“Golden key” to awakening regional potential

According to economic experts, the region's biggest bottleneck lies not in its potential but in its connecting infrastructure and the lack of a synchronous master plan.

Connecting infrastructure is one of the bottlenecks that limit the development of regional connectivity. Photo: Khieu Minh

As a strategic area, rich in potential for natural resources, endemic agricultural products, indigenous culture and tourism , the development of the northern midland and mountainous region (NMR) is still not commensurate. The fragmentation and isolation in planning and development make it difficult for localities to "single-handedly" create a breakthrough. In that context, strong regional linkage thinking is considered the "golden key" to solving this problem.

Removing bottlenecks from a cross-regional perspective

Key expressways such as Bac Giang - Lang Son, Hanoi - Ha Giang ... are gradually being completed, creating new traffic arteries. However, the connecting infrastructure in the region still faces many difficulties.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, a regional planning expert, commented: “When an agricultural product from Son La wants to go to Hai Phong port, the transportation cost is still very high due to the lack of synchronous infrastructure. Regional connectivity must start with prioritizing investment in these “small-vessel” routes, connecting production centers with major traffic hubs. Only then will the geo -economic advantages truly come into play.”

Instead of each province developing a few small-scale agricultural products, regional linkage allows the construction of large-scale concentrated raw material areas, forming closed value chains from production, processing to consumption.

Ms. Dao Thi Huong, Director of a Shan Tuyet tea production cooperative in Ha Giang, shared: “If we only sell raw products, the value will be very low. But if we can link up with deep processing enterprises in Thai Nguyen, apply technology and together build a unified highland tea brand, the value can increase many times over. That is the power of association.”

Interregional Tourism: Journey Through Heritage

TDMNPB owns a tourism “treasure” with Moc Chau (Son La), Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Ba Be Lake (Thai Nguyen), Dong Van Stone Plateau (Ha Giang)... However, tourists often only go to one place and then return, with a short stay. The breakthrough solution is to build cross-regional tourism routes.

“It is necessary to design tours connecting the Northwest “arc” or the Northeast “arc”, instead of separate destinations. A continuous journey from Phu Tho - Son La - Dien Bien - Lai Chau - Lao Cai - Ha Giang will create a unique experience, prolong the length of stay and increase tourists' spending”, Ms. Le Thi Thu Huong, representative of a travel company proposed.

Developing common tourism products, unifying service standards and jointly promoting the image of "majestic Vietnam" will create much greater attraction than each locality doing it its own way.

For regional integration to be substantive, there needs to be a strong regional coordination mechanism, chaired by central ministries and sectors and with the consensus of localities. This mechanism must address issues of resource allocation, benefit sharing and resolving inter-regional conflicts in a fair manner.

Above all, connectivity must come from the internal needs of businesses and people. The State plays a role in creating and supporting infrastructure and institutional connections, while economic entities are the ones who directly demonstrate on that common field.

It can be said that regional linkage is not simply a policy, but a new development mindset. When administrative boundaries are no longer barriers, when localities know how to rely on each other to develop together, the Northern Midlands and Mountains region with its great potential will become a new growth pole.

Great gold

Source: https://nhandan.vn/chia-khoa-vang-de-danh-thuc-tiem-nang-vung-post905815.html