Building and developing Ho Chi Minh City in the new era...

Resolution 09 of the Politburo has allowed for the creation of superior institutions to enable Ho Chi Minh City to break free from the limitations of general management, which is no longer suitable for the characteristics of a megacity.

Playing the role of a "breakthrough of breakthroughs," Resolution 09/NQ-TW of the Politburo presents a historic opportunity for Ho Chi Minh City to remove bottlenecks and transform itself from an "economic locomotive" to a "locomotive of institutions and innovation" for the whole country.

Proactively create mechanisms

With its strategic vision, Resolution 09 has enabled the creation of superior institutions, allowing Ho Chi Minh City to break free from the limitations of general management that are no longer suitable for its megacity characteristics.

When Resolution 09 raised the issue of building a Law on Special Cities, expanding decentralization and allowing for the proactive piloting of new mechanisms, it meant that Ho Chi Minh City was being empowered to design its own development dynamics based on practical realities. The city not only accelerated its own development but also shouldered the mission of becoming a testing ground for new governance models and policies for Vietnam. This is a very important shift in national development thinking.

This mechanism also facilitates Ho Chi Minh City to more effectively mobilize domestic and foreign capital, especially private resources, through socialization and public-private partnerships for strategic infrastructure projects.

In this new phase of development, Ho Chi Minh City needs to shift from a "request-and-grant" mechanism to a "proactive mechanism-creating" mindset. With greater decentralization and delegation of power, the city needs to proactively propose, experiment, and take responsibility. This is the key spirit of Resolution 09. Ho Chi Minh City needs to cultivate a team of officials with innovative thinking, who dare to make decisions and take responsibility for the common good, instead of those who are afraid of making mistakes and avoid responsibility.

Focus resources on breakthrough areas.

To effectively utilize this special mechanism, Ho Chi Minh City needs to clearly identify breakthrough areas to focus resources on. The city cannot invest indiscriminately but must select areas with the greatest ripple effect on people's lives and competitiveness.

To effectively utilize this special mechanism, Ho Chi Minh City needs to clearly identify breakthrough areas in order to focus resources. Photo: HOANG TRIEU

First and foremost, Ho Chi Minh City needs to prioritize breakthroughs in transportation infrastructure, especially the metro system and the Transport-Oriented Development (TOD) model. This is not just about transportation, but also about restructuring urban space, reducing congestion and pollution, and expanding new development opportunities. If implemented effectively, the metro and TOD will fundamentally change the quality of life for residents and create new growth drivers for the urban economy .

Furthermore, Ho Chi Minh City needs to focus on building an International Financial Center to affirm its role as the economic hub of Southeast Asia. This area requires a superior mechanism in terms of legal framework, taxation, foreign exchange, investment, and governance. If successful, this will be a "boost" to help the city attract global capital and enhance Vietnam's international standing.

Monitoring, feedback, and collaboration.

Besides improving institutions and developing infrastructure, Resolution 09 also emphasizes the role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and other political and social organizations. The Fatherland Front must not only gather and promote the strength of national unity but also enhance the effectiveness of social supervision and criticism regarding the implementation of the city's special mechanisms.

In the context of Ho Chi Minh City being strongly empowered and proactively experimenting with new models, the supervisory role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) becomes even more important to ensure that all policies are geared towards the interests of the people, transparent, open, and prevent the risks of waste and corruption. Through social critique, the VFF serves as a solid bridge between the government and the people, helping to promptly record community contributions to refine policies that are practical and create high social consensus.

Notably, the need to accelerate digital transformation in the operations of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and other mass organizations is very urgent. Applying technology and building online interactive platforms to receive feedback from citizens will help improve the effectiveness of supervision, making it faster and closer to the people.

Digital transformation also helps to innovate methods of mobilizing the masses, increasing the ability to connect with the younger generation, intellectuals, and businesses. The Vietnam Fatherland Front not only monitors but also must undergo a strong transformation to accompany the Ho Chi Minh City government in the process of building a modern and transparent governance system.

Spirit of decisive action

The area that needs stronger empowerment is digital transformation and the digital economy. If Ho Chi Minh City wants to lead in the new era, it must become the national center for technology, data, and innovation. This requires a controlled testing mechanism (sandbox) for new technology models, while also allowing the city to proactively build superior standards to attract large technology companies and high-quality human resources.

Furthermore, issues that directly impact people's quality of life, such as flood control, environmental improvement, the development of green spaces, and housing for young people and workers, must also be strategic priorities. A modern city should not only focus on economic growth but also ensure a sustainable, livable, and humane living environment.

Resolution 09 has opened a huge "mechanism door" for Ho Chi Minh City. However, mechanisms only create breakthroughs when accompanied by a spirit of decisive action. Ho Chi Minh City needs to have a pioneering spirit, choose difficult tasks, innovate, and take responsibility for the common good. Only then will special mechanisms truly become a solid springboard, helping Ho Chi Minh City develop rapidly and sustainably, and continue to play a pioneering role in leading localities nationwide in the new era.

(To be continued)

(*) See Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, issue dated May 27th.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/xay-dung-va-phat-trien-tphcm-trong-ky-nguyen-moi-tphcm-san-sang-tang-toc-nho-co-che-vuot-troi-196260531195242019.htm