Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a list of selected news summaries reported last night by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered a three-pronged acceleration strategy requiring all government levels, ministries, and localities to boost total social investment, accelerate public investment disbursement, and intensify efforts to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses to meet the economic growth target of at least 8%.

At the regular June cabinet meeting and the national online conference between the Government and local authorities on July 3 – the first of its kind held following the launch of a two-tier local government system and the administrative restructuring, PM Chinh called for an 11–12% year-on-year increase in total social investment. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has set clear deadlines for three major tasks of eliminating makeshift and dilapidated houses nationwide, advancing key national transport projects, and accelerating the disbursement of public investment capital for 2025, according to a notice from the Government Office.

Regarding the task of eliminating substandard houses nationwide, the PM directed the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs to continue updating and clearly identifying difficulties and obstacles facing localities to proactively address them within its authority. Read full story

- The National Assembly (NA), especially its advisory bodies, is responsible for further improving the institutional framework and ensuring that Party regulations and State laws are aligned with the new organisational model following the streamlining of the political apparatus and the restructuring of administrative units, stated NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man.

Chairing a meeting on July 3 with the NA agencies, the NA Office, and advisory bodies of the NA Party Committee to review the implementation of tasks in the first six months of 2025, and outline key tasks for the second half, the top legislator stressed that current efforts to streamline the organisational apparatus and restructure administrative units are only the initial steps. Read full story

- Administrative procedures for citizens and businesses had been issued in a timely manner, with clear and detailed regulations, and were promptly put in place to ensure seamless implementation as the two-tier local administration model began operations on July 1, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha said at the Government’s regular press conference on July 3.

According to the official, the Prime Minister had issued 28 decrees on the decentralisation, delegation of authority, and delineation of responsibilities between central and local administrations, as well as between provincial and communal-level administrations. Additionally, ministries had issued 58 circulars, providing a comprehensive legal foundation for the implementation of the two-tier local administration model. Read full story

- Vietnam’s economy outpaced forecasts in the first half, with GDP growth likely to exceed projections by 0.2 to 0.3%, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son said on July 3.

At a press briefing to announce the outcomes of the regular Cabinet meeting and the online conference between the Government and 34 provinces and cities, along with 3,321 communes, wards, and special zones the same day, Son said GPD growth for Q2 is estimated at 7.67%, bringing the six-month figure to 7.31%. Read full story

- The Immigration Division of southern Dong Nai province has issued Level-2 electronic identification (e-ID) accounts to over 200 foreign residents during the first two days of implementation, as part of the Ministry of Public Security’s 50-day campaign running from July 1 through August 19.

Most of the recipients are representatives of foreign-invested enterprises (FDI) operating in the province. Read full story

- Vietnam’s Foreign Trade University (FTU) received a special recognition from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at the awards ceremony of the International Prize for Gender Equality in Trade held at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on July 2.

Trinh Thu Huong, Director of the WTO Chairs Programme at the university, said the programme has built a broad and strong network of partners, including central agencies such as the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the Vietnamese Mission in Geneva, domestic industry associations, international organisations, universities, and research centres. Read full story./.