The 13th National Assembly convened its year-end session on October 20 to review national socio-economic development in 2011 and set major targets for 2012.

In his opening speech, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung highlighted major achievements Vietnam has made in 2011, as well as difficulties and challenges facing the national economy.

According to the chairman, the national economy has not developed in a sustainable manner, high inflation has not been kept under control, and people, mostly State salary recipients, have still lived hard lives.

Meanwhile, the global economy has slowed down and the public debt crisis is spreading far and wide in Europe along with political instability in the Middle East and North Africa.

The local and global complications require us to have high determination and find effective solutions to fulfil the goals of reining in inflation, stabilizing the macroeconomy, ensuring social welfare and restructuring the economy closely linked to renewing the growth model, said Mr Hung.

During this session, he said, policymakers will assess a Government report on socio-economic situation for the 2005-2010 period and in 2011, as well as its projected plans for 2012 and the 2011-2015 period. They will examine State budget spending in 2011, budget estimates and allocations for 2012.

They will look at implementation of national target programmes, land use and planning, and the five-million hectare afforestation programme.

The legislature is expected to pass five bills and give opinions on 13 other bills.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is scheduled to deliver a government report on socio-economic development in the 2011-2015 period on the opening day.