Nghe An: Prospects of the West

The Western part of Nghe An province has a total natural area of ​​13,728.97 km², accounting for 83.36% of the province's total area. This is an area with 11 district-level administrative units and 217 commune-level administrative units, with 27 border communes with 419 km of border with Laos; there is 1 international border gate (Nam Can, Ky Son district), 1 national border gate (Thanh Thuy, Thanh Chuong district) and 3 secondary border gates (Tam Hop, Tuong Duong district; Thong Thu, Que Phong district and Cao Veu, Anh Son district). The population of the whole region is about 1,136,383 people, accounting for 36.6% of the province's total population, of which about 38.9% are ethnic minorities.

District-level administrative units in Western Nghe An. Photo: maps.google

This is a particularly important strategic area in terms of socio-economics, national defense, security and foreign affairs of Nghe An province, the North Central region as well as the whole country. Therefore, the Provincial People's Committee has developed a Project on socio-economic development of the Western region of Nghe An province until 2020 and has been approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 2355/QD-TTg dated December 4, 2013 (Referred to as Decision No. 2355/QD-TTg). Decision No. 2355/QD-TTg also contributes to the implementation of Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW of the Politburo on the direction and tasks of developing Nghe An province until 2020.

The objective of Decision No. 2355/QD-TTg is to “Reasonably and effectively exploit the potentials and strengths of agricultural, forestry, hydroelectricity, mining, tourism and border gate economic development to maintain the economic growth rate of the Western Nghe An province higher than the economic growth rate of the province; significantly and synchronously improve the infrastructure system to meet the requirements of economic development, people's livelihood and ensure national defense and security; improve the material and spiritual life of the people, especially the people in ethnic minority areas, remote areas, border areas; link socio-economic development with environmental protection, ensure national defense, security and political stability, ...”.

Decision No. 2355/QD-TTg sets out 27 main economic, social and environmental targets for each period, including 4 targets on economic development, 18 targets on cultural and social development, and 5 targets on environmental protection.

Top to bottom, left to right: Bong Khe Bridge (Con Cuong) and the road to Pu Mat Nature Reserve; View of Muong Long Commune (Ky Son), Chau Tien Commune (Quy Chau) and Hua Na Village (Que Phong). Photo: Sach Nguyen

Economically

- The average growth rate in the 2014-2018 period in the Western Nghe An region is estimated at 8.5%, higher than the average growth rate of the whole province (the average growth rate of the province in this period is 7.59%).

Average income per capita in 2018 is estimated at 26.5 million VND, 1.53 times higher than in 2013 (equal to 70% of the province's average per capita).

- Economic structure shifts in the right direction, reducing the proportion of agriculture and increasing the proportion of non-agricultural sectors.

- Average revenue growth rate in the period 2013 - 2015 reached 28.8%(During this period, local budget revenue increased rapidly due to the completion and operation of many factories in the processing industry and hydropower);In the period 2016 - 2018, the average annual revenue increase is estimated at 6.5%.(During this period, local budget revenue increased at a small rate, due to some new projects being put into operation but not yet operating at full capacity; some other hydropower and agricultural and forestry product processing projects are expected to be completed and put into operation in 2019, 2020 and the following years).

People in Western Nghe An develop agricultural economy.

Agriculture has developed quite comprehensively, forming a number of concentrated, large-scale raw material production areas (sugarcane, tea, rubber, oranges, wood processing raw materials, etc.) serving processing and export; large-scale concentrated livestock farming, applying high technology associated with the development of the processing industry (dairy cows, beef cattle, pigs, etc.) has been formed and continues to develop. Industry has developed quite rapidly, with many hydroelectric plants, mineral exploitation and processing, agricultural and forestry processing plants completed and put into operation, creating momentum for economic restructuring and development. Trade and services have been expanded, better meeting the needs of life and production.

Total social investment capital has increased rapidly, with an average of about 11%/year. Attracting investment capital in the area is quite good, currently there are about 163 projects with 64,100 billion VND of registered investment capital in the Western Nghe An region, most of the investment projects are in the fields of mining, mineral processing, hydropower, construction materials production, agricultural and forestry processing, afforestation...

Hua Na Hydroelectric Plant (Que Phong). Photo courtesy

A number of important production projects, creating new capacity, have been completed and put into operation since Decision 2355 was issued: TH Food Chain Joint Stock Company's milk processing factory, Nghia Dan wood processing factory, Anh Son tapioca starch processing factory; factories processing white stone, sawn stone, and paving stone in Tan Ky, Quy Hop, Nghia Dan; 7 hydropower plants with a total capacity of 638.5 MW have generated electricity; a number of projects are being invested in such as: The project of preserving and developing medicinal herbs associated with sustainable forest development of TH Medicinal Herbs Joint Stock Company; Masan Nutri - Farm Nghe An high-tech pig farm project in Quy Hop district of Masan Group; MDF production in Anh Son district; fruit processing in Nghia Dan; 11 hydropower projects with a total capacity of 174.4 MW;....

On socio-cultural development, science - technology and environmental resources

Bamboo dancing at Hang Bua Festival. Photo: Sach Nguyen

By 2015, 15 targets were achieved and exceeded, 3 targets were not achieved (Proportion of communes with roads to the commune center that can be used by car in all 4 seasons; number of university pharmacists/10,000 people; proportion of communes, wards and towns with standard cultural, information and sports facilities). It is expected that by 2020, 18/18 targets in the cultural and social field will have reached and exceeded the set targets, of which 15 targets will have many favorable conditions to achieve and exceed, 3 targets need more attention and have solutions to achieve (Proportion of communes with roads to the commune center that can be used by car in all 4 seasons; number of university pharmacists/10,000 people; proportion of communes, wards and towns with standard cultural, information and sports facilities).

Sports festival of Linh Son commune (Anh Son). Photo: Document

The management and protection of resources, especially forests, water resources and mineral resources, have been strengthened; exploitation and use have become increasingly effective. Awareness of all levels of cadres and people about environmental protection has been raised. Therefore, by 2015, 5/5 targets were achieved; it is expected that by 2020, 5/5 targets will be achieved and exceeded.

Building economic and social infrastructure

Identified as a key area in terms of socio-economics, national defense and security of Nghe An and the North Central region, the results of implementing the goals, targets and tasks of socio-economic development here are not commensurate with the potential and strengths of the region. It is forecasted that 4/27 important targets in Decision No. 2355/QD-TTg will be difficult to achieve the set targets by 2020 (targets on growth; economic structure; average income per capita; budget revenue); have not created fundamental changes, important breakthroughs for the rapid and sustainable development of the Region.

The economic scale is still small, and efficiency is not high. The quality of planning and planning management is still weak, especially in construction, land, and mineral exploitation. Investment attraction is still limited, especially FDI projects. Socio-economic infrastructure does not meet requirements, and many projects are slow to implement.

The quality of human resources is not high. The facilities for medical examination and treatment do not meet the requirements. The effective application of science and technology is still limited and has not been widely deployed. Environmental pollution in some places has not been thoroughly treated. The stabilization of people's lives and production after resettlement of hydroelectric and irrigation projects and areas with environmental pollution in livestock farms still has many potential complications. The work of migration and resettlement in areas at high risk of natural disasters is facing difficulties due to limited investment capital.

The lives of the people of Bung village at the headwaters of Khe Khang, in the core area of ​​Pu Mat National Park (Con Cuong) are still full of difficulties and hardships.

Although the poverty rate has reduced to meet the set target, it is still high (twice the provincial average) and not really stable; there are still many near-poor households.

Crime, especially drug crimes, human trafficking, illegal proselytizing, and uncontrolled illegal immigration across borders, is still complicated; illegal exploitation of forest products and minerals still occurs; social evils and some backward customs and practices have not been completely eliminated. Political security and social order and safety still contain many complex factors. The operational capacity of the political system is still limited.