(VOVworld) – A seminar on price and market developments in Vietnam in the first half of the year and predictions for the remainder of the year was held in Hanoi on Thursday.

Economists said that in the first 6 months of the year the Consumer Price Index increased steadily to reach 2.35% and inflation remained under control. Inflation in 2016 is expected to be 4.2%. Doctor Nguyen Ngoc Tien of the Academy of Finance said, however, much remains to be done to keep inflation below 5% this year: “Prices of educational and medical services should be adjusted as a way to keep inflation below 5%. If there are global geopolitical and economic fluctuations, the government should try to stabilize the monetary market to prevent price hikes. Budget overspending should also be cut from now until the end of the year.”

Economists recommended that fiscal policies and budget spending be tightened, inflation controlled, and the macro-economy stabilized.