After the first 100 days in action, the new Government has made a lot of hallmarks.

PM Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda.

After taking office, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his cabinet have immediately dealt with urgent issues like economic restructuring, seeking a new growth model and combat social evils.

In the past three months, the new cabinet has not made any completely new policy. It has been implementing the policy that was put forward from the government of the previous term, for example the Resolution 11 on stabilising macro-economics and ensuring social welfares, the five-year economic and social development plan (2010-2015), and approaching to economic restructuring.

However, the government is carrying out old duties on a consistent manner, with stronger determination and clearer message.

The economic restructuring plan was developed over two years ago but it has been just taken shape. After being re-elected, PM Nguyen Tan Dung confirmed that this is the key mission in the next five years. This determination is again seen in the government’s plan, recently submitted to the National Assembly, which includes three top priorities: restructuring the investment structure, restructuring state-owned enterprises and reforming the banking and finance system.

Former governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Cao Sy Kiem, who was a cabinet member for two consecutive terms, and is now Chairman of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of Vietnam, said that the government has found out the diseases and is determined to develop a correct treatment plan.

In its report to the ongoing National Assembly session, three months after taking office, the government frankly took responsibility for not attaining some economic and social goals.

“I believe that once the government realizes its weakness in macro management, it will work better in the coming time,” said economist Tran Hoang Ngan.

Actually, inflation is slowing down, trade deficit is narrowing, interest rate is decreasing and growth rate is on the rise.

In international relations, PM Nguyen Tan Dung and cabinet members have paid visits to many countries to sign many significant agreements with Japan and European countries.

After the talks in Hanoi between PM Dung and his German counterpart Angela Merkel, Vietnam-German have upgraded their bilateral ties to strategic partnership. Germany is now the largest European Union trade partner of Vietnam.

Historian and National Assembly deputy Duong Trung Quoc highly appreciates the government’s move in the East Sea conflict. According to Quoc, in the complicated situation, the government’s action is appropriate and creates general strength for Vietnam to gradually overcome difficulties.

However, the dynamism and decisiveness of some cabinet members is the special hallmark in the first 100 days of the new government. Two thirds of the cabinet members are new faces.

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang impressed the public by his statement, which was made on the day he assumed office: “As the chief of the transport sector, I must have the full power.”

He immediately ‘attacked’ two most difficult tasks: snail speed of construction projects and traffic jams. He has put forward many measures and solutions. Though not all of them are supported but the way he does has mobilized the participation of the entire society.

Minister of Finance Vuong Dinh Hue gives priority to managing the price of essential goods. Based on the experience of a senior auditor, he asked to make clear whether the State-owned Vietnam Petroleum Import and Export Group (Petrolimex), the monopoly agency in petroleum trading in Vietnam, to incur losses or get profit.

The governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, Nguyen Van Binh, is more reserved but his rare appearances attracted public attention, especially with his statements to cut down lending interest rate to 17-19 percent and maintain exchange rate to not increase over 1 percent.

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang

To realise these goals, the State Bank of Vietnam is focusing its effort on dealing with the instability of the gold, foreign currency market and to bring deposit interest rate to the fixed ceiling rate. Governor Binh’s solutions are not new but they are carried out drastically and are said to be necessary in the recent situation.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien took office when the scandal on a Deputy Minister of Health’s doctor diploma was broken. Tien did not make loud statements or promises but she has shown her role through the no-bribery campaign at hospitals.

As the youngest cabinet member, Chairman of the Government Office Vu Duc Dam has shown the government’s transparency through the government’s monthly press conferences. Minister Dam is trying to build a bridge between the government and the public.

New ministers’ statements, commitments and doings need more time for verification but financial expert Vu Dinh Anh said that their dynamism has partly changed the “quiet style” of other re-elected cabinet members.

“When you keep quiet, others will not know what you have done. And when you are quiet, you will make chance for rumors. The people wish that the government can do and can also speak to help the people understand its works,” Anh said.

After the first 100 days, the government will have 1,725 other days of challenges. Therefore, after the first positive impression, the government needs to quickly implement its policies and action plans.