On the morning of October 22, at the 8th session of the 15th National Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government, Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc, authorized by the Prime Minister, presented the Report on the implementation of the state budget in 2024, the state budget estimate, the central budget allocation plan in 2025, and the 3-year state budget - finance plan for 2025 - 2027.
Regarding the State budget revenue in 2024, Mr. Ho Duc Phoc said that the estimated State budget revenue in 2024 is 1.700.990 billion VND; the implementation in 9 months reached 85.1% of the estimate, an increase of 17.9% over the same period in 2023.
The whole year's implementation assessment reached 1.873.300 billion VND, exceeding 172.3 trillion VND, up 10.1% compared to the estimate, reaching a mobilization rate into the state budget of about 16.5% of GDP, of which fees and taxes were 13.1% of GDP.
Basically, it is estimated that all areas of budget revenue will meet or exceed the assigned estimates. It is expected that 52 localities will meet or exceed the estimates, while 11 localities will not meet the estimates. Excluding land use fees and lottery fees, it is expected that 8 localities will have lower revenue than the estimates.
Regarding state budget expenditure: Estimated at 2 million 119 thousand 400 billion VND; implementation in 9 months reached 59.3%; estimated for the whole year at 2.281.700 billion VND, up 7.7% compared to the estimate.
Regarding the state budget balance, the estimated state budget deficit in 2024 is VND 399.4 trillion, equal to 3.6% of GDP, the estimated deficit for the whole year is VND 389.4 trillion, equal to 3.4% of GDP, a decrease of VND 10 trillion compared to the estimate, due to a reduction in local budget borrowing.
Regarding the State budget expenditure estimate and the State budget allocation plan for 2025, one of the principles is to arrange enough payment for public sector salaries, pensions, social insurance benefits, preferential benefits for meritorious people and other social security policies.
Mr. Ho Duc Phoc said that the Government has arranged resources to increase the basic salary in 2023-2024, contributing significantly to improving the lives of public sector workers, implementing policy adjustments for retirees, meritorious people and social security policy beneficiaries.
“In 2025, to ensure payment of public sector salaries according to the basic salary of 2.34 million VND/month, in addition to the balance allocated from the State budget revenue, it is expected to use about 110 trillion VND from salary accumulation sources,” said Mr. Phoc.
According to Mr. Phuc, in 2025, in addition to the 10% savings to ensure the source of salary reform, in the implementation organization, it is recommended that ministries, branches and central agencies strive to save an additional 10% of the increased regular expenditure in 2025 compared to 2024 to reduce budget deficit and increase expenditure on necessary tasks, arising or supplementing public investment expenditure.
Presenting some contents to the National Assembly, Mr. Ho Duc Phoc said: In 2025, there will be no consideration to increase public sector salaries, pensions, and preferential allowances for meritorious people. "In management, the Government will continue to review and report to competent authorities to handle unreasonable actions of some sectors, such as health and education," said Mr. Ho Duc Phoc.
In addition, expand the scope of using accumulated resources for salary reform of the central and local budgets to adjust a number of policies on pensions, subsidies, social security, streamlining payroll, etc.
Allow some localities with large salary reform resources to be used to invest in some large regional and national connection projects, and key national projects in cases where the locality commits to ensuring salary reform resources and social welfare policies issued by the Central Government for the entire roadmap to 2030 without requesting support from the Central budget.
Use a portion of the remaining central and local budget accumulation fund and incorporate it into the 2025 budget report to allocate sufficient salary expenditures at the basic salary level of VND 2.34 million/month for central and local ministries, agencies and departments.