 percent whilstexport revenue exceeded 200 billion USD. The country attracted more than 33billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI), welcomed 13 millioninternational tourists and saw over 120,000 new businesses established. Suchoutcomes created favourable momentum for the country to push ahead withdevelopment and implement the Resolution adopted at the 12th Congress of theCommunist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

2. APEC 2017: Promoting regional cooperation, enhancing Vietnam’sposition

With thetheme “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future”, APEC Vietnam Year2017 was a comprehensive success in both bilateral and multilateral aspects.Major orientations were mapped out to propel economic cooperation inAsia-Pacific forward and further deepen collaborative relations between Vietnamand other APEC member economies as well as enhance the country’s position inthe global arena.

3. Handling many complicated corruption cases

In 2017, severalserious, complicated economic and corruption cases were handled, such as the Oceanbankcase involving Ha Van Tham and his 50 accomplices and the case of Chau Thi ThuNga and her nine accomplices occurred at Housing Group, the dismissal of DinhLa Thang from the Politburo, and the suspensionof the NA deputy status of, legal proceedings against and arrest of Thang, investigatingwrongdoings relating to many leaders of the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, forcingorganisations and individuals involved to bear responsibility before the law. Handlinghigh-ranking officials, incumbent or retired, demonstrated there is no“prohibited zone” in the fight against corruption, and affirmed thedetermination of the whole political system and society to combat corruptionand negative phenomena.

4. Promulgating a Resolution defining the crucial role of the private economicsector

On June 3,2017, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen PhuTrong signed into effect Resolution 10-NQ/TW on developing the private economicsector into an important driving force of the socialist-oriented marketeconomy. On October 3, the Government issued Resolution 98/NQ-CP promulgatingthe Government’s action programme to implement the Party resolution.Accordingly, the State will remove all barriers and prejudice, create favourableconditions for the private economic sector to develop in a healthy, effectiveand sustainable manner. Vietnam aims to have at least 1 million firms by 2020,over 1.5 million by 2025, and at least 2 million by 2030. The private economicsector is expected to contribute about 50 percent, 55 percent and 60-65 percentto the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020, 2025 and 2030, respectively.

5. Some BOT transport projects become hot button issue

In 2017,shortcomings in some build-operate-transfer (BOT) transport projects attractedpublic attention, despite the fact that the policy of developing transportinfrastructure in the BOT form is a right move and many BOT projects contributedto improving transport infrastructure and developing the economy in somelocalities. At some BOT toll stations, many drivers and local residents objectedto paying fees, causing traffic jams, and forcing investors to allow vehiclesto pass through the booths without fee collection. Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc urged responsible agencies to strictly address the problems and legalviolations while revising inappropriate procedures.

6. Resolution on streamlining the political system comes into life

Resolution 18-NQ/TWon reforming and reorganising the apparatus of the political system towardseffective and efficient operation dated on October 25, 2017 has been carriedout widely, creating initial changes in streamlining the organisation of theapparatus; recruiting, appointing and promoting officials; and acceleratingdecentralisation and administrative reform. The Communist Party of VietnamCentral Committee agreed to terminate the operation of the North West, CentralHighlands, and South West Steering Committees. The National Assembly, and thePeople’s Councils of some cities and provinces promulgated resolutions, puttingforth concrete measures to implement the policy.

7. Health sector faces dengue fever epidemic, serious medical incidents

In 2017,dengue fever broke out and spread across 63 cities and provinces with 163,600cases, including 138,327 patients hospitalised and 30 fatalities. Also, thehealth sector encountered serious medical incidents such as the death of eight kidneydialysis patients in northern Hoa Binh province and four infants in northernBac Ninh province, and violations in the management of medicine prices and useof cancer drugs. Those incidents required the health sector to look foreffective measures to prevent diseases and improve management.

8. Vietnam’s sport affirms position in regional, global arenas

Vietnamese athletesranked third with 58 gold, 50 silver and 60 bronze medals at the 29th SoutheastAsian Games (SEA Games 29) in Malaysia on August 19-31. Track-and-fieldathletes won big with 17 gold medals with swimmers alone claiming 10 goldmedals.

WeightlifterLe Van Cong secured a gold medal at the 2017 World Para PowerliftingChampionships in Mexico, breaking the world record of his own at the 49kg men’scategory and becoming the top disabled athlete in the history of Vietnamesesport with a collection of gold medals at Paralympic, world, Asia and SoutheastAsia tournaments.

9. Storm Damrey kills 107 people, causes economic losses of about 22trillion VND

Storm Damrey,the strongest storm hitting Vietnam in years, suddenly landed on the southcentral coast of Vietnam, leaving 107 people dead, 16 unaccounted for, 342injured and damaging 165,000 houses. The Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment estimated that the storm caused economic losses of about 22trillion VND (nearly one billion USD).

In 2017,Vietnam suffered 16 storms with severe human and material losses (375 dead andmissing, 636 injured and nearly 51.6 trillion VND of economic loss).

10. Two more heritage elements honoured by UNESCO

On December7-8, 2017, at the 12th session of the UNESCO Inter-governmental Committee forthe Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Jeju, the Republic ofKorea, UNESCO added Vietnam’s “xoan” singing in northern Phu Tho province and“bai choi” singing in the central region into the RepresentativeList of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. “Xoan singing” was transferredfrom the UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of UrgentSafeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage ofHumanity thanks to great efforts to preserve this heritage over the past sixyears.-VNA