HANOI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Finance Ministry has urged localities and state-owned enterprises nationwide to take drastic measures to curb inflation and stabilize macro-economy in the remaining months of this year, local newspaper People reported Tuesday.

    The measures include preventing and fighting goods speculation, smuggling and trade fraud, cutting down state regular spending by additional 10 percent, stabilizing charges of electricity running water and bus service, and striving to lower selling prices of such essential items as coal, cement, steel, fertilizer and medicine.

    Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade has set targets of raising export revenues, decreasing trade deficit, and accelerating negotiations on bilateral and multilateral agreements in the remaining months of this year, local newspaper Youth reported Tuesday.

    Vietnam's consumer price index in the first half of this year increased 20.34 percent against the same period last year, according to the country's General Statistics Office.