Planning and building Truong Sa into a socio-economic center, a solid citadel to protect the Fatherland

On the morning of March 13, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh worked with the Standing Committee of Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee on the implementation of socio-economic development tasks, Party building and political system work in 2021, and directions and tasks for 2022.

Also attending the meeting were Minister, Head of the Government Office Tran Van Son, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long, Senior Lieutenant General Pham Hoai Nam, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Secretary of Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Hai Ninh, leaders of ministries, branches and central agencies.

The Prime Minister asked Khanh Hoa to focus more and complete the planning work according to Resolution 09 of the Politburo and the Planning Law. Photo: VGP

On January 28, 2022, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 09-NQ/TW on building and developing Khanh Hoa province to 2030, with a vision to 2045. The working trip and meeting of the Prime Minister and the working delegation aimed to focus on effectively implementing Resolution 09, building the Government's action program and proposing mechanisms and policies to submit to the National Assembly for decision in the spirit of Resolution 09.

Great potential, strengths, and opportunities

According to the report of Khanh Hoa province and opinions at the assessment meeting, in 2021, in the context of many difficulties and challenges, especially the pandemic strongly affecting tourism - service activities, the province's socio-economic situation has achieved some positive results. In the first 2 months of 2022, the situation in many socio-economic fields has changed and improved positively, such as the industrial production index increased by 8.42% over the same period last year; total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue reached 12,888 billion VND, up 8.2%; tourism showed signs of recovery with revenue of 1,100 billion VND, 2.2 times higher than the same period last year.

Currently, the COVID-19 epidemic in Khanh Hoa province has been basically well controlled, the vaccination rate for all age groups according to regulations is high; the number of infected cases and severe cases has decreased sharply, the death rate accounts for only 0.46% compared to the number of infected people, among the few localities with the lowest death rate in the country.

Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Hai Ninh speaks at the meeting. Photo: VGP

Also in 2021, the Party's inspection, supervision and disciplinary work was seriously and focusedly implemented, especially in sensitive areas that are prone to negativity. Internal affairs and anti-corruption work were seriously and resolutely implemented. A number of serious and complicated corruption and economic cases that attracted public attention were investigated, prosecuted, tried publicly, in accordance with the law, creating an educational and deterrent effect.

Opinions at the meeting all assessed Khanh Hoa's great potential, strengths, and opportunities in socio-economic development, especially in terms of geographical conditions, natural resources, historical and cultural traditions, especially the sea and marine resources.

The Spratly Islands have a particularly important strategic position.

Khanh Hoa is located in the center of the South Central coastal provinces, has 3 large bays, a large continental shelf and territorial waters, and the Truong Sa archipelago has a particularly important strategic position in terms of national defense, protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country; is the focal point connecting the Central Highlands with the South Central region, and is the international trade gateway for both the South Central region and the Central Highlands.

The province is located on important road traffic axes of the country, has deep-water seaports, is near bustling international maritime routes, has Cam Ranh international airport with international passenger traffic ranking 3rd in the country... The transport infrastructure system in the region is being invested and completed synchronously (road, railway, sea, aviation).

With a temperate climate, "blue sea, white sand, yellow sunshine", rich and diverse natural landscapes, and gentle people, Khanh Hoa has become a famous tourist destination of regional and international stature.

The report of the province and the delegates focused on analyzing a number of major orientations and breakthroughs for the development of Khanh Hoa in the coming time. In particular, the key political task of the entire provincial political system in 2022 is to proactively coordinate with central ministries and branches to advise the Government to issue an Action Program to implement Resolution 09 of the Politburo and propose the National Assembly to pass a Resolution on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies to develop Khanh Hoa province.

Developing Van Phong Economic Zone towards modernity, ecology, and international standards

In particular, focusing on developing Van Phong Economic Zone, airport urban area in Cam Lam district and Cam Ranh city in the direction of modernity, ecology, international standards; developing high-tech marine farming; completing the work of establishing and organizing the implementation of important plans in the province to submit to the Prime Minister for approval (provincial planning, adjusting the general planning of Nha Trang city and Van Phong Economic Zone).

The province made a number of recommendations and proposals related to planning, development of transport infrastructure, urban areas, energy, ocean technology research, etc. According to Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Hai Ninh, the province prioritizes the appropriate allocation of resources from the local budget and central support budget to lead and attract non-state resources for investment in developing the infrastructure system in the area, including investment projects in the form of public-private partnerships.

Khanh Hoa will learn from the experiences of localities that have succeeded in attracting non-state resources in the form of public-private partnerships; proactively propose to the Government, the Prime Minister and central ministries and branches to assign Khanh Hoa province the authority to implement a number of transport infrastructure projects and other infrastructure projects to ensure quality and progress according to regulations.

The Prime Minister agreed with the concerns and worries of the delegates, such as why the province has such favorable conditions but has not yet developed in a breakthrough manner, not commensurate with its potential and strengths, and needs to think more to clarify this. Photo: VGP

Concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister stated that, in addition to major cities directly under the Central Government, Khanh Hoa is one of the few provinces for which the Politburo issued a separate Resolution on construction and development orientation.

The Prime Minister emphasized that Khanh Hoa has favorable conditions that no other locality in Vietnam has, specifically natural conditions (forests, mountains, seas, islands), socio-economic conditions (all the country's transportation routes pass through here), historical and cultural traditions, intelligent, creative, gentle, patriotic people, rich in revolutionary traditions, resilient and brave in the resistance war against foreign invaders.

The province has great potential for comprehensive, rapid and sustainable development; has conditions for harmonious and reasonable development between economy, society and environment; has conditions to develop into a regional center, a convergence place "the North goes in, the South goes out, the Central Highlands goes down".

The Prime Minister assessed that in 2021, Khanh Hoa made important contributions to the country's overall achievements and results, especially in effective epidemic prevention and control, budget revenue exceeding the target and increasing compared to 2020, achieving and exceeding 13/21 socio-economic targets, agricultural, forestry and fishery production increasing, and doing some economic restructuring. Tourism activities recovered quickly when implementing safe and flexible adaptation, effectively controlling the epidemic. Doing well in poverty reduction. Party building and political system building have made many efforts. In the first two months of the year, all sectors grew, in line with the positive recovery trend across the country.

The Prime Minister agreed with the concerns and worries of the delegates, such as why the province has such favorable conditions but has not yet developed significantly, not commensurate with its potential and strengths, and needs to think more to clarify this. The overcoming of the consequences of problems after inspection and examination is still slow. Disbursement of public investment is still slow. The quality of human resources has not met development requirements. Administrative reform, investment and business environment, and competitiveness are still limited (in 2020, PCI ranked 26/63, PAPI was in the group of 16 provinces with the lowest scores in the country).

Must create new opportunities to attract external resources

Regarding the tasks in 2022 and 2023, the Prime Minister requested to summarize practices, carefully analyze and dissect the shortcomings, limitations and inadequacies, promote the results and draw experiences to better perform the tasks in the coming time.

Overall, the Prime Minister requested that the coming years will have more difficulties and challenges than opportunities and advantages; more difficulties and challenges than the past years in order to fulfill the requirements of rapid and sustainable development, with the impact of external factors that we cannot yet fully anticipate and internal difficulties that have not yet been resolved.

We must determine this to be self-reliant, self-reliant, and prepared to respond to sudden problems; closely follow good forecasts of the situation, come up with appropriate solutions, be steadfast in principled issues, but proactive, flexible, and creative in handling specific issues, adapting to the situation, the Prime Minister said.

Building Truong Sa island district into an economic, cultural and social center at sea of ​​the whole country and a solid fortress to protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. This needs to be done as soon as possible and immediately after the planning, resources must be allocated to implement, first of all, prioritizing resources to build a fishing logistics center,...

The Prime Minister emphasized two approaches in local development. On the one hand, it is necessary to strongly promote the unique potential, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages; on the other hand, it is necessary to create new opportunities to attract external resources from the world for development. In particular, the Prime Minister especially emphasized the orientation of building Khanh Hoa into a global intellectual and innovation center, attracting scientific and technological resources, capital, and international governance.

Along with that, it is necessary to concretize the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and Resolution 09 of the Politburo. Further promote historical and cultural traditions, improve the material and spiritual life of the people. Promote decentralization, decentralization, individualization of personal responsibility, improve the capacity of examination officials, strengthen inspection, supervision and appropriate allocation of resources. Focus on administrative reform, improve the investment and business environment, competitiveness, and satisfaction of people and businesses.

The Prime Minister requested to overcome the weaknesses and limitations that have lasted for many years in land management, environmental protection, and personnel management...; with the problems that have been pointed out according to the results of inspections and checks, it is necessary to develop and propose solutions to seek opinions from competent authorities.

With its strategic position, the province must closely and effectively combine socio-economic development with national defense and security protection. Diversify resource mobilization, promote public-private cooperation with models: Public leadership and private administration; public investment, private management; private investment, public use, be modest, receptive to learning good lessons, good experiences, and effective methods.

The Prime Minister noted the need to focus on investing in training, fostering, improving the capacity, qualifications and mettle of cadres, in the spirit that this is the "key of the key" and investing in human resources is investing in development; building a team of cadres who are dynamic, proactive, creative, adaptable to situations, professional, dedicated, passionate, responsible, and serving the people.

The Prime Minister once again emphasized the need to promote the spirit of self-reliance, not waiting or depending on others, and to develop from one's "hands, mind, horizon, and seaport".

Special attention should be paid to the planning and construction of Truong Sa island district.

Regarding specific tasks, first of all, the Prime Minister requested to focus more and more on planning work according to Resolution 09 of the Politburo and the Law on Planning. Planning must have breakthrough thinking, strategic vision, and be one step ahead, pointing out and promoting the different potentials, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages of fields, regions, and localities; creating new opportunities to attract resources; removing and resolving limitations, weaknesses, conflicts, challenges, and difficulties.

The Prime Minister paid special attention to the planning of building Truong Sa island district into an economic, cultural and social center at sea of ​​the whole country and a solid citadel to protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. This needs to be done as soon as possible and immediately after the planning, resources must be allocated to implement it, first of all, prioritizing resources to build a fishing logistics center here; continuing to mobilize people to participate in socio-economic and cultural development, stabilizing their lives long-term on the island district, in accordance with the guidelines, policies and laws of the Party and State, on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Along with that, the province needs to focus on researching and proposing a number of mechanisms and policies to implement Resolution 09 of the Politburo; develop programs and plans to concretize and immediately deploy the policies, orientations, tasks and solutions stated in the Resolution.

Another task is to effectively control the epidemic, complete vaccination for people as required by the Government, and improve the capacity of preventive medicine and grassroots health care to meet the requirements of epidemic prevention and control in current conditions.

The Prime Minister requested to resolutely review, restructure, and improve the efficiency of public investment, boldly cut unnecessary projects, avoid spreading, dividing, and fragmenting projects that cause prolongation and waste, ensure focus, key points, and concentrate capital on large projects with long-term, widespread impacts. Restructure revenue and expenditure appropriately in the context of limited budget, increase the investment rate for development, especially for strategic infrastructure projects. Regarding tourism development, it is necessary to restructure the tourism market in accordance with developments and the world situation.

Giving specific comments on the province's proposals and recommendations, the Prime Minister once again emphasized the need to promote the spirit of self-reliance, self-reliance, not waiting or relying on others, and to develop from one's "hands, brains, horizons, and seaports"; at the same time, creating new opportunities to attract external resources, especially resources for innovation, science and technology, capital and governance.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh offers incense to commemorate Gac Ma martyrs

Continuing his working trip to Khanh Hoa province, on the afternoon of March 12, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his delegation conducted a field survey in Cam Lam district; offered incense to commemorate heroic martyrs at the Gac Ma Memorial Site and visited and presented gifts to forces of Vietnam People's Navy Region 4.