However, with their hostile and destructive nature, the ill-intentioned and reactionary forces immediately launched false arguments, distorting the nature of the problem in order to distort and obstruct the correct policies of the Party and State.

After nearly 40 years of Doi Moi (Renewal), the private economy has increasingly affirmed its important role in the socialist-oriented market economy, contributing about 51% of GDP, more than 30% of the state budget and creating about 85% of jobs for workers nationwide. However, for the private economy to develop to its full potential, there needs to be a more consistent, comprehensive and profound policy.

Resolution No.68 of the Politburo is the concretisation of this requirement with many new strategic points on private economic development, while being suitable for practical conditions and requirements for national development in the new era. Resolution No.68 represents a breakthrough change in the perception of the position and role of the private economy in the socialist-oriented market economy in Viet Nam.

The change in perception and theory not only reflects the recognition, identification, and correct assessment of the position and role of the private economy, but also reflects the Party’s ability to innovate theoretical thinking based on the summary of nearly 40 years of innovation in developing the socialist-oriented market economy in general and developing the private economy in particular.

It is necessary to deeply recognise that the Vietnamese private economic sector is an organic part of the country’s economy; it is the most important driving force of the socialist-oriented market economy. Developing the private economy is a breakthrough to activate the pioneering and creative nature of this sector in creating jobs, contributing to growth, being ready to invest in developing new production sectors, improving people’s lives, and contributing to building an increasingly developed country.

Furthermore, developing Viet Nam’s private economy is a strategic orientation to enhance the country’s overall strength and competitiveness, reduce dependence on foreign-invested sectors, and build an independent and autonomous economy in the context of increasingly deep international integration.

On the basis of identifying the private economy as “the most important driving force of the national economy”, Resolution No.68 especially emphasises the need to completely eliminate perceptions, thoughts, concepts, and prejudices about the private economy. Not only stopping at requiring Party committees, authorities, the entire political system, the business community, and people to renew their thinking, have a high level of unity, and consistently perceive the position and role of the private economy, the breakthrough of Resolution No.68 also provides specific groups of solutions, highly feasible with many new points compared to previous resolutions on private economic development, in order to successfully realise the identified goals.

The issuance of Resolution No.68 with its new breakthroughs in both perception and theory on the position and role of the private economy as well as specific tasks and solutions for private economic development is extremely important and necessary; timely in order to remove all barriers and bottlenecks, create the most favourable conditions for the private economic sector to develop rapidly, contributing to the realisation of national development goals in the new era, worthy of being the most important driving force of the economy.

However, since Resolution No.68 was issued and implemented, hostile and reactionary forces have put forward many wrong views related to the contents of the resolution in order to distort the policies and guidelines of the Party and State, causing confusion in social awareness.

The main arguments focus on specific points such as: The private economy only serves personal interests, therefore, promoting the private economy means abandoning socialism; Considering the private economy as the most important driving force of the economy means that the Party is siding with private enterprises, ignoring the rights of workers, creating social inequality; deliberately dividing and opposing to cause conflicts between economic sectors: private, state, FDI enterprises... These are essentially baseless distortions that require timely identification and fight to refute.

First of all, let’s talk about the Party’s determination to remove all barriers and create the most favourable conditions to promote the development of the private economy to become the most important driving force of the economy. This is absolutely not capitalising the economy, abandoning the socialist orientation, because the socialist-oriented market economy in Viet Nam is a multi-sector economy with many forms of ownership (the inevitable economic model of the transition period to socialism has been scientifically demonstrated by Marxism-Leninism).

In order to mobilise and effectively promote all resources in society to promote the country’s rapid and sustainable development, successfully realising the country’s development goals in the new era under the current practical conditions of Viet Nam, Resolution No.68’s determination of the private economy as the most important driving force of the economy is an objective necessity and also a theoretical breakthrough of the Party in building and perfecting the institution for developing a socialist-oriented market economy.

Affirming the role of the private economy does not mean abandoning the leading role of the state economy in leading other economic sectors (including the private economy) in the direction of socialism, linking economic growth with the implementation of progress, social justice and environmental protection. Therefore, there is no such thing as Viet Nam “capitalising” the economy, creating a premise for transforming the political line and abandoning socialism.

Regarding the baseless distortions that promoting the private economy, considering it the most important driving force, means that the Party and the State stand on the side of private enterprises, “favouring entrepreneurs and enterprises”, forgetting the rights of workers, causing social inequality, from reality it can be seen that Resolution No.68 does not “favor” the private economic sector but recognises this sector in accordance with its role, potential and actual contribution to the economy. Creating all conditions for the private economy to develop strongly does not mean encouraging and cheering on private enterprises to get rich at all costs, just for the benefit of entrepreneurs and enterprises.

On the contrary, Resolution No.68 especially promotes business ethics and requires private enterprises and entrepreneurs to strive to rise up, become rich legitimately, contribute to the homeland and country, and bring wealth and prosperity to all classes in society, including workers. Specifically, the Resolution affirms that it is necessary to honour, commend, and reward promptly and appropriately typical and advanced entrepreneurs and enterprises who have the aspiration to build a rich and powerful country, do business effectively and sustainably, fulfil social responsibilities well, and actively participate in community activities.

In particular, the Resolution clearly states that it is necessary to strongly apply digital transformation in inspection, examination and auditing activities for business operations to both ensure an end to the abuse of inspection and examination to harass and cause difficulties for businesses, and promptly detect and strictly handle violations of business laws that infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of workers, consumers and the common interests of the country and the people.

Ultimately, creating all conditions to promote the development of the private economy in the new spirit of Resolution No.68 is not beyond the purpose of solving well the employment and income for millions of workers outside the state sector, mobilising the highest level of internal resources to bring the country steadily forward to socialism in the new era.

Regarding the baseless distortions that Resolution No.68 affirms that the private economy is the most important driving force, that is, it contrasts the private economy with other economic sectors, looks down on and belittles other economic sectors... in essence, it is a plot to sabotage economic sectors, cause division, and destroy the great national unity bloc. Because Resolution No.68 clearly states that the private economy is only the most important driving force of the economy, not the entire driving force of the economy, which also means that, besides the private economy, other economic sectors in the national economy are also important driving forces of the economy.

In particular, one of the tasks and solutions proposed in Resolution No.68 is to “strengthen connections between private enterprises, private enterprises with state-owned enterprises and FDI enterprises” to build business linkage chains according to industry clusters, value chains, and supply chains.

Accordingly, economic sectors must complement and support each other to develop harmoniously and synchronously, taking efficiency, competitiveness and contribution to the cause of national development as the yardstick. This is also the nature of the socialist-oriented market economy model in Viet Nam, where economic sectors coexist, develop equally, cooperate and compete fairly according to the law, without discrimination or opposition...

The plot of hostile forces when trying to distort the Party’s policies and guidelines, steer public opinion, and cause confusion in social awareness is to hinder the implementation of Resolution No.68, hinder the promotion of the private economy to develop to its full potential to create new momentum for the country’s rapid, stable and sustainable development, thereby aiming to undermine people’s trust in the leadership of the Party and the State. Therefore, it is extremely important and necessary to quickly identify false arguments, plots and malicious tricks hidden behind these arguments and promptly and effectively refute them.

All levels and sectors need to strengthen the dissemination of Resolution No.68, especially new points and breakthroughs, so that cadres, party members and people can grasp and understand its true nature. At the same time, it is necessary to quickly and effectively implement and soon put the Resolution into practice, creating achievements in socio-economic development, developing a prosperous and powerful country.