Unite, create breakthroughs, bring Nghe An to develop quickly and sustainably

Ho Duc Phuc- Secretary of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee

(Baonghean) - The Party Committee and people of Nghe An are very happy, excited and honored when the Politburo issued Resolution No. 26 - NQ/TU on the direction and tasks for the development of Nghe An province until 2020. The issuance of the document demonstrates the special attention of the Politburo to Nghe An, because this is the first time the Politburo has issued a specialized Resolution on a province, which is a great opportunity for Nghe An province to break through and develop. To successfully implement Resolution 26 - NQ/TU of the Politburo, it requires the Party Committee and people of all ethnic groups in the province to unite, effectively promote potential and advantages, mobilize resources, strive and overcome challenges, create breakthroughs and win.

Identify potential and advantages from resources

Nghe An is a province located in the North Central region with the largest area in the country with nearly 16,500 km2, with the longest border with the Lao People's Democratic Republic in the country (419 km), with 4 border gates, of which Nam Can International Border Gate, Thanh Thuy Border Gate are completing procedures to become international border gates, 2 secondary border gates Cao Veu and Thong Thu connecting with trans-Asian routes from Myanmar, Thailand, Laos to Cua Lo Port are creating a huge trading potential for development. The relatively good, synchronous and modern infrastructure system such as the system of 6 national highways running through, railway, National Highway 1A, Ho Chi Minh Road and other routes are creating favorable conditions for Nghe An to connect with regions for development.

Nghe An's seaport system includes Cua Lo International Port which is being dredged to accommodate 20,000-ton ships entering and exiting conveniently, Cua Lo Deepwater Port has been planned with a capacity of 20 million tons/year, allowing ships of over 50,000 tons to enter and exit, and in the North, Dong Hoi Specialized Transport Port is being built, creating a connection between Nghe An via sea with regions in the country and other countries. Vinh Airport has 6 flight routes, in 2013 it transported more than 1 million passengers, achieving a growth rate of 44% - the highest growth rate in the domestic passenger transport airport system in the country, currently being planned to become an international airport, creating favorable conditions to promote investment attraction and trade with regions and countries around the world. Nghe An's urban system is quite developed, including Vinh City, a type I urban area, under construction to become the North Central region's regional center in a number of fields, and together with Cua Lo tourist town, Hoang Mai industrial urban area and Thai Hoa urban area, forming a framework to create a driving force for the province's economic development. A huge resource that needs to be aroused and effectively promoted is human resources. Nghe An people have a tradition of diligence, studiousness, good learning, high will to strive, revolutionary spirit, and love for the homeland and country that has been inherited through generations. That is proven by the excellent student achievements that are always in the top position in the country, gradually forming a training center for the North Central region with 5 universities, 9 colleges and hundreds of vocational training centers capable of training 900,000 students/year, along with an abundant human resource of more than 1.8 million workers, which is an extremely important human resource for Nghe An's development. The tourism economy is also creating a strong driving force for development by exploiting and effectively using the advantages of the beautiful Cua Lo beach, with 107 years of tourism history, together with Mat Island, Ngu Island connecting with the Kim Lien relic site, Uncle Ho's hometown and other historical and cultural sites, scenic spots, and historical and cultural relics to form a series of destinations on the journey to Nghe An, the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh. The strengths of the West that need to be promoted are Pu Mat National Park with an area of ​​93,523 hectares, Pu Huong with an area of ​​41,127 hectares and Pu Hoat with 34,723 hectares, becoming the largest biosphere reserve in Southeast Asia with many rare species of animals and plants. Nghe An's forest resources are large with an area of ​​over 883,523 hectares, with many precious woods such as ironwood, sen, clove, chestnut,... and large planted forests are valuable raw materials for developing the export forestry processing industry, such as exported solid wood products, MD wood products... The large land potential and good soil are a prospect to create abundant raw materials to help develop the food, food and medicinal processing industry. In addition, with rich and diverse mineral resources such as gemstones, gold, tin, manganese, various types of stone... especially white stone and tin, which have rapidly developed into a concentrated processing industry; very large limestone reserves allow Nghe An to develop the cement industry with a capacity of 12 million tons/year... It can be said that with existing potentials, appropriate policy mechanisms, advanced technology, correct development strategies and solidarity, consensus and efforts of the whole province, Nghe An will certainly develop.

Overcome challenges, seize opportunities

More than 10 years ago (June 2003), the 9th Politburo issued Conclusion No. 20, setting out policies and orientations for socio-economic development of Nghe An province. Implementing the Conclusion, the province's socio-economic development has had strong developments and shifts. Nghe An has formed 3 key economic regions, 1 economic zone and 8 industrial parks. Vinh city has developed into a type 1 urban area, Cua Lo town has been recognized as a type 3 urban area, and 2 towns have been established: Thai Hoa and Hoang Mai. Western Nghe An has had a clear change in socio-economics; people's lives have been gradually improved, education has developed strongly. Many areas have developed at a high speed, including some areas that are on the way to becoming leading positions in the region such as: trade - tourism; finance and banking; science and technology; health - education; culture and sports; high-tech agriculture...

Comrade Ho Duc Phoc congratulated foreign investors coming to Nghe An. Photo: Sy Minh

However, compared to the requirements for a province with an important geographical and strategic location, with many potentials and advantages, it has not yet been achieved. We are facing challenges and weaknesses that need to be overcome, namely: low economic growth, slow and unsustainable structural transformation; low quality, efficiency, and competitiveness, not commensurate with the potential, opportunities and development requirements of the province. Some targets have not yet reached the set targets such as: The average growth rate in the period 2006-2010 only reached 9.75%/target 12-13%; the average in 2011-2012 only reached 8.18%.

The revenue structure and revenue-expenditure balance are not stable, the proportion of industry - construction increases slowly; some key points and breakthroughs in economic development are lower than the target, such as: cement, mineral exploitation and processing industry, high-tech industry... Management of planning, land, environment and mineral activities still has many shortcomings; the efficiency of mineral exploitation and processing is still low. Although there have been many efforts in attracting investment and developing enterprises, the results have not been commensurate with the potential. Attracting foreign investment is still limited; there are not many large projects with breakthrough characteristics in the economic development of the province.

Most of Nghe An enterprises are small in scale, have little capital, outdated technology but are slow to invest in innovation, have an unreasonable industry structure, weak corporate governance capacity, production capacity is not competitive enough and most of the goods do not have a brand. The proportion of the agricultural sector is still high in the economic structure of the province and regional linkages are not tight. Although the economy of the Western region is large, its production capacity is still limited, with a large gap compared to the lowlands (in 2010, the output value of the mountainous region was 12,543 billion VND, only 30.28%; while the lowlands was 28,884 billion VND, equivalent to 69.72%). The poverty rate is still high, in 2012 according to current standards it was 15.61%. Solving employment for workers is still difficult (the overall unemployment rate in 2012 was 5.5%).

Comrade Ho Duc Phoc visits a tin enterprise in Quy Hop district. Photo: Sy Minh

Faced with such challenges, Resolution 26-NQ/TU dated July 30, 2013 of the Politburo on the direction and tasks of developing Nghe An until 2020 shows the special concern of the Politburo for the beloved homeland of Uncle Ho. This is an opportunity, a chance with strategic directions for Nghe An to make efforts, unite, arouse and maximize resources, take advantage of the support of the Central Government, build an open mechanism to break through and develop strongly.

Breakthrough solutions

The objectives of Resolution No. 26 - NQ/TU of the Politburo clearly stated: Striving to build Nghe An into a fairly developed province in the Northern region by 2015, creating momentum to become an industrial province by 2020. Building Nghe An into a center of finance, trade, tourism, services, education - training, science and technology, health, culture, sports and high-tech industry of the North Central region. Building a synchronous and modern infrastructure system, improving the material, cultural and spiritual life of the people, building an advanced culture imbued with the cultural identity of Nghe An. Building and consolidating strong national defense, maintaining political security, ensuring social order and safety. Improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of the Party organization, building a strong political system.

To effectively implement Resolution 26 - NQ/TU, the Provincial Party Standing Committee issued Action Program No. 24 dated October 8, 2013, including 20 major programs and projects and is organizing and implementing them, including a number of very large, central and key contents such as: the project to develop the socio-economic region of Western Nghe An by 2020; developing Vinh City into the economic and cultural center of the North Central region from now until 2020; building the Southeast Economic Zone into a key economic zone and policy mechanisms to develop the Hoang Mai - Dong Hoi Industrial Park like the Nghi Son Economic Zone; developing Nghe An into the information technology center of the North Central region; the project to build key infrastructure in Nghe An province by 2020;... and a number of other important projects.

First of all, in 2014, we need to focus on four main areas to create economic breakthroughs and create a foundation to promote sustainable development in other areas:

- Mobilize all resources to invest in essential infrastructure works to serve development such as: upgrading Vinh airport terminal according to the plan to ensure the scale of transporting 3 million passengers/year, with the extension of the runway, construction of airport infrastructure and opening a number of international flights; dredging Cua Lo port to allow 20,000-ton ships to enter and exit and build berths 5 and 6; implementing the construction of Dong Hoi port and attracting investment to deploy a deep-water port; constructing Thanh Thuy international border gate; focusing on expanding and upgrading key road traffic routes: National Highway 1A, National Highway 15A, National Highway 7A; Western Nghe An road; Tan Ky road - deep-water port; Thai Hoa - Nghia Dan - Hoang Mai road; Vinh - Cua Lo boulevard; coastal road; 3 railway overpasses for a smooth traffic system: National Highway 46 overpass at Cua Nam, Yen Ly overpass and Quan Banh overpass; Started the ODA project to upgrade the Northern irrigation system with a total capital of 5,700 billion; accelerated the progress of the ODA project to upgrade Vinh urban area and several other projects.

- Focus on attracting investment in 7 areas where Nghe An has identified advantages and 3 key economic zones including Vinh City and surrounding areas; Hoang Mai - Dong Hoi area and Western Nghe An area. In particular, promote investment attraction in the field of industry and high-tech agriculture with large breakthrough projects that change the economic structure of the province. Aim to invite strong domestic and foreign economic groups to continue investing in Nghe An such as: Samsung Group, Kobeco, LG, Hyundai... and domestic groups such as Becamex Group, Nguyen Kim, FPT, Hoa Sen, Muong Thanh, TH true milk, National Oil and Gas Group, Cement Industry Corporation... and large credit institutions such as BIDV Bank, Foreign Trade Bank, Industry and Trade Bank, Agriculture Bank, HDBank... to ensure the need for investment capital for development and other economic groups.

- Concentrate on effectively implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction associated with hunger eradication and poverty reduction with many good and creative methods, mobilizing social resources and promoting democracy and solidarity among the people, striving to reduce poverty to 8% in 2014.

- Focus on administrative reform, build open and correct policies and mechanisms for development; strengthen human resource training, focus on high-quality human resources; focus on building a strong Party, well implement Resolution No. 4 of the Central Committee "Some urgent issues on Party building at present", things that need to be done immediately after the review in conjunction with promoting the implementation of Directive 03-CT/TU "Promoting studying and following the moral example of Ho Chi Minh"; build and consolidate high solidarity and unanimity, create consensus among the people and maintain national defense and security.

Successfully implementing Resolution 26 is the aspiration of the Party Committee and people of Nghe An. The leaders and people of all ethnic groups in the province have identified their responsibility to unite and strive for the development of their homeland. The process of implementing that high political determination requires support and assistance from the Central Government and localities nationwide to demonstrate their affection and responsibility for their homeland and respect for beloved President Ho Chi Minh./.