A teleconference was held on July 15 to review the activities of the State Bank of Vietnam in the first half and launch its tasks for the remainder of this year. In the first half, the bank has carried out the monetary policy in a timely, flexible and effective manner, contributing to controlling inflation and stabilizing macro-economy. However, there were still issues that need to be addressed in the time ahead, including rather high lending interest rates, and risks from bad debts, among others. Speaking at the conference, PM Chinh ordered prioritizing capital for production and trade to fuel growth in tandem with stabilizing macro-economy, controlling inflation and Government and public debts, while ensuring major balances of the economy. Capital should be geared toward priority areas and growth driving forces, while loan interest rates must be cut to facilitate citizens and businesses’ access to credit, he added./.