Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee's Chu Ngoc Anh speaks at the event. (Source: CPV)

As heard at the event, the city’s state budget collection and local budget spending exceeded 59.83 trillion VND (2.58 billion USD) and 8.61 trillion VND in the first two months of 2021, respectively.

In February, Hanoi granted licences to 22 new foreign-funded projects worth 12.1 million USD. In the first two months, the value of new FDI projects and of capital added to existing projects in the city amounted to 58.9 million USD.

Concerning the situation of agricultural products supply exceeding demand, causing difficulties for farmers, Tran Thi Phuong Lan, Acting Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said although farm produce from the winter-spring crop were abundant, purchasing power has decreased because local residents had stockpiled a large amount of goods for the Lunar New Year holiday.

An increasing rate of online shopping and the closure of hotels, restaurants, and schools due to COVID-19 has also caused a decline in the purchasing power, she said, adding that in February, retail purchasing power in the capital’s market dropped by 16.7 percent.

Meanwhile, Khong Minh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control, informed that the city is making lists of prioritised people for COVID-19 vaccinations.

He said the city plans to vaccinate all people from 18 years old, with funding sourced from the state budget, financial assistance of businesses and individuals, and self-payment./.

BTA