He said that the most important achievement gained in the nation's economic development last year was that signal progress was made in putting the national economy on a Juche-basis.

The inter-departmental structure of the metal industry was refurbished with the new one. The Juche iron production system was successfully established at major metal plants and new alloy steel production bases sprang up.

Large chemical industrial centres were updated on the basis of the latest science and technology to bring about the mass-production of Juche fiber and Juche fertilizers, signal events.

The coal production capacity increased in the field of coal industry. The construction of hydropower stations was completed to create huge additional generating capacity in the field of power industry. The construction of the Huichon Power Station made unprecedentedly rapid progress, opening a bright prospect for completing it by 2012.

It was another signal success made in the development of the national economy last year that a solid foundation was laid to bring about a radical turn in the development of light industry and the agricultural production.

Spectacular successes were made in the development of science and technology last year and the work to put all sectors of the national economy on a CNC basis made dynamic progress.

Scientists and technicians succeeded in the nuclear fusion, stunning the world. Products based on cutting-edge technology were developed and big progress was made in the development of bio-engineering.

The reporter said that this year the DPRK Cabinet would significantly boost the production of consumer goods and attain the target of grain production without fail and thus bring about a decisive turn in improving the standard of people's living and continue energetically pushing forward the updating of the national economy while forcefully waging the drive for increased production in all economic sectors.

He went on:

The Cabinet will make this year a year in which light industry will advance in full gear and the people will benefit from it and, at the same time, dynamically push ahead with the work to put the production of consumer goods on a modern and scientific basis.

It will focus all efforts on attaining the target of grain production by bringing about signal innovations in farming with the whole party, country and army and all the people involved.

It will thoroughly establish a food production system of agricultural production and stock breeding and that of fruit farming and stock breeding and reenergize the production at the modern stock breeding and fruit production centers in a bid to simultaneously boost the production of livestock products, fruits and grain. It will make sure that a turn is effected in the development of fruit farming, in particular, this year.

The Cabinet will see to it that the material and technical foundation will be consolidated in the fishery domain to conduct deep-sea fishing, small-scale fishing and shallow-sea culture in a big way and put fish farming on a scientific and intensive basis to produce and supply greater quantities of aquatic products and processed fishes and seafood to the people.

It will improve and strengthen the service to the people to fully meet their need and provide better convenience in their lives.

It will decisively increase the production in all sectors of the national economy including the four pilot sectors in an effort to give strong spurs to the ongoing march for a signal improvement in the standard of people's living.

The Cabinet will make sure that the coal production will be radically boosted in the field of coal industry while the coal production capacity will be increased under a long-term plan.

It will see to it that the field of power industry will operate all generating equipment in full capacity while rationally forming a system of transmission and distribution to make the most effective use of the electricity produced.

It will accelerate the building of large-scale hydro and thermal power plants while focusing sustained state efforts on the construction of the Huichon Power Station in a bid to provide a sure guarantee for hitting the target of electricity production.

The Cabinet will make sure that the field of metal industry will consolidate and develop the Juche-oriented iron production system and method. It will see to it that the introduction of heavy duty rails and the modernization of railways will be accelerated and transport capacity boosted in the field of railway transport to satisfactorily ease the strain on transport.

It will make sure that the field of mining industry will keep production going at a high rate and dynamically push forward updating while laying a foundation for ensuring a more satisfactory production and supply of nonferrous metal products under a long-term plan.

The field of machine-building industry will energetically step up the work to put machine plants on a CNC basis, ensure a satisfactory production and supply of generating equipment and machines and equipment necessary for the modernization of the national economy. The field of electronics industry will boost the production of varieties of electronic elements and products and the IT field would contribute to putting the national economy on an IT basis.

The field of construction will dynamically push forward the construction of important projects including the Hungnam gasification project, Tanchon Port, the sacred site of Thaekwon-Do and the building of 100,000 flats in Pyongyang so as to complete them at the earliest possible date.

The fields of land administration and urban management will radically change the appearance of the country as befitting a thriving nation and provide better living conditions and environment to the people.

The field of scientific research will radically develop such core basic technologies and cutting-edge science and technology including IT and bio-engineering and satisfactorily settle scientific and technological issues arising in building an economic power.

The Cabinet will see to it that foreign trade will be diverse and multi-faceted to decisively increase the volume of export.

The Cabinet will conduct a positive work for making an effective use of levers for economic and technological cooperation in the direction of consolidating the foundation of the DPRK's socialist self-supporting economy.

It will make sustained great efforts for the provision of materials needed for boosting the combat capability of the People's Army and the defence capability of the country in every way and the development of the field of socialist cultural construction.

The reporter called on everybody to work hard to emerge honorable victors in the general offensive this year to significantly greet the centenary of birth of President Kim Il Sung, united close around the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea headed by General Secreatry Kim Jong Il.