Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Hoang Hai Minh (5th from left) during an inspection of the progress of traffic projects.

Break the dependence, create the development

Hue is known as a heritage city with rich cultural depth. However, in the new context, the old development model - leaning towards administration, conservation, and budget dependence - has revealed many limitations. The city is forced to transform itself to develop further.

The shift from conservation to development thinking, from pure administration to creative economy , from budget dependence to attracting social investment are fundamental changes that Hue is gradually implementing. The city has been gradually removing institutional, planning and infrastructure barriers, bottlenecks that have hindered growth for many years.

According to Mr. La Phuc Thanh, Director of the Department of Finance, Hue is forming a multi-pillar economic model, with parallel driving forces, manufacturing and processing industry, heritage tourism , digital services and urban economy. Industrial products such as automobiles, electricity, gloves... which were thought to be unfamiliar with the image of the ancient capital have now become fast-growing sectors. Specifically, automobile output reached more than 2,100 units, an increase of nearly 13 times; electricity output increased by over 60%, gloves increased by 3.4 times, wood chips increased by more than 13% over the same period. High-tech industry is developing strongly in Chan May - Lang Co Economic Zone, Phu Bai Industrial Park...

The highlight of Hue's development is that tourism continues to play a leading role. With more than 3.4 million visitors in the first 7 months of the year, including over 1.2 million international visitors, Hue has achieved an impressive number. However, what is more worth mentioning is the strategic shift, from exploiting heritage in the old way to creating creative experiences - Ao Dai space, light festival, bicycle tour to ancient villages, royal cuisine experience...

Ms. Tran Thi Hoai Tram, Director of the Department of Tourism, said that the green, smart tourism mindset, focusing on emotions, fun and memorable experiences, has helped Hue create a distinct and sustainable competitive advantage.

Along with the growth model reform, Hue also focuses on promoting public investment. The city has developed a detailed disbursement plan for each month and each project. By the end of July, the whole city had disbursed 3,034/4,521 billion VND, reaching 67.1%. Key projects are being accelerated. In addition, the city also pays special attention to social housing construction projects, not only to ensure housing needs, but also to create a spillover effect in construction investment and consumption. The goal is to complete at least 1,200 units this year...

Building a new foundation for long-term growth

A major turning point in the reform process is the completion of the two-level local government model on July 1, 2025. 133 commune and ward-level administrative units are reorganized into 40 units; 40 commune and ward-level public administrative centers operate synchronously, raising the rate of online file processing to the top of the country. Digital infrastructure is strongly developed, with the Hue-S platform integrating most public services, helping to reduce costs, shorten time and increase trust for people and businesses.

In addition, planning work is considered a bright spot. As of July 2025, Hue has approved more than 500 planning projects, covering 100% of the area; at the same time, 22 local planning adjustments have been made to remove bottlenecks, creating favorable conditions for attracting investment and implementing projects.

According to the City People's Committee, in the adjusted scenario, Hue sets a target of GRDP increasing by 10% or more in 2025, of which the last 6 months of the year must achieve an increase of 10.6% or more. Expected structure: Services increase by 9.5 - 10%, industry - construction increase by 14.5 - 15%, agriculture increase by 2 - 2.5%, product tax minus subsidies increase by about 9%.

This is a challenging target but is considered appropriate for the current growth momentum. To achieve this target, Hue must have five factors: effective infrastructure, a transparent investment environment, substantial support for businesses, priority for new industries, and decisive government action.

“In the solutions to promote growth, the city is focusing on supporting key projects to come into operation such as: Dong Duong Hotel, Hue International Hospital, FPT Education Complex, Hue Square Hotel... At the same time, ensuring the progress of projects starting construction on the occasion of National Day September 2 such as: Thuy Van Hotel Phase 2, Digital Data Center, Commercial Project 42 Phan Chu Trinh...”, Chief of Office of the City People's Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang informed.

One of the most fundamental solutions is to perfect the institutions in line with the model of centrally-governed cities. The rearrangement of administrative units and the operation of two-level local governments not only streamlines the apparatus, but also requires innovation in operating methods: serving instead of managing, digitizing processes, shortening time, and reducing costs for people and businesses.

In the upcoming development orientation, along with traditional driving forces such as export, industry, agriculture, services, tourism, Hue needs to seek and promote new driving forces such as science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence... to create a real and sustainable change in the new development stage.

Ngoc Nhi

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/mo-khoa-tang-truong-hai-con-so-157152.html