Creating new momentum for the development of Hanoi Capital City.

Sixty-nine years after the Liberation of Hanoi (October 10, 1954 - October 10, 2023), Hanoi is facing new opportunities for development, but also many difficulties and challenges. The reality demands that the Party Committee, government, and people of the capital city better implement the Party's resolutions, creating new momentum for development. In the immediate future, we need to strive to successfully complete the goals, targets, and tasks for 2023; and be ready to enter 2024 with high spirits and determination, achieving worthy results to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Hanoi.

Creating new impetus for the development of Hanoi (Figure 1) — Hanoi is becoming increasingly beautiful and modern. Photo: IT

Finalize major planning documents and propose strengthening decentralization and delegation of authority.

From the beginning of the 2020-2025 term to the present, along with the rest of the country, Hanoi has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the strong fluctuations in the global economic and geopolitical situation. However, under the wise leadership and guidance of the Central Government, the Party Committee, government, and people of the Capital City have upheld their heroic traditions, unity, dynamism, and creativity, achieving quite comprehensive results with many outstanding achievements.

The capital city's economy has become a bright spot in terms of growth. Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in 2021 increased by 2.92%, and in 2022 by 8.89%, both higher than the national average. Despite the significant global economic downturn in the first nine months of 2023, Hanoi's economy improved quarterly thanks to a focus on developing the service sector (Q1 growth of 5.81%, Q2 5.93%, Q3 6.49%). Total state budget revenue in the first nine months is estimated at VND 305,300 billion, reaching 86.5% of the annual legal budget estimate and increasing by 24.6% compared to the same period in 2022. The situation indicates a very bright outlook for economic recovery.

Alongside its regular duties, the city recognized the need for strategic thinking and vision, and has therefore boldly implemented several major policies with long-term significance.

Notably, the Hanoi City Party Committee proposed, and on May 5, 2022, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, on behalf of the Politburo, signed and promulgated Resolution No. 15-NQ/TƯ on the development direction of Hanoi Capital City until 2030, with a vision to 2045. The Party Committee, government, and people of Hanoi have promptly and seriously studied, understood, and implemented the resolution. The City Party Committee issued Action Program No. 16-CTr/TU on August 26, 2022, to implement the Resolution, clearly demonstrating its "action-oriented" nature through specific projects and works.

Over the past year, Resolution 15 of the Politburo has become a new driving force for the development of the capital city. Hanoi has strengthened its planning and institutional building efforts to concretize the goal of becoming a "Cultural, Civilized, and Modern" city as set forth in the Resolution.

Specifically, with the revised master plan for the construction of Hanoi Capital City until 2045, with a vision to 2065, the city has focused on developing two cities under the capital's jurisdiction, which will serve as new growth poles and help alleviate population density in the inner city; these are the city north of the Red River (Me Linh, Soc Son, Dong Anh) and the city west of Hanoi (Hoa Lac - Xuan Mai); while also identifying five development axes, with the Red River as the central green and landscape axis... In the Hanoi Capital City Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, the city has directed an emphasis on sub-regional cultural elements to highlight the diverse and converging nature of the thousand-year-old capital city...

Creating new momentum for the development of Hanoi (Figure 2) — Hanoi Party Secretary Dinh Tien Dung personally inspected and chaired numerous meetings to implement the Ring Road 4 - Capital Region project. Photo: VGP

Regarding the draft Law on the Capital City (amended), the preparatory efforts of the Government, Hanoi City, and various ministries, especially the Ministry of Justice - the lead drafting agency - have helped complete the dossier for its first submission to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly for comments on September 20th.

Most importantly, the amended Capital City Law must bring practical and substantive value by decentralizing and empowering Hanoi, thereby removing obstacles and bottlenecks to create new momentum for the capital and the country to move forward. For example, empowering the capital city to decide on public investment, projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, and large-scale bridge projects such as the bridges across rivers in Hanoi (Tran Hung Dao Bridge, Tu Lien Bridge) with a total investment of over 10,000 billion VND (belonging to the group of national key projects) or inter-provincial bridges under the central budget's expenditure, such as Ngoc Hoi Bridge, Van Phuc Bridge... Or, regarding the need to build 10 urban railway lines according to the plan in Hanoi, there needs to be a mechanism for all 10 lines to be covered by a single ODA loan package, thereby ensuring synchronized implementation, technical standards, and operational timelines... To effectively relocate hospitals and schools out of the inner city, Hanoi needs to be given the authority to undertake land clearance and invest in new facilities, instead of leaving schools and hospitals to handle it themselves as is currently the case...

If these "bottlenecks" are removed, not only will Hanoi have a new impetus for development, but other localities, facilities, and related units will also have opportunities.

Defining a new position for culture

Thoroughly grasping the guiding principles of the 13th National Congress of the Party, the Party Committee, government, and people of Hanoi have closely linked and implemented tasks synchronously, ensuring that socio-economic development is the central focus; Party building is the key; cultural development is the spiritual foundation; and national defense and security are crucial and ongoing priorities.

Hanoi is one of the few capitals in the world with a history and cultural tradition spanning over 1,000 years and is known as a "Heritage City". The Hanoi Party Committee has issued a thematic resolution on the development of the cultural industry for the period 2021-2025, with orientations to 2030 and a vision to 2045 (Resolution No. 09-NQ/TU dated February 22, 2022), in line with the conclusions of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Cultural Conference on November 24, 2021. The city has also identified three priority areas for investment in the period 2022-2025 and subsequent years: healthcare, education, and culture, with a projected capital investment of over 90,000 billion VND. Of that amount, over 14 trillion VND has been allocated to preserve and restore 579 dilapidated or severely degraded historical sites. The city is also focusing on implementing several key projects such as recreating the Kính Thiên Palace, building a temple dedicated to King Ngô Quyền, piloting a conservation and development plan for the Đường Lâm ancient village, and the Sơn Tây ancient citadel...

A major policy and a breakthrough step in infrastructure development is Hanoi's proactive proposal, which was approved by the Central Government and the National Assembly, to implement the investment project for the construction of Ring Road 4 - Capital Region. On June 25th, Hanoi commenced the project. To date, nearly 90% of the land has been cleared; 14 construction fronts are currently underway. When completed, the road will not only create momentum for Hanoi's development but also overcome regional connectivity limitations, promoting development in the region and the entire country...

Hanoi has also directed many groundbreaking solutions to address outstanding, prominent, and urgent issues to meet the needs and aspirations of the people, such as the Public Asset Management Project; handling 712 slow-progressing, slow-implementing non-budgetary capital projects using land; strengthening decentralization and delegation of authority; and the Project to renovate old apartment complexes...

Maintaining socio-economic development and upholding national defense and security, the city also does well and continuously strives to improve social welfare and social protection work, with the spirit of ensuring that no one is left behind; aiming to essentially eliminate poverty by the end of 2025.

Creating new impetus for the development of Hanoi (Figure 3) — Hanoi's urban landscape is becoming increasingly modern and well-developed. (Photo: Hanoi Moi)

Take another step towards daring to think, daring to act, and daring to take responsibility.

In the coming period, the tasks and targets set for the Party Committee, government, and people of Hanoi are very challenging, while difficulties and obstacles are predicted to remain significant. The city must be determined to complete a number of very important targets and tasks of the socio-economic development plan and the state budget for 2023 and the following years.

To achieve this, we must continue to innovate the Party's leadership methods within the city's political system, setting an example, taking the lead, staying close to the people, and effectively implementing the principle of "the people are the foundation"; building a clean, streamlined, effective, and efficient Party and political system in the city. All levels and sectors need to effectively implement the theme: "Discipline, responsibility, action, creativity, and development." In particular, we must proactively implement Directive No. 24-CT/TU dated August 7, 2023, of the Standing Committee of the Hanoi City Party Committee on strengthening discipline, responsibility, and accountability in handling work within the Hanoi city political system. This directive is of great importance in reshaping thinking and awareness regarding public service responsibility and the spirit of serving the people; thoroughly overcoming the situation of shirking, avoiding, and fearing responsibility. More importantly, through the implementation of this directive, we, every official, civil servant, and especially Party members, leaders, and heads of departments, must take another step forward to dare to think, dare to act, and dare to take responsibility.

All levels and sectors of the city must continue to effectively implement the directives of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in his New Year's greetings to the Party Committee and people of Hanoi on the occasion of the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit; to awaken the will and strive to build a cultured, civilized, and modern capital city; to further enhance pride, self-respect, determination, dynamism, and creativity; to continue to innovate thinking and leadership style; to proactively and actively seize all opportunities and advantages; and to calmly and wisely overcome all difficulties and challenges to successfully achieve the set goals and tasks.

In 2024, we will solemnly celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Hanoi (October 10, 1954 - October 10, 2024), a milestone of immense significance, marking Hanoi's journey from hardship and struggle to triumphant victory and the glory of innovation, integration, construction, and development. We must continue our efforts starting today to achieve many accomplishments to celebrate this anniversary. Completing the goals, targets, and tasks outlined in resolutions, programs, and plans, bringing about new developments for localities and units, and improving the lives of the people, is the most meaningful gift to celebrate this occasion.

Dinh Tien Dung

Member of the Politburo, Secretary of the City Party Committee,

Head of the Hanoi City National Assembly Delegation

Source