AFP: Việt Nam đi trên dây giữa lạm phát và downturn

AFP: Việt Nam đi trên dây giữa lạm phát và downturn

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http://business.maktoob.com/NewsDetails-20070423196054-Vietnam_walks_tightrope_between_inflation_and_downturn.htm

Vietnam, like much of the world, is trying to stimulate its economy amid the global downturn, but it is in a quandary because it must also keep rampant inflation from flaring up again, say experts.

With a small and relatively insulated banking sector, Vietnam was not directly exposed to the subprime crisis that sparked the Wall Street meltdown and the subsequent worldwide credit crunch and turmoil on global financial markets.

But the wider economic repercussions of what has been called the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression are already being felt in this developing economy, especially in the crucial export sector.

Amid slackening overseas demand, Vietnam''''''''s monthly exports have steadily fallen from 6.5 billion dollars in July, to 6 billion dollars in August, to 5.3 billion dollars in September, to 5.1 billion dollars in October.

And, although it''''''''s too early to say foreigners are pulling out of financial markets, in the past month they have been net sellers of bonds and stocks.

Inflation has been in double digits all year and stood at 26.7 percent in October, a slight fall after a drop in global energy and commodity prices.

Aiming to reduce liquidity to fight inflation, the government had raised interest rates and bank reserve requirements several times this year.

But this has also starved businesses of credit for investment and working capital, forcing the central bank to reverse its monetary policy as both local and international factors have slowed economic growth in Vietnam.

Since late October, the State Bank of Vietnam has twice lowered its benchmark rate. It now stands at 12 percent and Prime Minister *************** last week said more rate cuts could be expected to free up credit next year.

Pham Do Chi, chief economist at investment fund VinaCapital Group, agreed that "the government can further reduce interest rates to help stimulate the economy through the domestic private sector and the foreign-invested sector."

"They may reduce the base interest rate further, by two percentage points in the next three months. The economy can absorb this because we have seen that inflation is coming down, and the economy is already cooling off."

Consumer price increases started to level off in September and fell month-on-month by 0.2 percent in October, government data said.

The communist government''''''''s target is to bring annual inflation down to 23-24 percent in 2008, and to less than 15 percent in 2009, to defuse a major source of public anger and a wave of labour unrest.

Leaders have also cut the economic growth target from 8.5 percent last year to around 6.5 percent for this year and next -- although some economists predict gross domestic product growth below six percent next year.

The government also predicts that export growth will slow to about 13 percent in 2009 from a projected 33 percent this year.

"As the situation has completely changed in the space of three, four months, lowering the rates goes rather in the right direction," said Sebastien Barbe, economist at Calyon of Credit Agricole French group, based in Hong Kong.

Vietnam''''''''s inflation "is enormous but it will be less and less of a concern because disinflation forces that are at work everywhere are very, very strong."

Still, Vietnam''''''''s room for manoeuvre remains limited because the inflationary risk in the country has not disappeared. Some experts warn for example that public service wage increases next year could contribute to driving up prices again.

"The main challenge is how you manage the macroeconomic situation in such a way that you can cope with the global economic slowdown... without rekindling inflationary pressures of the very recent past," said Chi.

Vo Tri Thanh, research director at the Central Institute for Economic Management under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, said it was "the time for us to ease, but cautiously, macroeconomic policy."

A loosening is necessary as "social issues now emerge," he said, pointing at the rise in the number of labour strikes and increased unemployment.


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Vấn đề là lạm phát của chúng ta đã và sẽ được chế ngự, với giá xăng giảm còn 13ngàn, chi tiêu mỗi gia đình được chắt bóp hết mức có thể thì sợ là deflation chứ chả đùa..

E sẽ dịch bản này và post lên sau

Btw, mie bọn chó tây hôi đúng là bị các bố nhà mình cho kẹp vỡ bi