Vietnam prime minister says 2019 GDP growth to exceed 6.8%

[HANOI] Vietnam's gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to exceed 6.8 per cent this year, backed by robust exports and foreign investment, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Monday.

The country is targeting a GDP growth of 6.8 per cent and will keep inflation below 4 per cent next year, Mr Phuc said at a meeting of the National Assembly, the country's lawmaking body.

Vietnam's foreign exchange reserves have reached US$73 billion, a record high, he added.

Mr Phuc said, however, that Vietnam has an open economy and is exposed to external risks.

The country's pace of privatisation of state-owned enterprises and pace of budget spending on infrastructure have been slower than expected, Mr Phuc also said.

REUTERS