By Han Qiao, Xinhua,
Hanoi : Private car is no longer a dream for ordinary Vietnamese, people who used to struggle for three meals everyday, said Nguyen Duc Xuan, a 45-year-old man beside his newly-purchased jeep.
Nguyen, general manager of the Hanoi Dong Viet Company, is very pleased with his life now. “We work hard, then we enjoy life.”
Nguyen said he was only a farmer over ten years ago, counting on his limited land for a living and having difficulty paying the tuition of his children.
The country’s innovation and open-up policy changed all of his life. Encouraged by the government, he borrowed some money, started a small furniture factory and exported his products. After ten years of hard work, the factory now has 150 employees, three automobiles and a modern building.
“My life has improved as well. Now two of my children are studying overseas,” he said.
The innovation and open-up policy has brought tangible benefits to the Vietnamese people, he said, adding that Ten years ago, the streets of Hanoi were filled with second-hand motorbikes and bicycles, while now automobiles and new motorbikes have dominated the streets of the city.
Vietnam adopted the innovation and open-up policy in 1986. Since then, the social and economic cause have made great leaps, especially in agricultural fields. In 2003, Vietnam exported 3.86 million tons of rice, becoming world second largest rice exporter after Thailand. Last year, the country’s rice export stood at 4.5 million tons.
Led by the agricultural sector, Vietnam saw all-round development in all sectors. The country registered an annual GDP growth of 7.5 percent in the past fifteen years, second fastest in the world after China.
Now outside Hanoi, a dozen of industrial zones were built. Big factories, with clean pavement, modern buildings, green trees and a big sign at the gate, show their booming business.
The Vietnamese leaders have been working hard to create a favorable environment for the companies, including more investment on infrastructure construction, reform on the administrative system and fight against corruption.
Vietnam would embrace a brighter future, said Nguyen. He believed it is also a vision shared by many Vietnamese people.