On March 29 and 30, 2000, the Government held its March 2000 regular meeting to discuss and resolve the following:

- It heard the proposed plan on pilot application of package allocation of administrative expenditures to agencies and organizations benefiting from the State budget, presented by the Finance Minister; the proposed plan on staff streamlining of the State administrative bodies, public-service units and State enterprises, presented by the Minister-Director of the Government Commission for Organization and Personnel. The Government assigned the Finance Ministry and the Government Commission for Organization and Personnel to assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned agencies in gathering comments of the cabinet members and meeting participants, finalizing the proposed plans, then submitting them to the Prime Minister for signing and promulgation of documents for the pilot implementation of staff streamlining and package allocation of administrative expenditures.

- The Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs presented to the Government the draft decree amending a number of articles of the Social Insurance Regulation promulgated together with the Government�s Decree No.12/CP of January 26, 1995 to be applicable to laborers who sign labor contracts for working in State-run agricultural farms or forestry camps that contract out land for agricultural and forestry purposes.

- It heard the Minister of Planning and Investment presenting the supplementary report on the situation of performing the 1999 plan and the first quarter of 2000; the Finance Minister presenting the report appraising the implementation of the 1999 State budget and the situation of performing the 2000 State budget�s tasks.

The Government was unanimous on the evaluation of the 1999 socio-economic situation. The development criteria of a number of branches and sectors as well as the economic growth indices already forecasted in the report presented to the Xth National Assembly�s sixth session were almost achieved.

The socio-economic situation in the first quarter of 2000 showed signs of an upturn as compared to the same period of 1999, with export and service activities making positive changes; social issues being better solved, especially hunger eradication and poverty alleviation, relief for people suffering from natural calamities and flood and charity activities; and the plan for preventing and overcoming the Y2K being well carried out. However, the capital construction investment and foreign direct investment saw no remarkable progress, the realization of "demand-pull" policy and measures in investment and consumption activities did not yet practically pay off, and the situation of consumer goods price decrease was not yet overcome.

The Government assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to gather comments made at this meeting and finalize the above-said reports, then submit them to the Prime Minister for decision before they are submitted to the National Assembly at its coming 7th session.

The Government instructed the ministries, branches and localities to step up the organization of application of measures already set forth for directing the implementation of the 2000 plan in the subsequent months, with due attention being paid to the following issues:

+ Continued promotion of production and application of synchronous measures for sale of products through export and stimulated domestic consumption.

+ Intensification of capital construction investment: the Government allowed the prolonged disbursement of supplementary capital source of 1999 till the end of the second quarter of 2000, and at the same time authorized the Ministry of Planning and Investment to regulate undisbursed capital of incomplete projects to others and concentrate capital on transitional projects, especially those to be completed in 2000; expeditiously execute national programs and other target programs, coordinate and integrate programs in the same locality, thus ensuring the achievement of the set objectives; and ensure that the development investment capital source from the State budget is not lower than that of 1999.

- It adopted the bill on drug prevention and combat presented by the Minister of Public Security and the bill on protection of national cultural heritage presented by the Minister of Culture and Information. It assigned the Minister of Public Security and the Minister of Culture and Information to assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned agencies in gathering the cabinet members� comments on such bills, then finalizing and submitting them to the National Assembly for debates and comments at its 7th session; and at the same time expeditiously drafting documents to guide the implementation thereof and proceeding with subsequent procedures for the Prime Minister to submit such bills to the National Assembly for adoption at its 8th session by the end of 2000.

- It heard the Minister-Director of the Government Office presenting the report on a number of matters in its direction and management work in the first quarter of 2000.

- It also adopted the sum-up report on overcoming the Y2K, presented by the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment and unanimously agreed on the conclusion of the plan for preventing and overcoming the Y2K and consequently dissolved the Y2K steering committee.- (Summary)