Ho Chi Minh City’s industrial production index in the first nine months of this year expanded 7.26 percent year-on-year, the municipal Department of Industry and Trade reported on October 1.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

However, four major industrial sectors, comprising manufacturing engineering, electronics, chemicals-rubber-plastics and food processing, increased only 6.1 percent, lower than 8.39 percent recorded in the same period last year.

Experts said the fierce competition with foreign partners, along with impacts of the African swine fever have adversely affected the production of the country in general and HCM City in particular.

The country’s largest economic hub aims to achieve a growth of 8.3-8.5 percent and have 46,200 new enterprises in 2019.

It also targets administrative reform, e-governance, improvement in public administration, creation of a healthy business environment, innovation and start-up encouragement, and mitigation of climate change, flooding, traffic congestion, and pollution.