Red River Delta urged to lead national economic restructuring

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urges the Red River Delta to serve as an engine for national development and lead the country’s economic restructuring and growth model transformation, Quang Ninh province, February 12, 2022 - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

The Government chief made the call in Quang Ninh province on Feb. 12 while addressing a conference on the implementation of the Government’s Action Program to realize the Politburo’s Resolution on directions for socio-economic development and defense and security assurance in the Red River Delta to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Important strategic region

The Red River Delta is an important strategic region in terms of politics, economy, culture, society, the environment, defence, security, and sovereignty over sea and islands. 

It is the northern gateway of the country and ASEAN to China - the world's largest market; and is an important bridge in international economic and cultural exchanges.

Over the past years, the Party and State have paid attention to and invested in developing the region, making its economic growth always higher than the national average.

However, the region’s socio-economic development has not been commensurate with its potential, advantages, important position, and role, because the awareness of the role, position and importance is still lacking; policies are not strong enough to make necessary breakthroughs; investment has not met the requirements; and the coordination between ministries, sectors and localities is not close and effective yet.

Therefore, Prime Minister Pham asked relevant ministries, sectors and 11 localities in the region to quickly build specific programs and plans of actions to realize the Politburo’s Resolution and the Government’s Action Plan.

They were requested to focus on perfecting institutions, regional planning and policies on regional linkages; promoting regional economic development and economic restructuring; developing the sea-based economy; improving education and training to raise the quality of human resources; ensuring defense and security; and stepping up the building and rectification of the Party and the political system.

To attract investment, it is necessary to build infrastructure, cut unnecessary administrative procedures, create a more favorable business and investment environment, and promptly organize dialogues to help enterprises address difficulties, added Pham.

On this occasion, a master plan of Quang Ninh province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050 and another of Ha Long city to 2040 were announced.

The participants witnessed the announcement of cooperation and capital financing agreements between the Ministry of Planning and Investment and partners for the development in the Red River Delta with a total capital of about US$2.6 billion; and the hand-over of 30 investment certificates, and memoranda of understanding of provinces and cities in the region and domestic and foreign enterprises and partners with a total capital of more than VND171 trillion ($7.25 billion).

The Red River Delta region comprises Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, Ninh Binh and Quang Ninh.

The action program aims to make the Red River Delta a region with rapid and sustainable development, modern industry and service, and a high-tech, green, organic, and circular agriculture. It is also expected to become a high-quality human resource education and training hub and take the lead in science and technology, innovation, digital economy, and digital society. The region targets an average growth of 9 percent, a GRDP per capita of US$ 11,000, and a poverty reduction rate of 1.5 percentper year in the 2021-2030 period./.