Building a green, smart and sustainable Vinh city

That was the opinion of the members of the Socio-Economic Advisory Group for the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province at the working session with the People's Committee of Vinh City on the draft summary of 3 years of implementing Decision No. 2468 dated December 29, 2015 of the Prime Minister on approving the Project to develop Vinh City into an economic and cultural center of the North Central region, which took place on the morning of March 26.

Attending the working session were comrades: Truong Dinh Tuyen - former member of the Party Central Committee, former Minister of Trade, former Secretary of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee; Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dinh Thien - former Director of the Vietnam Economic Institute; Ho Xuan Hung - Chairman of the Vietnam General Association of Agriculture and Rural Development, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, former Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee; Dr. Nguyen Sy Dung - former Deputy Head of the National Assembly Office; Tran Ngoc Chinh - Chairman of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association, former Deputy Minister of Construction; and representatives of provincial departments and branches.

Receiving and working with the Advisory Group was comrade Phan Duc Dong - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of Vinh City Party Committee.

Overview of the working session. Photo: Vo Huyen

Economic structure shifting in the right direction

After 3 years of implementing Decision No. 2468 dated December 29, 2015 of the Prime Minister on approving the Project to develop Vinh City into an economic and cultural center of the North Central region by 2020 in the spirit of Resolution No. 26 of the Politburo, the city has achieved a number of positive results in various fields.

The average growth rate in the period 2016 - 2018 reached 8.54%; the added value at current prices increased by 12.31%/year, accounting for 25% of the province's total added value. The average income per capita in 2018 reached 84.5 million VND, 2.23 times higher than the average of the province. The economic structure shifted in a positive direction; the State budget revenue grew quite well, reaching 2,320 billion VND in 2018. The natural population growth rate reached 1.01%; the poverty rate decreased to 0.41%.

Vinh city leaders visit hydroponic vegetable growing model in greenhouse in Nghi Lien commune. Photo: Vo Huyen

The implementation of the tasks of building Vinh City into a regional center in the fields of finance, credit, banking, insurance; trade; tourism; science and technology; information technology; high-tech industry; health; culture; physical education and sports; and education and training has achieved high results. Infrastructure construction and urban beautification have been invested synchronously, thereby contributing to changing the city's appearance.

Comrade Truong Dinh Tuyen said that it is necessary to build Vinh into a place with the best business environment in the province, one of the top localities in the country. Photo: Vo Huyen

Building "Village in the city and city in the village"

At the meeting, members of the Advisory Group and representatives of provincial departments and branches agreed with the draft report on the results after 3 years of implementing Decision 2468 of the Prime Minister. At the same time, they presented viewpoints, approaches and contents that Vinh City needs to supplement and edit in implementing the targets in each field in order to build the city into an economic and cultural center of the North Central region.

Vegetable village on the outskirts of Vinh city. Photo archive

Mr. Ho Xuan Hung - Chairman of the Vietnam General Association of Agriculture and Rural Development emphasized that the city needs to pay attention to planning and building suburban communes according to the criteria of "Village in the city and city in the village", combined with tourism development. Focus on environmental issues, waste treatment, and green trees to create a unique highlight for the city.

Dr. Nguyen Sy Dung - former Deputy Head of the National Assembly Office suggested that Vinh city pay attention to vocational training and entrepreneurship. Photo: Vo Huyen

From another perspective, Mr. Truong Dinh Tuyen, a member of the province's socio-economic advisory group, said that it is necessary to understand correctly the zoning of Vinh City. What factors are there and what factors are not yet present or have not yet formed for Vinh to become the economic and cultural center of the North Central region. The city needs to focus on building Vinh into a place with the best business environment in the province, one of the top localities in the country, a green, smart and sustainable city.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Dinh Thien - former Director of the Vietnam Economic Institute suggested that Vinh City focus on developing urban technical infrastructure and internal traffic within Vinh City, connecting roads, railways, aviation and in the future, Cua Lo Port when Vinh expands its area according to Resolution 26.

Vinh city is beautiful at night. Photo courtesy of Devi Nguyen

Concluding the working session, Comrade Phan Duc Dong - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of Vinh City Party Committee thanked the members of the Advisory Group for their contributions to the draft summary of 3 years of implementing Decision No. 2468 dated December 29, 2015 of the Prime Minister on approving the Project to develop Vinh City into an economic - cultural center of the North Central region.

The Vinh City Party Secretary hopes that in the coming time, members of the advisory group and economic experts will continue to make effective contributions to help the city's leaders direct and manage socio-economic development, building Vinh City into a green, smart and sustainable urban area.