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Overview
and policies for new target groups such as job losers, low-income workers/pensioners/government
employees and people in areas seriously affected by floods;
• Continue to implement the poverty reduction and employment programme; the support of the
poorest communes programme; and the price subsidy for mountainous provinces programme and
develop a new support programme for the poorest districts.
The eight groups of solutions had some encouraging results. Since June 2008, the CPI has started to
decline, export turnover is surging, FDI continues to rise, agricultural crops are succeeding and tax revenues
increasing which helps ensure adequate expenditures and allocation of budget to social security
programmes. Nevertheless, challenges remain including: slower economic growth (in the first six months
of 2008 GDP grew at 6.5 percent, less than in recent years and still below the reduced 2008 target of seven
percent), a large trade deficit, continued rising prices and constraints in dealing with such social issues such
as employment creation and poverty reduction 20 .
20 More details on the website of the Government www.chinhphu.vn
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