PM orders agencies to tighten their belts   Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang received US$357 million from State bonds to build a 200km stretch of road. It has been hailed for its thrifty use of the State budget. - VNA/VNS Photo Duy Khuong HA NOI (VNS)- Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday told ministries, State agencies, provinces and cities to tighten management of State expenses, adding that thrift was needed to prevent wastefulness. The PM suggested that this could be done by cutting expenses, especially on overseas visits and buying equipment and vehicles. He also ordered the authorities not to issue policies that might reduce the State's budget collection or increase State spending. Speaking at an online conference in the capital yesterday, Dung said although the nation had achieved important results in curbing inflation, stabilising the macro-economy and ensuring social insurance, it was still facing many difficulties. He asked the Ministry of Finance to take measures to collect all funds meant for the State budget. In the remaining six months of 2013, Dung urged the ministry to work with localities and enterprises, especially those producing large amounts of State budget money, to fulfill their tasks. The ministry was also ordered to seriously supervise tax collection and returns, prevent the phenomenon of price-transferring to avoid taxes, deal with bad debts and focus on ways of reforming the tax and customs sectors. The Prime Minister said local agencies must help tackle any difficulties facing businesses and boost production and trade by creating favourable conditions for increase in State funds. He told ministries, agencies and localities to tighten management of State expenses, ensure the need for spending; practice thrift and prevent wastefulness by cutting expenses, citing overseas visits and buying (unnecessary) equipment and vehicles. He assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to tell local agencies to re-assess investment projects and national target programmes that use State money and Government bonds. Dung said the Ministry of Finance must pay attention to strengthening market management and the control of prices of essential commodities, such as petrol, coal and electricity to prevent inflation taking off. It had to keep close watch on and respond to abnormal market, prices and strictly punish those who violated price laws. Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung said that he would focus on implementing ways of boosting exports and reducing imports to curb the trade deficit, He also promised to speed up the equitisation of State enterprises, strengthen supervision of the financial market and operation of financial institutes, and enhance the fight against corruption and wastefulness. - VNS