Statistics from the General Statistics Office of Việt Nam (GSO) showed that the mining industry has posted a record slump since 2011, with the growth rate dropping by 7.1 per cent in 2017 and 4 per cent in 2016. — VNA/VNS Photo

Viet Nam Newsby Võ Trí Thành*

Statistics from the General Statistics Office of Việt Nam (GSO) showed that the mining industry has posted a record slump since 2011, with the growth rate dropping by 7.1 per cent in 2017 and 4 per cent in 2016.

This could be a small disappointment amid lots of bright spots in the country’s wider socio-economic picture last year. But this could also lead to an alarming conclusion – the mining industry will be unable to return to growth, and so the growth pattern must be transformed.

The GSO attributed the slump to the plummet in crude oil and coal exploitation. This consequence is directly related to Việt Nam’s past development strategy, when the mining industry still occupied an important position. Tiếp tục đọc “Mine declines: Good news for sustainability in Vietnam” →