New Year welcomed nationwide
Many cultural activities were held in localities across the country to welcome the New Year 2004 and celebrate the socio-economic achievements in 2003.
Thousands of Hanoians took to the streets bedecked with coloured lights and flowers in the evening and flocked to major cultural and sports centres such as the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, Lenin Park, I Ghandi public garden, Ba Kieu Temple and Van Dien town.
An exchange program with volunteers, who had carried out their duties at the recent 22nd SEA Games and the 2nd ASEAN Para Games, was held at the West Lake Water Park. Many other cultural and artistic programs also took place at cultural houses and clubs in outlying districts and communes.
In Ho Chi Minh City, special cultural programmes welcoming the New Year were also held in different places. Thousands of people enjoyed various traditional and modern games and shopping activities, along with a lively program performed by the traditional music and dance theatre and top pop singers at the April 30 Park in front of the Thong Nhat Palace. Also on the first day of the New Year, the Saigon Tourist Corporation received 160 tourists from Japan.
Other localities such as Da Nang, Haiphong, Lang Son and Vinh Long also held cultural performances and exhibitions to mark the beginning of the New Year.
Major achievements in 2003
- GDP growth rate at 7.24%
- 4.1% increase in agro-forestry and fishery production value
- 16% rise in industrial production value
- 6.57% growth in services
- 19% increase in export turnover.
- Total investment capital reaches 35.6% of the country's GDP
- Price consumption index increases about 3%.
- 1.5 million jobs created
- Vocational training given to over one million people
- Poverty rate drops to 12%
- Birth rate declines by 0.4%
- Malnutrition rate of under-five children stands at 28%
Targets for 2004
- GDP growth rate of between 7.5% and 8%.
- 4.6% increase in agro-forestry and fishery production value
- 15% rise in industrial production value
- 8% growth in services and
- 12% increase in export turnover.
- Total investment capital to account for 36% of the country's GDP
- Price consumption index increase to be below 5%.
- 1.5 million jobs to be created
- Number of students recruited by vocational schools to increase by 7%
- Poverty rate expected to drop to 10%
- Malnutrition rate of under-five children to be at 26%
- Birth rate to decline by 0.04%
