Author: Nguyen Duc Thanh (chief author)
Publishing House: Publishing House of Vietnam National University, Hanoi
Year of Publication: September 2012
Place of Publication: Ha Noi
Format: 16cm x 24cm
After four consecutive years, the Vietnam Annual Economic Report series published by Vietnam Center for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR) - VNU University of Economics and Business, have attracted considerable attention of economic analysts, policy makers, scholars and those interested in Vietnam’s economic situation.
Closely following analysis from the previous reports, the Vietnam Annual Economic Report 2012 was finished as the Vietnamese economy is launching several reform programmes proposed in 2011, aiming at a strong restructuring.
The book, entitled: “Vietnam Annual Economic Report 2012: Facing the Challenges of Structural Reform”, is an effort of the authors to provide a comprehensive view on the global and Vietnamese economies in 2012, discuss the economic prospects as well as give recommendations for the implementation of restructuring programmes.
The book title refers to the challenges and difficulties emerging from economic restructuring process. The economy has been relying on an unsustainable structure: economic growth depending on credit growth, inefficient state-run corporations, lack of transparency and accountability, abuses of interest groups, decreasing productivity and competency of the whole economy, development vision confusing with dominating state-run economic thinking.
Such an obsolete structure in terms of thinking and reality results in inertia, even obstacle constraining Vietnam to adopt any radical reform in order to achieve a sound market economy.
Theo book, consisting of seven chapters and two appendixes, focuses on analysing and giving specific comments on the three structural reform programmes in accordance with the guidance of Theo book, consisting of seven chapters and two appendixes, focuses on analysing and giving specific comments on the three structural reform programmes in accordance with the guidance of the 3rd Conferenceof the Party Central Committee (2011) which outlined three main tasks: restructuring the banking system, state-run corporations and public investment.
In addition, one chapter of the book focuses on analyzing the decreasing efficiency and competency of the economy in recent years in order to highlight the urgency of the structural reform programmes. Several recommendations are given to foster a real economic innovation process.
Therefore, the book not only aims to provide information and knowledge to the targeted audiences, including business people, organizations and scholars, but also expects to become an effective channel for policy discussion and dialogue for the government and related organs.
SOME NOTABLE COMMENTS:
“Following the annual report series initiated in 2009, the Vietnam Annual Economic Report 2012 is a systematic approach which considers the macro economic analysis and policy response of the government in the previous years as an axis of rotation, and pay enough attention to the impacts of the global and local economic situation in 2011 (building and initiating the structural reform scheme - an important issue in the agenda of the year). Such approach creates a necessary consistency on the core issues of an annual report but can still reflect the urgent requirements and specific characteristics of the year 2011 in such a fluctuating environment.”

“Besides the usual contents, the Vietnam Annual Economic Report 2012 demonstrates both urgent and long-term problems of the Vietnam’s economy in a systematic way. Restructuring the economy and shifting the country’s growth pattern have been the most concerning issues in recent years. Readers can see a collection of recommendations based on practical, scientific and feasible evidences regarding to restructuring the state run corporations, credit institutions and public investment”.