"Wooden fish" will "jump the dragon gate"

(Nghe An Newspaper interviewed comrade Ho Duc Phoc - Provincial Party Secretary)

(Baonghean) - The Year of the Horse has come to an end, Nghe An has achieved great achievements in all fields, creating new momentum and strength for the Party Committee and people of the province to enter the new year of the Goat. Welcoming the New Year, comrade Ho Duc Phoc, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, gave Nghe An Newspaper an interview about solutions and efforts to strive to achieve and exceed the goals of the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress, Resolution 26 - NQ/TW of the Politburo on Nghe An development until 2020.

Provincial leaders welcomed General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to visit Nghe An (April 2014). Photo: Sy Minh

Reporter:Dear Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Ho Duc Phoc, in 2014, our province achieved very important milestones. So, could you please tell us what factors brought about those results?

Comrade Ho Duc Phoc:In 2014, we have achieved tremendous achievements. GDP growth reached 7.24%, budget revenue reached 7,652 billion VND; newly granted investment certificates for 145 projects with capital of more than 43,892 billion VND, many large investors have invested in Nghe An such as Masan Group, Hoa Sen Steel, Visai Cement, Van An Company, Tuan Loc... Food output reached 1.2 million tons, the highest ever. Economic structure shifted in the right direction. Infrastructure had many breakthroughs such as expansion of National Highway 1A, Vinh Airport, overpass system,...

The fields of culture, health, and education have achieved many great achievements, creating many important marks such as the inauguration of a 700-bed hospital, treatment of breast cancer with stem cells, bone marrow transplantation, the number of excellent international and national students entering universities is among the top in the country, 33 new rural communes have met 19/19 criteria, security and national defense have been maintained, the material and spiritual life of the people has been improved. To achieve these achievements, first of all, it is the strength created from solidarity - solidarity in the Standing Committee, the Provincial Party Committee Executive Committee, in the political system and consensus among the people; combined with the aspiration to rise and the will of the entire Party Committee, people, armed forces and business community have created a revolutionary movement in socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security, and building the Party.

The second reason is due to the favorable conditions of Resolution 26 of the Politburo on the direction and tasks of developing Nghe An until 2020, the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress, Resolution XVII of the Provincial Party Executive Committee and the Central mechanisms and policies that have favored Nghe An, especially the attention of the Party, the Government, ministries, branches, and business organizations for Uncle Ho's hometown. The third reason is that we have identified the right goals, followed the right direction, and have creative ways of doing things and given decisive direction. For example, units and localities have actively applied scientific and technological advances in agricultural and industrial production, as well as in health care, education, and state management.

Therefore, we have created high labor productivity, high output value, good quality such as TH true milk, oranges, passion fruit, tea, MDF Factory, Clean Coal Processing Factory,... participating in the common value chain of the whole country and the world. Administrative reform has been implemented drastically and effectively. Especially the effective leadership of the Standing Committee, the Provincial Party Committee Executive Committee for the entire political system and the whole society in promoting production and business, poverty reduction, social security to complete the socio-economic tasks in the recent past.

Reporter:Dear Provincial Party Secretary, besides the achievements, in your opinion, what shortcomings do we still have?

Comrade Ho Duc Phoc:Last year, Nghe An achieved important milestones, but there are still many shortcomings that need to be overcome. However, it is necessary to look at this issue in a positive way, the shortcomings and limitations of the previous year will be lessons learned and solutions to overcome in the following years. Although in 2014, Nghe An made relatively progressive progress, the reality and general development trend require a leap forward, that is, a major breakthrough for the economy. Only then can the goal of Resolution 26 of the Politburo be achieved, that by 2020, Nghe An will become the economic center of the North Central region in 7 fields, becoming the most prosperous province in the Northern region as Uncle Ho wished.

If our economic growth and economic scale reach the same level as in 2014, it will take about 10 more years for our province to balance its budget revenue and expenditure. Last year, our budget revenue was nearly 8,000 billion VND; each year it increases by about 1,000 billion VND, then 10 years later it will reach 18,000 - 19,000 billion VND. Currently, the whole province spends 14,000 billion VND each year and at that stage, budget expenditure may reach the balance of revenue and expenditure. Thus, Nghe An cannot become a fairly good province, the goal of being the most fairly good province will be difficult to achieve. Accordingly, in 2014, the average income per capita only reached 26 million VND (more than 1,200 USD), while the requirement by 2020 is to reach an average income of 3,200 - 3,500 USD/person/year.

With just such a simple calculation, it shows the urgency to focus on building economic pillars, creating major economic breakthroughs, attracting the implementation of large projects, creating momentum for restructuring the economy towards sustainable development; focusing on attracting investment to develop industry, services, tourism, trade and high-tech agriculture associated with processing. Promoting the application of scientific and technical advances, new technologies in the development of agriculture and forestry, mineral exploitation and processing in the Western Nghe An region. At the same time, it requires carrying out a series of solutions, from administrative reform, open policies and mechanisms, human resource training, resource mobilization, building industrial parks, promoting investment in infrastructure such as airports, ports, traffic systems, border gates, and urban areas in the fastest and most effective way.

Reporter:2015 is the last year to implement the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress. So, what are the key tasks we need to carry out, Comrade Secretary?

Comrade Ho Duc Phoc:2015 is the year of the 18th Provincial Party Congress, term 2016 - 2020 and also the pivotal year to carry out a new term with high breakthrough requirements. Currently, the Prime Minister has approved the planning of Vinh Airport to become an international airport; expanded the planning of Vinh City to 2030, vision to 2050; Cua Lo Town to become a coastal tourism urban area, Hoang Mai and Dong Hoi Industrial Parks enjoy policies like the Southeast Economic Zone and are completing procedures for VSIP 6 Industrial Park and many other preferential mechanisms. In 2015, the tasks and solutions at the Provincial People's Council meeting were reported and many mass media have published.

Here I only focus on some breakthrough contents such as: Deploying the construction of berths 5 and 6 of Cua Lo Port so that 30,000-ton ships can enter and exit and speeding up the Vinh urban infrastructure upgrade project so that Vinh City can truly be a driving force for growth; Project to upgrade irrigation in North Nghe An with Japanese JICA capital, construction of Vinh City raw water plant, VSIP 6 Industrial Park, Textile Industrial Park; Do Luong Cement Plant, Tan Thang Cement Plant, 12-9 Cement Plant, Hoang Mai with an output of about 8 million tons/year and many other projects to create a major breakthrough for the economy.

It is necessary to focus on directing the development of economic zones. One is the Western Nghe An region; two is the Vinh - Cua Lo region, the Southeast Economic Zone; three is the Hoang Mai - Dong Hoi region. These are the three major economic breakthroughs of the province. Deploy the construction of a 2,400 MW thermal power plant; complete the MDF factories, clean coal factories, Hoa Sen corrugated iron, Masan Food Factory, etc. that are still under construction; focus on developing the Western Nghe An region, developing enterprises of Nghe An province to create a solid foundation for economic development. That is the premise, the foundation towards the budget revenue target in the next term of about 30,000 billion VND/year. In parallel with creating an economic breakthrough, it is necessary to promote social progress, focus on hunger eradication, poverty reduction, education and culture development, ensuring social security, as well as comprehensive national defense and security. Only by doing so can Nghe An become a model province and the best province in the Northern region.

Reporter:Dear comrade, in your speech to the delegates of the Provincial People's Council at the opening session of the 13th Provincial People's Council, term XVI, you figuratively said that "The wooden fish must become a gift for guests from outside the province, but it is a wooden fish that has passed the dragon gate". So, in order for the "wooden fish" to pass the dragon gate, according to comrade, what solutions should Nghe An implement?

Comrade Ho Duc Phoc:I think that if you want to get rich, you must first have the desire to get rich. So, first of all, we must spread the ideology, awareness and desire to get rich in every Nghe An citizen. Including the 3.2 million Nghe An people living in their homeland and nearly the same number of Nghe An people living in all parts of the country and abroad, we need to have the same desire and will to build Nghe An into a rich and powerful province, a model province as Uncle Ho instructed before he passed away. To do that, it is clear that every citizen, every cadre and party member must be a pioneer, a model locomotive, and Nghe An enterprises shoulder the responsibility of being the pillars and cells of the province's economy, need to rise up to show that they are an important shock force in economic development.

In the coming time, the province will focus on 4 groups of solutions revolving around 4 pillars of the economy. First, building Western Nghe An into a bright spot in economic development by applying scientific and technological advances to this area, linking agriculture with high-tech processing industry to create export value and participate in the global value chain. Second, promoting infrastructure development. Third, continuing to implement administrative reforms, issuing policy mechanisms and proposing to the Central Government to issue preferential policies. Fourth, developing services, tourism and trade. In services, focusing on financial and banking services; human resource training services; medical services and cultural and sports services. These services are to serve tourism development. As for the commercial sector, it is necessary to build key products of the province to participate in global chains and products in the trend of deep international integration. This is a very urgent requirement.

To implement the above solutions, it is necessary to take shortcuts, that is, to apply the latest science and technology in all fields. For example, the TH Group's dairy cow farming project has applied Israeli technology; the MDF wood factory has applied German technology; the clean coal factory has applied the latest German technology to take forest products such as trunks, branches, tree tops, even the ground cover to produce clean coal for export, creating jobs and income for hundreds of thousands of workers. The second is to focus on developing human resources, because in order to industrialize and modernize, it is clear that human resources must meet the needs not only of the North Central region but also of international investors and even of exporting labor to the international labor market at a high level.

Therefore, universities, colleges and vocational schools in the area must strive to have training programs on par with the region and the world. Another issue is to solve the province's labor force in the direction of streamlining and career orientation. Those who do not go to university need to be trained in vocational skills to find jobs early. The province will have a strategy focusing on vocational training, ensuring the supply of human resources for industrial parks and economic groups so that everyone has jobs and income. Regarding the issue of human resource creation, Nghe An has taken highly effective steps.

For example, in 2014, Nghe An province achieved one of the 10 scientific and technological achievements of the country, which was the treatment of breast cancer by stem cell transplantation. This was not done immediately, but there was preparation, 3 years ago we invited experts from the central government to work to help the province (when I was Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee). Or the event of Nghe An's Vi and Giam folk songs being recognized as Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is also the result of the process of accumulation and accumulation of the character and quintessence of Nghe culture. The proof is that in Nghe An there are currently more than 80 folk song clubs with thousands of members participating in activities, including nearly 50 artisans. When the “specialty” of Vi and Giam folk songs has spread and merged into the flow of humanity, it is also the time for each Nghe An resident to determine that they must build a more developed culture, meet the requirements of integration and further, how to make culture truly the goal and driving force for sustainable economic development. Our most precious and proud asset is our people.

Our greatest pride and precious resources are our people and cultural traditions, especially the culture of studiousness, good learning, self-reliance, loyalty, sincerity and honesty. Up to now, some people have thought that the story of the "wooden fish" is to mock the poor, thrifty, stingy but proud Nghe people, but has not exploited the aspect of the intelligent, studious, loyal, honest, self-respecting and brave Nghe scholar. Therefore, building Nghe An to develop and become rich is also to affirm that Nghe people are talented, generous and loyal. Therefore, from 2015, Nghe An must focus on implementing breakthrough solutions, revolving around the four pillars of economic development to create momentum for the next term. This will bring Nghe An's economy to grow rapidly and highly; it is the "golden key" to become the economic center of the North Central region and one of the most prosperous provinces in the Northern region by the end of the term. That was also the time when "Nghe An's wooden fish passed the dragon gate".

Reporter:The Year of the Horse has come to an end, and we are preparing to welcome the New Year of the Goat. What message does the Provincial Party Secretary have for all cadres, party members, and people of the province?

Comrade Ho Duc Phoc:First of all, I would like to send to all cadres, party members, all compatriots and soldiers my deep thanks for your great contributions to the socio-economic development and the maintenance of national defense and security in Nghe An province over the past year. The year 2015 opens up new opportunities and fortunes. I wish the compatriots and soldiers of the province good health, happiness, prosperity and excellent completion of their tasks in their positions, building Nghe An province to become increasingly strong and become a model province, the best province in the Northern region. With the spirit of close solidarity, responsibility, aspiration, tradition of studiousness, culture and revolution, with the efforts of the Party Committee and people of the province, we will certainly overcome all difficulties and achieve comprehensive victory, completing the goals of Resolution 26 issued by the Politburo.

Reporter:Thank you, Provincial Party Secretary!

PV

(Perform)