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Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai given state funeral
Ngoc Thuy 10:07, 2018/03/20
The late former PM Phan Van Khai has been given the state funeral, which is taking place today on March 20 at Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh, informed the government.
It will be followed by a memorial service at the hall at 7:30 am on March 22. The burial ceremony is scheduled at 11:00 am the same day in his hometown - Tan Thong Hoi commune, Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh.
 
Khai died at age 85 due to natural cause on March 17. Source: VGP.
Khai died at age 85 due to natural cause on March 17. Source: VGP.
Concurrently, the tribute-paying and memorial ceremonies will take place at the International Convention Center in Ha Noi.

Earlier on Monday, thousands of people from Ho Chi Minh and nearby provinces gathered at the home of the former PM to pay tribute and bid farewell to Khai.

Khai died at age 85 due to natural cause on March 17 at his home in Cu Chi district. He was widely praised for boosting the country's economic development from 1997 - 2006, when he served the two terms as the PM. 

He was born on December 25, 1933 in Cu Chi and joined the country's revolutionary movement at the young age of 14 before becoming a member of the Communist Party at the age of 26.

Before he was elected PM in 1997, Khai was deputy secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, the city's chairman, head of the State Planning Commission (now the Ministry of Planning and Investment), vice chairman of the Council of Ministers, and deputy PM.

In 2002, PM Khai was reelected, but resigned in 2006 one year before his term ended. 

"I am concerned over the bureaucracy, waste, corruption and the theft of public assets. As seen in recent cases of embezzlement, part of the responsibility lies with the investors, but the government and I should also be blamed," Khai said in his resignation speech.

"I hope that my successor will learn from my weaknesses."

The former PM was regarded by many economists as a leader and reformist with a strong determination to integrate with the world market and realize the full potential of the economy, especially the private sector. 

Khai was responsible for submitting the Law on Enterprises in 1999 to the National Assembly (NA), and defended the law before the Politburo and the NA. 

He then set up a working group to implement the law and started by reducing sublicenses, cutting half of them to make things easier for businesses and contributing a significant part in helping the growth of the private sector.

Khai also presented the bill on the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), which was signed in 2001 and became the first Vietnamese leader to visit the US at the invitation of former President George W. Bush in 2005, opening a new chapter for cooperation between the two nations.

In 2014, he was awarded the Gold Star Order, the highest decoration given by the Vietnamese government to a military or civil personnel who made exceptional service for the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.
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