General Secretary: Hanoi must fundamentally change its mindset with the spirit of 'saying what it means and doing what it says'.
General Secretary To Lam instructed that a radical shift in thinking is necessary, guided by a new spirit: "Hanoi says it and does it - does it quickly, does it correctly, does it effectively, and does it to the end."
Speaking at the opening session of the 18th Congress of the Hanoi Party Committee on the morning of October 16th, General Secretary To Lam noted that the appearance of the capital city has undergone many significant changes during the past term; developing in a modern, smart, green, and sustainable direction with a series of key projects completed and put into use.
The capital's economy continues to maintain a growth rate higher than the national average, with an expanding economic scale and nearly double the budget revenue compared to the previous term; significant progress has been made in the fields of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
Besides the achievements, the General Secretary also frankly pointed out five groups of limitations and weaknesses that the congress needs to seriously acknowledge.
Accordingly, the quality of growth and labor productivity are still not commensurate with the potential, advantages, and special mechanisms that the Central Government has allocated to Hanoi; science, technology, and innovation are still limited; infrastructure has not kept pace with the speed of development; planning, land, construction, and urban management are still inadequate, leading to prolonged traffic congestion, flooding, and environmental pollution; and the development of a cultured, elegant, and civilized lifestyle for Hanoians has not yet met expectations...
Notably, the General Secretary stated that some officials still harbor a fear of making mistakes and taking responsibility; they lack the courage to think, act, and take responsibility; and some even exhibit negative behaviors such as corruption and wastefulness, slowing down the progress of the capital city.
The General Secretary suggested that the congress conduct a thorough analysis of the causes of existing shortcomings and weaknesses, thereby clearly identifying solutions to overcome them and setting appropriate action directions for the next term, so that Hanoi can develop rapidly and sustainably, commensurate with its status as the thousand-year-old capital of culture.
He emphasized: "Facing the truth and being determined to change are essential conditions if we want to break through."
The General Secretary requested that the Hanoi Party Committee be a model of exemplary political acumen, revolutionary ethics, leadership capacity, and fighting spirit; and that it must build a team of cadres who are "both politically sound and professionally competent," possessing innovative thinking, daring to think, daring to act, and daring to take responsibility for the common good.
"We must radically change our mindset with a new spirit: Hanoi says what it does and does what it says - doing it quickly, doing it correctly, doing it effectively, and doing it to the end," the General Secretary emphasized.
The General Secretary also requested the city to strengthen inspection and supervision, strictly handle violations, and at the same time protect and encourage those who dare to innovate and make breakthroughs for the benefit of the people and the development of the capital.
Transportation infrastructure must be developed ahead of other sectors.
According to General Secretary To Lam, Hanoi is facing the challenges of a megacity: rapid population growth, overloaded infrastructure, traffic congestion, environmental pollution, overlapping planning, and a cumbersome administrative apparatus.
To address this, the capital city needs a new governance model – one that is integrated, modern, efficient, based on digital transformation, open data, and citizen participation.
Specifically, Hanoi needs to accelerate the pilot implementation of a two-tiered urban government model, streamline administrative structures, reduce intermediate levels, and enhance the autonomy and accountability of local authorities.
The capital city must build a digital administration, e-government, and smart city – where citizens can monitor, provide feedback, and collaborate with the government in all management activities.
Furthermore, the capital city needs to shift from a unipolar, concentrated model to a multipolar, multi-centered model; developing harmoniously between the historical inner city and satellite cities and suburban areas, ensuring a balance in development space.
Transportation, water supply and drainage, energy, healthcare, and education infrastructure must be developed ahead of time, planned systematically and comprehensively, and connected to the Capital Region and neighboring provinces.
The General Secretary emphasized: "Developing the capital city is not only for the economy but, first and foremost, for the people." Hanoi must become a humane, happy, equitable, and civilized city – where people live in a clean and safe environment, fully enjoying cultural, educational, creative, and entrepreneurial values. Because "people are the starting point and also the destination of all development strategies."
