Vietnam targets 6.8 percent GDP growth next year

• Vietnam looking to speed up public investment to curb slowing GDP
• Economic institute predicts Vietnam's GDP growth at 6.17 pct in Q2
• PM vows to achieve macro-economic targets this year
• Vietnam targets GDP growth of 7 percent over next 5 years
• Prime Minister wants GDP at 6.7 percent this year

The goal was included in a directive released on Thursday in which Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked ministries, government agencies, localities and state-run companies to start preparing for 2017. Planning for next year must be based on their performance in the first half of 2016 and their projections for the whole year.

Phuc also asked for economic restructuring to continue in 2017, targeting investment with a focus on public investment; the finance-banking system with a focus on credit institutions; and enterprises with a focus on state-owned companies.

Boosting exports in a stable manner and improving social security are two of the main priorities for the government next year, the directive said.