Prime Minister works with the Standing Committee of Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee

Also attending the meeting were members of the Party Central Committee: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee , Chairman of the People's Council of Ca Mau province Nguyen Tien Hai; leaders of ministries, central agencies, and Ca Mau province.

Earlier on the same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the ceremony to announce the Planning of Ca Mau province for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, and promote investment in Ca Mau ; surveyed the upgrading and renovation of the Ca Mau airport runway, the progress of the North-South expressway project through Ca Mau province and the Ca Mau Gas-Electricity-Fertilizer Project Cluster; visited a number of booths at the Ca Mau Shrimp Festival and the Mekong Delta OCOP Product Connection Forum 2023.

The report of Ca Mau province and opinions at the meeting assessed that over the past time, the Party Committee, government and people of Ca Mau have strived and achieved positive and quite comprehensive results in all fields.

The province completed 18/19 targets of the Resolution, 1 target was almost achieved (State budget expenditure reached 98.2%).

Production and business have recovered and shown positive changes. GRDP in 2023 is estimated to increase by 7.83%, exceeding the set plan (7%); GRDP per capita is estimated at 69.8 million VND, up 13% over the same period.

The industrial and construction sectors continued to recover and develop well. The industrial production index increased by 6.5% over the same period. The trade and service sector recovered quickly, increasing by 8.5% over the same period. Total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue exceeded the plan by 10%, up 4.2% over the same period. Attracted about 2 million tourists, exceeding the plan by 13.5%, up 18% over the same period.

Disbursement of public investment capital has been focused on and directed resolutely: By December 7, 2023, disbursement reached VND 3,447 billion, equal to 72% of the capital plan; it is estimated that by January 31, 2024, disbursement will reach 95% of the plan.

The fields of culture, society, health, education and training have made much progress, and people's lives have been improved. National defense and security have been strengthened; social order and safety have been maintained. The work of preventing and combating corruption and negativity has been promoted.

Party building and the political system are focused on; the leadership capacity of Party committees at all levels and the direction and administration of governments at all levels are improved.

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh basically agreed with the reports and opinions; acknowledged, commended and highly appreciated the efforts and achievements of the Party Committee, government, army and people of Ca Mau province, contributing to the common achievements of the Mekong Delta and the whole country.

Reiterating the verse "My homeland is like a ship/The bow of our ship is the cape of Ca Mau" - showing the whole country's affection for Ca Mau and also affirming the brand of Ca Mau, the Prime Minister once again emphasized the special position of Ca Mau - a place that endures waves and wind, a pioneer in responding to climate change.

The Prime Minister assessed that the province has been united, the provincial leaders are concerned with development, dynamism, creativity, thanks to which the province has achieved many valuable results, especially in responding to subsidence, landslides, building infrastructure, clearing land for the North-South expressway... The province has also made efforts to organize many important events recently, such as organizing the Ca Mau Shrimp Festival, announcing the provincial planning and promoting investment...

In addition to the very basic achievements, the Prime Minister pointed out some shortcomings, limitations, difficulties and challenges of Ca Mau. Transport infrastructure is still limited. Social infrastructure and industrial zones still have many shortcomings; digital infrastructure is still difficult.

Ca Mau is one of the provinces most severely affected by climate change; it has low ground, weak geology, no local construction materials, and a terrain with many rivers and canals, leading to high investment costs in infrastructure construction, especially transportation and irrigation.

Production, business and enterprise activities are still facing difficulties, especially in terms of markets, capital sources and access to credit. Economic structure is shifting in the right direction but slowly. Export turnover is lower than planned, down 8.5% over the same period, major and traditional export markets are down.

The province has great potential but its mechanisms and policies are still limited. The province's business environment, administrative reform, and digital transformation are still limited and do not meet development requirements (in 2022, the PCI Index ranked 58/63, ranked 12/13 in the Mekong Delta region; the Par Index ranked 30/63; digital transformation ranked 58/63...).

The cultural, health and educational sectors have not yet met the requirements. Poverty reduction is not sustainable; the lives of a part of the population are still difficult. Security, social order and safety still have potential complications...

The Prime Minister and delegates spent a lot of time analyzing and clarifying the distinct potential, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages of Ca Mau, with three prominent areas being aquaculture, tourism, and renewable energy.

Accordingly, Ca Mau is a province with a very favorable geo-economic position, developing economic trade with Southeast Asian countries. It is the only province in our country with 3 sides bordering the sea with a coastline of 254 km; natural area of over 5,200 km2, accounting for 13.15% of the area of the Mekong Delta.

Ca Mau has many favorable conditions to develop into a regional and national seafood and food processing center, develop renewable energy, eco-tourism, sea and island tourism, agricultural tourism, and community tourism. Ca Mau's fishing grounds are about 80,000 km2, with abundant aquatic resources; the aquaculture area is more than 300,000 ha. Coastal mangrove forests and U Minh Ha Melaleuca forests have been recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar Site of the world.

The combination of developing renewable energy sources, such as onshore, nearshore, offshore wind power, solar power combined with aquaculture land, biomass power... is very potential, an opportunity for Ca Mau to export electricity to many countries in the region.

The province has large mineral reserves with potential for exploitation. The Ca Mau sea area has large oil and gas reserves and potential for exploitation and development of the oil and gas industry. The U Minh Ha peatland is one of the largest peatlands in Vietnam, with reserves of about 14.1 million tons…

Ca Mau people are rich in revolutionary traditions, solidarity, diligence, kindness and hospitality.

Delegates said that with many distinct potentials, comparative advantages, outstanding opportunities and rich, diverse resources, Ca Mau province has all the unique conditions to develop rapidly, greenly and sustainably, becoming a fairly developed province in the country.

Also at the meeting, leaders of ministries, localities and relevant agencies reported on the progress of a number of key projects and works in the area such as the North-South expressway section through Can Tho, upgrading and renovating Ca Mau airport... and responded to the province's proposals and recommendations.

In the coming time, the Prime Minister pointed out a number of important viewpoints, orientations and tasks that Ca Mau and ministries and branches need to focus on implementing, ensuring focus and key points in the context of limited resources and being strongly affected by climate change, subsidence, landslides...

Accordingly, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the Resolution of the 13th National Congress, the 5-year Plan, the 10-year Strategy, the Party's policies and guidelines, especially Resolution No. 13-NQ/TW of the Politburo (on the direction of socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in the Mekong Delta region), the State's policies and laws, the Mekong Delta Regional Planning and the Ca Mau Provincial Planning, the direction and administration of the Government, the Prime Minister and the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress, effectively organize implementation, creating a breakthrough in comprehensive development for Ca Mau.

Second, the province must develop faster and more sustainably, based on science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, circular economy, knowledge economy, green transformation, and energy transformation.

Third, exploiting the province's unique potential, outstanding opportunities, and competitive advantages to the fullest. In particular, focusing on developing renewable energy (expanding the Ca Mau gas-electric-fertilizer industrial park), developing tourism based on culture, people, nature, and the Dat Mui brand, developing the aquaculture and seafood processing industry, especially the shrimp industry.

Fourth, promote breakthroughs in transport infrastructure, specifically upgrading Ca Mau airport, building highways and developing inland waterways and sea routes (Hon Khoai port).

Fifth, focus on administrative reform, improve the investment and business environment, build a clean and strong administrative system, and focus on training and developing high-quality human resources.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the province continues to affirm its strong aspiration, promote the spirit of self-reliance, self-strengthening, rising up with its own internal strength, rising from its own hands, brains, sky, land, and seaport, without waiting or relying on others; strengthen the great national unity bloc; harmoniously develop between economy, politics, culture, society, environment, ensure national defense and security; strengthen decentralization and delegation of power associated with appropriate resource allocation, individualize responsibilities along with inspection, supervision, and control of power.

Pointing out specific tasks and solutions for the coming time, and responding to the province's proposals and recommendations, the Prime Minister requested that special attention be paid to developing socio-economic infrastructure, especially transportation, industrial park and cluster infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, ensuring connectivity within the province, between provinces in the region, between the region and the whole country and internationally. Localities must do a good job of site clearance and resettlement for people.

"We must complete the North-South expressway, including the section through Ca Mau, during this term, without delay. And definitely by June 2025, we must complete the upgrading and renovation of Ca Mau airport," the Prime Minister requested.

At the same time, prepare the Ca Mau City-Dat Mui Expressway project in the shortest and most direct direction possible and consider upgrading National Highway 1 and Ho Chi Minh Road through Ca Mau... The Prime Minister also agreed in principle and suggested that Ca Mau proactively prepare to build the Hon Khoai port project.

Along with that, focus on developing digital infrastructure, agricultural and rural infrastructure, educational infrastructure, healthcare, culture, sports... The Prime Minister requested the province to research and develop specific projects to respond to climate change, subsidence, and landslides based on good models and practices that have been implemented by the province in the past; mobilize and support people to build "3-hard" houses...

The Prime Minister requested relevant ministries, agencies and localities to urgently carry out necessary work to expand the Ca Mau gas, electricity and fertilizer industrial cluster because all conditions are complete and ready, especially after the obstacles related to the Block B gas project chain have been resolved.

Regarding the proposal to support Ca Mau province in planning, investing in the construction and organization of activities of the Ca Mau peninsula fisheries hub, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to research and implement it for the entire Mekong Delta.

The Prime Minister stated that it is necessary to mobilize all resources for development; improve the efficiency of attracting and using investment capital (especially FDI capital and the form of public-private partnership PPP). Accelerate the disbursement of public investment capital and 3 national target programs.

Along with the task of economic development, it is necessary to focus on developing cultural and social fields, protecting the environment, ensuring social security, and improving the material and spiritual life of people of all ethnic groups in the province.

The Prime Minister noted that we must continue to maintain security and national defense, not be negligent or lose vigilance; build a solid defense zone in terms of national defense and security and a front line of cooperation and competition in economic development; and ensure social order and safety.

The Prime Minister requested to attach importance to the work of building a clean and strong Party and political system; continue to improve the leadership capacity and fighting strength of Party organizations and Party members. Focus on the work of preventing corruption, negativity, and waste; educate and train a team of cadres and civil servants to say no to negativity and corruption. Focus on building a streamlined, effective and efficient apparatus; build and train a team of cadres, civil servants and public employees with sufficient qualities, capacity and prestige, equal to the task.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister also requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to soon submit a draft decree amending regulations on granting mines of common construction materials, thereby creating more favorable conditions for highway construction contractors./.

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