SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATION IN TWO BEGINNING MONTHS OF 2015

Together with the winter-spring rice cultivation, as of above time, provinces over the country cultivated 247.4 thousand hectares of maize, equaling 98.3% against the similar period in 2014; 58.2 thousand hectares of sweet potato, equaling 100%; 395.4 thousand of vegetables, equaling 101.6%.

As estimated, flock of buffaloes in the month increased by 1.5% from the 2014’s same period; flock of pig by 2.5%; flock of poultry by 3% respectively.
    
+ Agricultural production as of February 15, 2015

b. Forestry

In two beginning months of the year, the country’s concentrated planted forest area was estimated to gain 1258 hectares, grew by 1.8% from the same period last year; the number of dispersed planted trees reached 26.1 million, by 0.3%; wood production achieved 728 thousand m3, by 8.3%; firewood production gained 3.1 million cubic meters, by 0.3%Generally, in two beginning months of the year, the damaged forest area was 49.9 hectares, of which the fired area was 25.6 hectares; the destroyed area was 24.3 hectares.

c. Fishery

Generally, in two beginning months of the year, fishing production reached 793 thousand tons, rose 3.1% compared to the same period in 2014, of which farmed production gained 331.2 thousand tons, a rise of 2.3%; caught production achieved 461.8 thousand tons, a rise of 3.7%.

2. Industry

Generally, in two beginning months of the year, Industrial Production Index (IPI) grew by 12% from the same period in 2014, much higher than the growth of 5.4% in the similar period last year.

Consumption index for the whole manufacturing in January 2015 increased by 3.6% over the previous month and rose 18.7% against the same period last year.

As of February 01, 2015, stock index for the entire manufacturing grew by 11.3% compared to the similar period in 2014.

Labor employed index (LEI) for industrial enterprises as of February 01, 2015 had a rise of 6% from the same period last year, of which the state sector increased by 2%; the non-state sector by 3.7%, and the FDI sector by 8.7%. As of above time, LEI of the mining and quarrying fell by 3.9% from the previous year’s similar period; the manufacturing grew by 6.5%; the power generation and supply by 10%; the water supply and waste treatment by 2.6% respectively.
    
+ Industrial Production Indexes
+ Main industrial products
+ Consumption and stock indexes of the manufacturing
+ Labor employed index (LEI) for industrial enterprises

3. The situation of the business activities

Generally, in two beginning months of the year, the country had 13766 newly established enterprises with the registered capital of 77.5 trillion dongs, an increase of 26.6% in the number of enterprises and 23.3% in the registered capital over the same period last year. The average registered capital per newly established enterprise in two months achieved 5.6 billion dongs, a decline of 3.4% against 2014’s same period. The expected number of laborers provided with job in the newly established enterprises in two months was 197.2 thousand persons, increased by 19.0% from the same period last year.

In two beginning months of the year, the country had 2055 enterprises which finished the procedure for dissolving, terminating business activities, a rise of 8.7% from the same period last year; 14040 enterprises having difficulty forced to temporarily cease operations, a rise of 25.0%, of which there were 4794 enterprises registered for time-limited temporary cessation of operations; 9246 enterprises suspended businesses waiting for closing the enterprise code or without registration. Of enterprises having difficulty forced to temporarily cease operations, there were 4795 one-member limited liability companies (accounted for 28.9% of the total ones of the same type); 4720 two-member limited liability companies (accounted for 13.4%); 2292 joint-stock companies (took 10%) and 2233 private enterprises (represented 76.5%). However, the majority of enterprises having difficulty forced to suspend operations were small-scale ones with the capital of less than 10 billion dongs.

In two beginning months of the year, the country had 4376 enterprises re-operated, an increase of 20.2% from the similar period in 2014.    

4. Investment

Generally, in two beginning months of the year, realized investment capital from the State budget reached 21962 billion dongs, equaled 11% of the yearly plan and increased by 1.6% from 2014’s same period. Of which the capital under central management gained 4351 billion dongs, equaled 10.7% of the annual plan and increased by 0.7% from the same period last year; the capital under local management achieved 17611 billion dongs, equaled 11% of the yearly plan and grew by 1.9% over the similar period in 2014.

From the beginning of the year to February 20, 2015, FDI attracted 148 newly licensed projects with the registered capital of US $ 712.3 million, an increase of 21.3% in the number of projects and a decrease of 14.3% in the capital from the similar period in 2014. At the same time, 58 times of license-granted projects from the previous years were provided with additional capital of US $ 480.5 million. Thus the total registered capital of both newly and additionally financed projects reached US $ 1192.8 million, reduced by 22.5% against 2014’s same period. Estimated realized FDI capital in two beginning months of the year was estimated to gain US $ 1200 million, rose 7.1% from the similar period last year.

In two beginning months of the year, the manufacturing attracted foreign investors with the registered capital of US $ 952 million, accounting for 79.8% of the total registered capital; the real estate business attracted US $ 111.4 million, accounting for 9.3%; other industries received US $ 129.4 million, taking 10.9%.

The country in two beginning months of this year had 20 provinces and cities directly under the central management which received newly licensed FDI projects from 27 nations and territories.
    
+ Realized investment under the State budget
+ Licensed FDI projects from January 01 to February 20, 2015

5. Trade, price and service

 a. Retail sales of consumer goods and services

Generally, in two beginning months of this year, total retail sales of consumer goods and services was estimated to reach 542.7 trillion dongs, increased by 11.4% from the same period last year, if the factor of inflation were excluded, it would be 10.7%, higher than the growth of 6.2% in 2014’s similar period. Of which the state economic sector gained 58.3 trillion dongs, accounted for 10.7% of the total and grew by 2.3%; the non-state economic sector achieved 467 trillion dongs, took 86.1% and by 12.6%; the FDI sector reached 17.4 trillion dongs, took 3.2% and by 11.4% respectively. Of the total, retail sales of goods reached 413.2 trillion dongs, accounted for 76.2% and rose 10.6%;  accommodation and catering services gained 64.2 trillion dongs, took 11.8% and rose 12.5%; travelling service reached 4.5 trillion dongs, represented 0.8% and rose 0.4%; other services achieved 60.8 trillion dongs, accounted for 11.2% and rose 16.5%.
    
+ Total retail sales of consumer goods and services

b. Exports - Imports

Generally, in two beginning months of the year, export turnovers reached an estimate of US $ 23 billion, increased by 8.6% from the same period in 2014, of which the domestic economic sector achieved US $ 7 billion, increased by 0.7%; the FDI sector (including crude oil) reached US $ 16 billion, by 12.4%.

As estimated, import turnovers in two beginning months of the year gained US $ 23 billion, grew by 16.3% from the same period last year, of which the domestic economic sector achieved US $ 9 billion, a rise of 6.7%; the FDI sector reached US $ 14 billion, a rise of 23.4%.

Generally, in two beginning months of the year, trade deficit was estimated to reach US $ 61 billion (US $ 1.35 billion in 2014’s same period), of which the domestic economic sector had a trade deficit of US $ 2.07 billion; the FDI sector (including crude oil) had a trade surplus of US $ 2.01 billion.
    
+ Exports
+ Imports

c. Consumer price indexes (CPI), gold price indexes and US dollar price indexes

February’s CPI reduced by 0.05% from the previous month, mainly due to adjusting to reduce sharply the domestic petrol price (petrol price fell by 11.54%; diesel fuel price by 11.92%; kerosene price by 10.09%) making prices of the group of transport have a sharp decrease of 4.41%, contribute 0.39% to the CPI’s general decrease rate. Other groups of goods and services with dropped prices compared to the previous month were: housing and constructional materials fell by 0.41%; postal and communicational services by 0.02%. Groups of goods and services with slightly increased price against the previous month were: drinks and tobacco grew by 0.56%; food and catering service by 0.53% (grain food rose 0.13%; foodstuff rose 0.75%; outdoor eating and drinking rose 0.19%); garments, hats, footgear by 0.45%; family appliances by 0.31%; culture, entertainment and tourist by 0.05%; medicines and health services by 0.04%; education by 0.03% respectively.

CPI in February 2015 reduced by 0.25% from December 2014 and rose 0.34% over the similar period last year. Average CPI in two beginning months of this year went up 0.64% compared with the figures in 2014’s identical period.

Gold price indexes in February 2015 increased by 2.7% from the previous month; grew by 3.26% over December 2014 and dropped by 0.6% against the same period in 2014. US dollar price indexes in February 2015 fell by 0.2% from the previous month; went up 0.03% from December 2014 and rose 1.15% compared to 2014’s similar period.
    
+ Consumer price indexes, gold, US dollar price indexes and core inflation in February 2015

d. Carriage of passengers and cargos

Passenger carriage in two beginning months of the year was estimated to reach 539.8 million arrivals, raised by 6.4% and 24 billion passengers-kilometers, by 5.4% from the same period in 2014. Of which central transport reached 5.6 million passengers, increased by 3.7% and 6 billion passengers-kilometers, by 6.3%; local transport gained 534.2 million passengers, grew by 6.5% and 17.9 billion passengers-kilometers, by 5.1%. Two months’ estimated passenger transport by road achieved 509.5 million passengers, grew by 6.7% and 17.6 billion passengers-kilometers, by 5.1% from the same period last year; transport by air reached 3.3 million passengers, by 3.8% and  5.2 billion passengers-kilometers, by 6.3%; transport by rail gained 1.8 million passengers, up 3.2% and 0.6 billion passengers-kilometers, up 7.4%; transport by sea gained 0.9 million passengers, 2% increase and 42 million passengers-kilometers,  1.7% increase.

Cargo carriage in two beginning months of the year reached an estimate of 172.5 million tons, rose 4.2% and 35.1 billion tons-kilometers, rose 1.7% from the last year’ same period. Of which the domestic transport gained 168.5 million tons, increased by 4.5% and 14.7 billion tons-kilometers, by 5.2%; overseas transport reached 4 million tons, decreased by 5% and 20.4 billion tons-kilometers, by 0.7%. Cargo transport by road obtained 133.5 million tons, grew by 4.8% and 7 billion tons-kilometers, by 5.9%; river: 29.2 million tons, up 4.1% and 5.9 billion tons-kilometers, up 4.9%; sea: 8.7 million tons, down 3.5% and 21.6 billion tons-kilometers, down 0.7%; rail: 1 million tons, 12.6% increase and 0.6 billion tons-kilometers, 13.8% increase.
    
+ Carriage of passengers and cargos

e. International visitors to Vietnam

Estimated number of international visitors to Vietnam in two beginning months of the year was estimated to reach 1456.7 thousand arrivals, reduced by 10% from the last year’ same period, of which visitors coming by airway reached 1172.7 thousand arrivals, a decrease of 7.3%; by road: 270.1 thousand arrivals, a decline of 18.2%; by sea: 13.9 thousand arrivals, a decrease of 39.2%.

In two beginning months of this year, visitors to Vietnam from Asia achieved 896.9 thousand arrivals, fell by 10.6% over the similar period last year. Visitors from Europe gained an estimate of 245.4 thousand arrivals, went down 6% from the last year’s identical period. Visitors from America reached 130.3 thousand arrivals, increased by 0.5% against the same period last year.
    
+ International visitors to Vietnam

6. Social issues

a. People’s life and social security

In February, the country had 46.4 thousand households suffering from food shortage, corresponding with 185.3 thousand hunger persons. Compared to 2014’s same period, the number of households suffering from food shortage fell by 50%; the number of hunger persons by 51%. To overcome the problem, from the beginning of the year, all administrative levels, sectors and localities provided difficult families with 5.7 thousand tons of food and 8.3 billion dongs.

The work of social security on Lunar New Year was paid attention by all administrative levels. According to preliminary reports, 6.6 million gifts with the total value of 2.2 trillion dongs were given to martyrs’ families, families who have the special contribution to the country, policy beneficiary objects and 534.7 billion dongs were provided to poor households for celebrating Lunar New Year festival.

b. Epidemic diseases and food poisoning

In two beginning months of the year, the country had over 5.3 thousand cases of hand, foot, mouth disease; nearly 5.3 thousand cases of hemorrhagic fever; 38 cases of typhoid; 33 cases of virus encephalitis (01 died); 10 cases of meningococcal disease. From the beginning of the month, there were not any cases of cholera and A (H5N1) flu recorded more.

From December 17, 2014 to February 16, 2015, the country had 13 serious cases of food poisoning, infecting 462 persons, of which 06 cases died.

c. Traffic accidents

Generally, in two beginning months of the year, the country had 4107 cases of traffic accidents, including 1850 cases of traffic accidents and 2257 cases of traffic crashing, killing 1567 persons, injuring 1097 persons and injuring slightly 2665 others. In comparison with the same period last year, cases of the traffic accidents in two months decreased by 15% (cases of traffic accidents less serious and more reduced by 9.7%; cases of traffic collision by 18.9%); the death fell by 13.8%; the injured persons by 17.3%; slightly injured persons by 22%. On average, each day in two beginning months of the year, the country had 69 cases of traffic accident, including 31 cases of traffic accidents and 38 cases of traffic crashing, killing 27 persons and injuring 19 persons and injuring somewhat 45 others.

d. Fire and explosion, environment protection

In February, the country had 304 cases of fire and explosion, killing 4 persons and injuring 27 others, the value of damage was estimated about 63 billion dongs.

In the month, authorities found 1.1 thousand cases of violating regulations of environment protection, of which 371 cases were treated with total fine of nearly 9 billion dongs.

GERNERAL STATISTICS OFFICE