Nghe An focuses its efforts on achieving double-digit growth.

From planning to plan adjustments: Paving the way for new development spaces.

The 20th Congress of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee set the goal: To strive to make Nghe An a relatively prosperous province in the country by 2030, a national-level growth pole; a center of the North Central region for high-tech applied industry and agriculture, healthcare, education and training, science and technology, trade, logistics, tourism… 2026 is the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 20th Provincial Party Congress, and Nghe An has set a growth target of 10.5-11.5%. According to Mr. Trinh Thanh Hai, Director of the Department of Finance, this growth rate is appropriate because it cannot be set lower than the government's regulations, and setting it higher would also lack the basis for implementation.

However, to achieve that goal, it is necessary to create new growth drivers, expand development opportunities, and remove long-standing bottlenecks. In this regard, planning must be one step ahead and serve as a "runway" for growth; it must also go hand in hand with infrastructure investment, institutional reform, and the unlocking of resources.

For many years, one of the biggest obstacles to growth has been the limited space for development. Many areas have potential but have not been effectively exploited due to planning failing to keep pace with reality, and some projects have revealed shortcomings after implementation. Recognizing this, Nghe An is gradually implementing systematic planning, while also decisively adjusting plans that are no longer suitable for the new context.

The Nghe An Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, has clearly defined economic corridors, growth poles, and strategic development spaces such as the Southeast Economic Zone, the expanded Vinh (old) urban area, the coastal corridor, and new logistics, industrial, and service centers. This is not just a guideline, but a "framework" for allocating resources, attracting investment, and reorganizing the economic space towards modernization. A series of sub-area plans, sectoral plans, and urban plans are currently being reviewed and updated to reflect new realities.

A prime example is the adjustment of the planning on both sides of the Vinh - Cua Lo boulevard. After many years of implementation, the old plan revealed limitations in terms of population size, functional distribution, and spatial connectivity. Meanwhile, the pace of urbanization, industrial development, and the expansion of administrative boundaries have fundamentally changed development needs. Maintaining the old plan would clearly risk a mismatch with reality. Therefore, adjusting the plan is considered an inevitable step.

According to the new plan, the Vinh - Cua Lo boulevard will no longer be just an 11km-long traffic route connecting the city with the sea, but will become a strategic development axis, forming a modern urban-service-tourism chain. Indicators regarding land use, population, technical infrastructure, and social infrastructure are being comprehensively reviewed to ensure feasibility and create room for long-term development. Architectural space is being controlled to create a modern focal point while remaining compatible with the airspace of Vinh Airport.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Tho, Chairman of the Dong Loc Commune People's Committee, said: "Timely implementation of planning adjustments is extremely necessary. Besides that, it is essential to ensure that there are no violations of the existing plan and to guarantee the rights of citizens in land use and ownership."

In the Cua Lo coastal area, the expansion of the planned forest park east of Binh Minh road, covering over 73 hectares, is opening up new development opportunities for the coastal city. This is not only a solution for more efficient utilization of coastal land, but also aims to create high-quality tourism products and enhance the local competitiveness.

In other developments, the completion of the Southeast Economic Zone planning until 2040, with a vision to 2050, is laying the foundation for a large-scale industrial growth pole. This economic zone is expected to become the "engine" driving growth with a series of new industrial parks, large-scale FDI projects, and a modern industrial ecosystem. In communes and wards, planning is being reviewed and adjusted. Looking deeper, the story of planning adjustments in Nghe An shows a significant shift in development thinking: Planning must adapt to rapidly changing realities. The adjustments are not about rejecting the old plan, but about making it better and more suitable for the new context.

However, good planning alone is not a sufficient condition. The need for consistency between different types of planning and avoiding violations of existing plans are bottlenecks that must continue to be addressed in order to become a driving force for double-digit growth.

From strategic infrastructure to addressing development bottlenecks

If planning is the "runway," then infrastructure and resources are the "engine" that propels the economy. The government has clearly identified infrastructure breakthroughs as one of the three most important strategic breakthroughs in its new development strategy. The Prime Minister has emphasized focusing on key projects in road, rail, port, aviation, and energy transport; and simultaneously, adjusting the Power Development Plan VIII to ensure energy security and create a foundation for long-term growth.

For Nghe An province, this need is even more urgent as the province is aiming for much higher growth than in previous periods. In recent years, a series of strategic infrastructure projects have been invested in, such as the North-South expressway, the coastal road, upgrading the logistics system, expanding industrial zones, etc., gradually creating a new development landscape.

To attract high-tech projects, manufacturing industries, or large-scale logistics centers, Nghe An must take the lead in transportation, energy, urban development, and digital infrastructure. Therefore, deep-water seaports and LNG power plants are being actively developed.

Alongside infrastructure investment, another urgent requirement is to thoroughly address the long-standing, stalled projects that are behind schedule – these "blood clots" that waste development resources. Recently, the Standing Committee of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee established a Steering Committee to handle long-standing, stalled, and problematic projects, which is seen as a strong step demonstrating the province's high political determination.

Beyond simply inspecting and reviewing, the Steering Committee assigns tasks according to a mechanism that clearly defines responsibilities, duties, and authority to definitively resolve long-standing bottlenecks, thoroughly address some projects that have dragged on for many years, and create opportunities for truly capable investors to participate in development.

Another important issue raised is unlocking resources through institutional and administrative procedure reforms. According to Nghe An's orientation, in the coming period the province will focus on comprehensively reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of issued resolutions; promptly adjusting, replacing, or abolishing mechanisms and policies that are no longer suitable to reality or lack sufficient resources for implementation.

According to Comrade Duong Dinh Chinh, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, to realize the growth target for the 2026-2030 period, Nghe An province has identified "institutional breakthroughs" as its top priority. The Provincial People's Council will prioritize the timely issuance of resolutions to promote socio-economic development, encourage investment in key sectors, remove bottlenecks and obstacles, and create a transparent legal framework for development. It will create synchronous and sustainable policy mechanisms for the economic pillars: industry, agriculture, services, and marine economy. Simultaneously, it will review and reassess existing plans and the effectiveness of implementing issued resolutions, promptly adjusting, replacing, or abolishing ineffective resolutions to maximize the province's resources. Alongside the issuance of resolutions, the Provincial People's Council will also strengthen its supervisory function and work alongside the Provincial People's Committee in implementing the resolutions.

In addition, the provincial People's Council's oversight activities will focus on areas that have a significant impact on growth, especially the implementation of the goals set forth by the 20th Provincial Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term, thereby promptly identifying shortcomings and proposing solutions.

Nghe An's journey towards achieving double-digit growth not only demands speed, but first and foremost, the quality of its development mindset and organizational capacity for implementation.

The fact that the province ranked second nationwide in attracting investment during the first four months of the year, with a rapid increase in the number of newly established businesses and accelerated infrastructure development, demonstrates the progress towards achieving the set goals. Planning must truly be one step ahead, continuously reviewed and adjusted to suit new realities, creating space and room for growth drivers.