General Secretary To Lam has called for greater thrift and efforts at fighting waste in Vietnam, in a wide-ranging article published Sunday.
The call was framed in traditional Party ideology, drawing heavily on the teachings and legacy of President Ho Chi Minh.
This, however, comes amid a push to grow Vietnam’s economy through domestic consumption.
That is to say, the emphasis on frugality and restraint runs counter to current policy goals that encourage spending, private sector investment, and entrepreneurial risk-taking.
This then raises questions about how these goals will be balanced moving forward or, as the case may be, which policy might win out.