Binh Thuan is determined to overcome difficulties and challenges and accelerate development.

Việt Nam•24/01/2024

Laying a solid foundation for the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, Binh Thuan has been determined to overcome difficulties and challenges, accelerate development, and become a strong province in marine economy , energy, and tourism in the coming years. These were the remarks of Comrade Duong Van An - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation - to Binh Thuan Newspaper on the occasion of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon.

Growth in 3 pillars

Comrade Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, looking back at the socio-economic picture over the past year, what are the most impressive aspects?

Comrade Duong Van An - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee: We enter 2023 with the determination to accelerate development to compensate for the first two years of the term being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite many difficulties due to the general situation nationwide and internal issues within the province, we also have advantages. These include the great attention and support from the leaders of the Party and State, and leaders of central ministries and agencies, with their visits, working sessions, and very insightful and comprehensive guidance; the North-South Expressway (Eastern section), specifically the Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet - Dau Giay sections, have been put into use, shortening travel time from Binh Thuan to other localities (especially provinces and cities in the Southern growth region), thus making it an attractive area for large-scale investment projects; Hosting the National Tourism Year with over 100 vibrant, attractive, and innovative activities helped the tourism industry recover quickly and achieve impressive growth.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other leaders attend the inauguration ceremony of the Phan Thiet - Dau Giay expressway. Photo: Dinh Hoa

With the above advantages, coupled with the efforts of the Party committee, government, business community, and people, the province's socio-economic landscape has achieved many impressive results. The Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in 2023 increased by 8.1% compared to 2022, ranking 14th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide and 4th out of 14 localities in the North Central and Central Coastal regions (whereas in 2022, it ranked only 45th out of 63 provinces and cities and 10th out of 14 localities in the region). In the context of the national GDP growth rate at 5.05% and the province's target of 7.0-7.2%, this result exceeded expectations. With a relatively high growth rate in 2022 and 2023, the province's economic scale reached over 100,000 billion VND for the first time. The three sectors identified as the province's economic pillars – industry, tourism, and agriculture – continued to grow well, with tourism experiencing a strong breakthrough. The province welcomed over 8.35 million tourists, an increase of nearly 46%; revenue is estimated at over 22,300 billion VND, placing it among the localities with the highest tourism revenue in the country. A very notable point is that in 2023, the province attracted many large-scale investment projects with a total investment of nearly 200,000 billion VND, including three projects: the Son My LNG Terminal, Son My I Thermal Power Plant, and Son My 2 Thermal Power Plant, with a total registered capital of over 5.27 billion USD (equivalent to 128,400 billion VND). However, this is only the beginning; the province needs to do much more work to ensure these projects are actually disbursed, which will then create impressive economic growth for the province. Despite the government reducing tax rates on several taxes, such as value-added tax and environmental protection tax, and lowering land use fees by up to 30%, resulting in a corresponding decrease in revenue, thanks to concerted efforts and potential for growth, the province's budget revenue reached over 10,000 billion VND, exceeding the set target.

Over the past year, the province has also focused on removing obstacles and resolving inadequacies in socio-economic development. For example, the overlapping of titanium mineral resource planning with other planning schemes has been resolved. More than 28,000 hectares of coastal land, suitable for urban development, tourism, services, and renewable energy, located within the mineral reserve area, have been removed from the reserve planning; nearly 48,000 hectares of the remaining mineral reserve area, previously unsuitable for investment projects, have now been developed on the surface, creating more land available for the province to attract investment. This has been a "bottleneck" in the province's development that it has sought to overcome for many years, and the results have exceeded expectations.

With relatively good economic development, the province's per capita GRDP ranks 4th out of 14 provinces and cities in the North Central and Central Coastal regions. Per capita income increased by 5.1% compared to 2022, and many poor households have escaped poverty. Urban and rural areas continue to be invested in and improved, becoming more beautiful and modern than before. Military and national defense remain strong, and political security and social order are stable.

These results are very positive, providing a foundation and impetus for the province to continue accelerating its development in 2024.

So, what are the areas that the province needs to focus on and make greater efforts to address, Comrade?

Comrade Duong Van An - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee: Despite many efforts, the province still has some limitations such as: Production and business activities of enterprises face many difficulties, the number of enterprises ceasing operations and dissolving is higher than in 2022. Disbursement of public investment capital has not met the plan, and many projects are behind schedule. Land and mineral resource management is not strict, is disorganized, and many complaints and reports in this field are slow to be resolved, causing frustration among the people. Administrative procedure reform has not yielded clear results, and there is still a situation of shirking responsibility, avoiding accountability, and "back and forth" questioning between functional agencies, causing people and businesses to have to travel many times when completing administrative procedures. Industrial development is still small-scale, lacking large factories and high technology. The restructuring of the agricultural sector is still slow, agriculture is not yet modern and sustainable, and added value is not high. The quality of healthcare has not met the needs of the people for examination and treatment. Specifically, there is a shortage of doctors and medical staff in terms of both quantity and qualifications; the infrastructure of hospitals, clinics, and health stations is deteriorating. Cultural, sports, and recreational facilities have not received sufficient investment. Environmental sanitation in urban and rural areas is not yet clean and beautiful; the discharge of wastewater and waste into residential areas, public spaces, along roads, canals, and ponds still occurs in many places, causing unsightly conditions and polluting the living and tourism environments. Resolution No. 15-NQ/TU of the Provincial Party Committee has identified the need to focus on effectively overcoming these shortcomings to create momentum for development in 2024 and subsequent years.

"Bright spots" in Party building work

The Provincial Party Standing Committee launched a widespread political campaign titled "Keeping the Party Member's Oath" at the beginning of 2023. Could you tell us what the greatest effect of this political campaign has been?

Comrade Duong Van An - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee: The Provincial Party Standing Committee's launch of the political campaign "Keeping the Party Member's Oath" is a concrete implementation of Conclusion No. 21-KL/TW of the Central Party Committee on strengthening the building and rectification of the Party and the political system; resolutely preventing, repelling, and strictly handling cadres and Party members who are ideologically and politically corrupt, morally corrupt, and lifestyle-wise degenerate, exhibiting "self-evolution" and "self-transformation," and Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW of the Central Party Committee on strengthening the consolidation and building of grassroots Party organizations and improving the quality of Party members in the new period. Through "revisiting" the oath before the Party flag, the national flag, and the portrait of President Ho Chi Minh; In fulfilling their promises made to the collective, voters, and the people upon appointment or candidacy for positions in Party committees, People's Councils, and Executive Committees of mass organizations, each Party member, especially those holding leadership positions, should reflect on their own performance over the past period. From this, they should identify what they have accomplished, what they have not done well, and what promises they have not yet fulfilled. From this, they should continue to train, cultivate, and strive to fulfill their vows and promises.

The political campaign "Keeping the Party Member's Oath" has initially awakened the sense of responsibility for the people among cadres and Party members in Binh Thuan province. Each time they reflect on the oaths they have sworn before the Party flag, it will give cadres and Party members new motivation to overcome difficulties and successfully complete their assigned tasks; it will also give them more "resistance" to overcome petty temptations, and to constantly cultivate, train, and preserve revolutionary moral qualities.

Overcoming challenges, accelerating development.

The foundation for the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, is solid. Binh Thuan is determined to overcome challenges, continue to make breakthroughs, develop comprehensively, become a strong province in marine economy, energy and tourism, and continuously improve the lives of its people.

Why did the province choose "Enhancing the competitiveness and satisfaction of citizens and businesses" as the theme for 2024?

Comrade Duong Van An - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee: We are aiming to build a development-oriented state, with the people and businesses at the center and as the subjects of service; the state plays a role in creating, leading, and promoting socio-economic development.

This requires the government to innovate its approach to handling issues, starting with administrative reform, improving citizen and business satisfaction, and enhancing competitiveness.

Binh Thuan remains a poor province, with revenue insufficient to cover expenses, relying on support from the central government budget; it lacks significant investment from large corporations and businesses to create a strong impetus for socio-economic development. Meanwhile, the province has considerable potential for development, with numerous new opportunities arising from its land resources, natural resources, the Eastern North-South Expressway, Phan Thiet Airport, Vinh Tan General Port, and approved multi-billion dollar projects. Therefore, the province must create a transparent and favorable investment and business environment to attract investment, boost production and business, and ensure profitability. The Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and the leaders of the Provincial People's Committee agreed that the approach must shift from "waiting" for investors to "requesting" and "receiving" them to actively seeking and inviting them. Only in this way can we attract more large, capable, experienced, reputable, and dedicated investors to the province.

Administrative reform, oriented towards serving the people, both addresses emerging negative aspects and helps people easily access information, carry out procedures, participate in supervision and feedback, and ensures the legitimate rights and interests of the people. Resolution No. 12-NQ/TU of the Provincial Party Committee on some policies and solutions to improve people's lives emphasized the guiding principle: "Ensuring fairness in social welfare, access to public administrative services, healthcare, and improving the spiritual life of the people." Meanwhile, this is a weakness of the province. Indicators such as the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), the Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index), and the Satisfaction Index of People with the Services of State Administrative Agencies (SIPAS) are still in the low group nationwide; only the Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) has shown significant improvement, ranking among the top in the country. The choice of the theme for 2024 as "Enhancing the competitiveness and satisfaction of citizens and businesses" aims to focus on overcoming limitations and weaknesses in this area and improving the aforementioned indicators.

Simultaneously, we will further improve political and ideological education to ensure that officials and civil servants uphold a high sense of discipline and responsibility in their work; using work efficiency and the satisfaction of citizens and businesses as a measure to evaluate the performance of each agency, unit, and individual official and Party member. We will further promote the exemplary role and leadership of heads of agencies and units to guide and inspire subordinates; at the same time, we will research effective mechanisms and solutions to protect dynamic, creative officials who dare to think and act for the common good; and overcome the situation of officials and civil servants avoiding responsibility and shirking work.

Through the theme for 2024, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee hopes that the team of cadres, civil servants, and public employees will strive to work with both responsibility and dedication, with both heart and vision; dare to think, dare to act, dare to take responsibility, and strive to fulfill their duties and responsibilities well, as well as the overall tasks of the province.

Recently, the Prime Minister approved the Binh Thuan Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. What are some of the major orientations in the development vision of Binh Thuan province?

Comrade Duong Van An - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee: The provincial planning for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, is of paramount importance, helping the province to define its vision and development space, opening up new potentials and opportunities to attract investment, and promoting the rapid, strong, and sustainable development of Binh Thuan.

The provincial planning sets out the general goal that by 2030, Binh Thuan will become a dynamic, fast-growing, and sustainable province; strong and prosperous from the sea, with a per capita income higher than the regional and national average; a national and international-level seaside resort tourism center; and one of the country's green energy centers.

These factors form the foundation for Binh Thuan to become an important development hub in the Central Coastal region by 2050, with a strong and sustainable marine economy, a modern economic structure; a center for clean energy, and a national tourism service center.

To achieve that goal, the Provincial Planning document has identified several major directions.

Firstly, in the economic field, the focus will be on strongly developing the processing and manufacturing industries, and the electricity production industry; developing high-tech agriculture, forming concentrated production areas; strongly developing tourism as a key economic sector and building Binh Thuan province into a national and international-level marine tourism and sports center.

The province also prioritizes the development of transportation and logistics services as a key economic sector, aiming to make Binh Thuan one of the logistics hubs in the South Central and Southern Central Highlands regions.

Secondly, in the spatial planning of new development, the principle of "One driving axis - Two connecting axes - Three centers - Three development corridors" will be followed; specifically:

- The main axis is the Northeast-Southwest axis, connected to the Eastern North-South Expressway, the high-speed railway, the national railway, and National Highway 1A.

- The two connecting axes are: tourism linkage, connecting Binh Thuan's coastal tourism with the mountainous and forest tourism of the Central Highlands; and production linkage, connecting the mineral resources, agricultural and forestry products of the Central Highlands with the mineral resources, agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products of Binh Thuan.

- The three centers are the provincial center (Phan Thiet city and its surroundings), the southern center (with La Gi as its core), and the northern center (with Lien Huong as its core).

- The three development corridors include: a development corridor linked to the main driving axis; a coastal corridor; and a development support corridor connecting the western and northwestern areas of the province, aiming to ensure "no one is left behind".

Thirdly, by 2030, the province aims to complete the investment in 10 industrial parks and 38 industrial clusters; focusing on developing key areas of the province such as Phan Thiet city, La Gi town, Tuy Phong district, and industrial parks within the province. Simultaneously, research will be conducted on the formation of a high-tech zone and a coastal economic zone.

Fourth, prioritize investment in several key transportation projects, including: Upgrading and renovating National Highway 28B and National Highway 55; constructing a new Phan Thiet Airport and connecting roads from Phan Thiet Airport to the expressway, national highways, railway stations, and coastal areas north of Phan Thiet city; a coastal road from the north to the south of the province, including bridges at the Ca Ty and Phu Hai river mouths; urban light rail lines connecting the airport with tourist areas and the city center of Phan Thiet; upgrading the Vinh Tan, Phan Thiet, and Phu Quy seaports; constructing a new Son My general port and several yacht marinas. Looking further ahead, the Vinh Hao - Lien Khuong expressway will be constructed; National Highway 1A and National Highway 28 will continue to be upgraded; and a Phan Thiet Airport Logistics Center and a seaport logistics center will be established in Tuy Phong district.

In the near future, the province will organize a conference to announce the Provincial Planning and promote investment so that people and businesses can have a more complete understanding and to introduce the potential and development opportunities to invite investors to the province.

As we welcome the Year of the Dragon 2024, could you please share some words or messages with the officers, soldiers, and people of our province?

Comrade Duong Van An - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee: A new spring is coming, bringing with it new aspirations, faith, and momentum. The opportunities and prospects for development in Binh Thuan are vastly different from before, but there are still many difficulties and challenges. What we need to do is transform difficulties and challenges into driving forces for development, turn disadvantages into "treasures," transform potential into material wealth, and turn opportunities into concrete achievements. This process requires the unity, cooperation, effort, and dedication of all cadres, soldiers, people, and the business community of the province. With effort and determination, we can absolutely increase the scale of the province's economy, enhance competitiveness, improve the province's rankings in the region and nationwide, and fulfill the "orders" of the Party and State leaders, such as: completing Phan Thiet Airport to "open up the skies"; achieving budget self-sufficiency by 2025; It will soon become a major energy center of the country, a national-level marine tourism and sports center; a desirable place to live, an attractive land for investors, a new growth pole in the region, and the people of Binh Thuan will have a richer and happier life.

On the occasion of the New Year 2024 and the Lunar New Year of the Dragon, I respectfully extend my best wishes to all officers, soldiers, the business community, and the people of the province for a new year filled with good health, happiness, peace, and prosperity!

Thank you, Comrade Secretary, and I wish you and your family a happy and prosperous New Year!

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