Hanoi (VNA) – Most local enterprises are optimistic about production and business in theℱ second half of this year, according to th𝓰e General Statistics Office (GSO).

About 55.4 percent of local enterprises expected the production volume to increase by this year-end while 9 percent said production volume would be reduced. Around 35 percent predicted stability in production. With regard to production orders, 48.5 percent of them expected orders to increase while 9.5 percent of them estimated they would reduce. About 42 percent of them said export orders would increase. The office said 48 percent of local businesses expected the processing and manufacturing industry to improve, while 44 percent thought production orders in the third quarter would increase against the second quarter. Meanwhile, 55.6 percent of firms surveyed predicted their inventory of products would stabilise by the end of this quarter and 14.7 percent hoped their inventory would be reduced. The office also reported the total retail sales and services and consumption revenue in the first six months of this year gained a year-on-year increase of 9.5 percent to 1,720 trillion VND. Excluding inflation, this marked an increase of 7.5 percent, lower than the 8.8 percent increase in the same period last year, according to the GSO. In the first six months, retail sale revenues reached 1,310 trillion VND, 9.8 percent higher than the same period last year, accounting for 76.2 percent of the total. Provinces and cities that achieved high growth rate in retail sale revenues included Binh Duong, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, and Khanh Hoa, in addition to Quang Nam, An Giang, and Bac Giang và Hai Phòng. The revenue from retail sales and services rose by 13.1 percent for rice and food; 12.2 percent for garment; 10 percent for household appliances, and 9.1 percent from transport services.-VNA