Most local enterprises are optimistic about production and business in the second half of this year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).— Photo cafef.vn

About 55.4 per cent of local enterprises expected the production volume to increase by this year-end while 9 per cent said production volume would be reduced. Around 35 per cent predicted stability in production.

With regard to production orders, 48.5 per cent of them expected orders to increase while 9.5 per cent of them estimated they would reduce. About 42 per cent of them said export orders would increase.

The office said 48 per cent of local businesses expected the processing and manufacturing industry to improve, while 44 per cent thought production orders in the third quarter would increase against the second quarter.

Meanwhile, 55.6 per cent of firms surveyed predicted their inventory of products would stabilise by the end of this quarter and 14.7 per cent hoped their inventory would be reduced.

The office also reported the total retail sales and services and consumption revenue in the first six months of this year gained a year-on-year increase of 9.5 per cent to VND1,720 trillion.

Excluding inflation, this marked an increase of 7.5 per cent, lower than the 8.8 per cent increase in the same period last year, according to the GSO.

In the first six months, retail sale revenues reached VND 1,310 trillion, 9.8 per cent higher than the same period last year, accounting for 76.2 per cent of the total.

Provinces and cities that achieved high growth rate in retail sale revenues included Binh Duong, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, and Khanh Hoa, in addition to Quang Nam, An Giang, Bac Giang and Hai Phong. — VNS