Economists make proposals for sustainable growth

Hanoi (VNA) - Leading Vietnamese economists have advised the government to promote
a knowledge and technology-based economy in order to achieve rapid, sustainable
economic growth.

Speaking at a symposium in Hanoi on January 12, Dr. Nguyen Huu Hieu from the
Finance Institute argued that quality must act as the keystone for economic growth.

"This growth has been previously driven by investments and the exploitation of
natural resources and human labour. It should now be supplemented by the application
of knowledge and technology," Dr. Hieu said.

Sharing this view with his colleague, Associate Professor and Dr Ngo Tri Long said
that the foundations for a successful economy need to be reinforced to further
improve the quality of economic growth.

He proposed the adoption of a model adhering to the principle of market-driven
resource distribution, healthy competition and encouraging the full participation of
the private and foreign-invested sectors in order to achieve rapid and sustainable
economic growth.

In recent years, Vietnam 's GDP has increased steadily from 6.9 percent in 2001
to 8.5 percent in 2007. However, it fell to 6.23 percent in 2008, partly due to
fallout from the global financial crisis.-Enditem