Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Premier)
Vo Van KIET (since 9 August 1991)
_#_Political parties and leaders: only party— Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), Nguyen Van LINH
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
National Assembly—last held 19 April 1987 (next to be held April 1992); results—VCP is the only party; seats—(496 total) VCP or VCP-approved 496
_#_Communists: nearly 2 million
_#_Member of: ACCT, AsDB, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IIB, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
_*Economy #_Overview: This is a centrally planned, developing economy with extensive government ownership and control of productive facilities. The economy is primarily agricultural; the sector employs about 65% of the labor force and accounts for almost half of GNP. Rice is the staple crop; substantial amounts of maize, sorghum, cassava, and sweet potatoes are also grown. The government permits sale of surplus grain on the open market. Most of the mineral resources are located in the north, including coal, which is an important export item. Oil was discovered off the southern coast in 1986 with production reaching 54,000 b/d in 1990 and expected to increase in the years ahead. Following the end of the war in 1975, heavy-handed government measures undermined efforts at an efficient merger of the agricultural resources of the south and the industrial resources of the north. The economy remains heavily dependent on foreign aid and has received assistance from Communist countries, Sweden, and UN agencies. Inflation, although down from recent triple-digit levels, is still a major weakness and is showing signs of accelerating upwards again. Per capita output is among the world's lowest. Since late 1986 the government has sponsored a broad reform program that seeks to turn more economic activity over to the private sector.