All ministries and local authorities must take all possible measures to effectively implement the State budget estimate in 2014, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has said.

The PM made the statement at a teleconference in Hanoi on Monday to review the 2013 State finance-budget performance and set tasks for 2014.

Regarding the budget collection and spending, PM Dung asked the Ministry of Finance to closely coordinate with other ministries, agencies and localities to achieve budget targets for 2014, contributing to attaining an economic growth of 5.8 percent next year.

Inflation must be restrained at 6.5-7 percent, foreign exchange rates must be kept stable, and social welfares and national defense and security must be ensured, he said.

The government leader also requested the finance sector to prioritize spending on salary reforms and social welfares. Meanwhile, costs of working trips at home and abroad should be cut down.

PM Dung also urged the finance ministry to better control prices, especially those of essential consumer goods in the run-up to the traditional Lunar New Year, which will fall on January 31, 2014. 

Meanwhile, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Van Binh said the financial and banking sectors must exert stronger efforts to control the State budget over-spending at 5.3 percent and curb inflation at below 7 percent next year.