Efforts to build Binh Thuan into a comprehensively developed province in the new era

Mr. Le Tuan Phong, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee-cum- Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

Reporter: Please brief us about the province’s picture on socioeconomic, national defense, and order security after 30 years of re-establishment?

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee (referred to as Chairman for short) Le Tuan Phong: Binh Thuan has been known as one of the poor provinces in Vietnam before the 90s of the twentieth century. Its economic growth was slow, not commensurate with its potential and advantages; the infrastructure was lacking, outdated and not synchronized; the quality of human resources was still low, and the labor forces mostly concentrated in agriculture and rural areas with a high rate, low labor productivity; Life of a part of the population has been still difficult.

Despite its low starting-point, over the past 30 years, the Party Committee, authorities, army and people in the province have made great efforts to overcome many difficulties and challenges. They have united, unified and flexibly created guidelines and policies of the Party and State into the reality of socio-economic development. Thanks to those efforts, Binh Thuan has achieved many important achievements in all fields of socio-economic, defense, security, Party building and political system. After 30 years, Binh Thuan has become a new development "pole" of the central coastal region and the Southeast region.

Obviously, the province’s economy has quickly developed as its growth rate is always higher than the national average. The economic structure has gradually shifted towards increasing the proportion of industry, construction and services and gradually reducing the proportion of agriculture, forestry and fishery. The scale of GRDP value in 2022 is 24 times that of 1992.

In addition, more resources for development investment are mobilized. Total social investment capital mobilized is more than 360 trillion VND, an average increase of 22.75% per year. Total state budget revenue in the area in 2022 is estimated at VND 8,488 billion, of which domestic revenue is about VND 7,188 billion, equal to 93 times higher than in 1992. GRDP mobilization into the state budget annually averages from 9-10%. The province also regularly pays attention to expanding cooperation and linkages to promote better exploitation of the province's potentials and advantages, especially the energy industry, tourism, and high-tech agriculture, gradually becoming a key economic sector and creating a driving force for the the province’s economic development.

In the journey of 30 years of development, Binh Thuan has made efforts to overcome difficulties. Thanks to the support of the Central Government, the province has built many irrigation works for agricultural production, which is considered a breakthrough in overcoming drought and promoting the local development. Of which, Ta Pao Irrigation Works, Phan Ri - Phan Thiet Irrigation Project Phase 1, Song Luy Reservoir, etc are effectively performings their task of watering and irrigating thousands of hectares of production land and supplying water to people's daily activities.

In addition, many traffic works, schools, hospitals and so forth have been invested and put into use with strategic significance for socio-economic development and ensuring national security. The policy of gratitude and social security is always taken into consideration. The face of urban and rural areas, ethnic minority areas has many prosperity. Up to now, the whole province has 69/93 communes meeting new rural standards.

Party building work achieved quite comprehensive results; The political system has increasingly improved its effectiveness and operational efficiency. People's trust in the Party and State has been increasingly consolidated, the great unity bloc of the whole people has been strengthened; democracy and discipline are better promoted; patriotic emulation movements are maintained regularly and spread widely. That result contributes to creating an important premise to promote the situation of the province faster and more sustainably in the coming time.

The policy of gratitude and social security is always concerned. (Photo: Chairman Le Tuan Phong visits Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, 91% war invalid, in Phuoc Loc ward, La Gi) (Photo: N. Luan)

Reporter: As a locality with potential for land, tourism, and marine economy, may you tell us about the province's socio-economic development plan in the near future?

Chairman Le Tuan Phong: The Resolution of the 14th Congress of Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee, term 2020 - 2025 identifies: "Strengthening the construction and rectification of a clean and strong Party Committee; promoting the strength of the political system and the great national unity bloc; maintaining national defense - security; promoting the application of science - technology, actively innovate, create, actively link, cooperate and integrate; raising the effectiveness and efficiency of the state administrative apparatus; mobilize and rationally and effectively use resources; comprehensive development, focusing on developing three major pillars associated with high-tech application and value chain building: (i) Industry; (ii) Tourism; (iii) Agriculture; constantly improving people's living standards; striving to become an address with strong attraction to large and capable investors, helping Binh Thuan province develop quickly and sustainably, strong in marine economy, energy and tourism. Accordingly, it focuses on effectively implementing five thematic resolutions of the Provincial Party Committee (term XIV) which have been thoroughly grasped recently; focusing on performing key tasks, specifically:

Firstly, the province focuses on promoting economic restructuring to bring into play the potential and advantages of each region and each province of the province in association with model innovation, solid growth in the direction of improving productivity and quality, efficiency and competitiveness; attaching importance to marine economic development; and prioritizing the development of 3 pillars:

(1) The industry should focus first on clean energy industry, (especially offshore renewable energy and call for investment in auxiliary production for the energy industry), processing and manufacturing industries associated with environmental protection.

(2) Focus on calling for high-class tourism projects, high-class amusement parks - entertainment, commercial and urban projects (central urban areas, coastal urban areas, rural urban areas, urban mountainous areas), improving the quality of tourism products, creating new tourism products, high-class services and resorts to serve the rich and diverse needs of tourists and expand links, manitaining the image of Binh Thuan tourist destination "Safety - Friendly - Quality".

(3) As for agriculture, it needs to give priority to sustainable development, quality improvement, developing high-tech agriculture and clean agriculture associated with building a product consumption value chain; offshore fishing following the model of exploitation - processing - logistics services at sea associated with sea and island protection. Additionally, the province will combine the development of the marine economy and the logistics service system, promote the efficiency of the invested transport infrastructure. The development process should be attached importance to harmonious development between rural areas, mountainous areas with urban areas, plains with highlands.

Secondly, the locality delpoys the Binh Thuan Provincial Plan for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 after the Prime Minister's approval. In which, we mobilize, attract and effectively use resources to serve the requirements of production and business development and to invest in perfecting the essential infrastructure system for socio-economic development of the province. Meanwhile, it strengthens cooperation, joint venture and association with other provinces and cities on the basis of promoting the specific strengths of each locality for mutual development. Likewise, the state management of land, minerals, forests, environmental sanitation, disease prevention and control, and climate change response and adaptation are also attached importance to.

Thirdly, the province will improve the quality of human resources, focus on building a contingent of cadres with high expertise, practical capabilities, pure moral qualities, close to the people, respecting the people, and responsible to the people. It should promote the spirit of initiative, creativity, dare to think, dare to do and dare to take responsibility; focus on building promising female and young cadres and ensuring the inheritance.

Fourthly, the province’s public investment and social resources should be invested for the promotion of technical infrastructure, including digital technology infrastructure. The goal of digital transformation; science, technology and innovation is strongly performed to create breakthroughs in productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness in the context of the 4th industrial revolution.

Fifth, it is necessary to develop businesses, encourage start-ups, consider enterprise development as the key to economic development and prioritize attracting strategic investors and large enterprises to invest in Binh Thuan. Whereas, it should improve the business investment environment, raise competitive resources at the provincial level, promote administrative reform, attach importance to people's satisfaction with the service of state administrative agencies.

Sixth, the cultural and spiritual life of the people should be better raised. The cause of health, culture - sports, information – communication is developed; the province’s social security policies and people's lives and incomes shall be improved. National defense - security, political security and social order and safety are consolidated and strengthened.

Many giant groups arrived in Binh Thuan to look for investment.

Reporter: For the provinc’s development, the work of calling and attracting investment is very important. So, what actions does the province do to support, facilitate and attract more investment?

Chairman Le Tuan Phong: To achieve the economic growth target according to the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress, for the 2020-2025 term, it is necessary to mobilize investment capital of over VND 250 trillion from the whole society. Under the provincial planning, it is expected to mobilize investment capital of over 490 trillion VND in the period 2026-2030 from the whole society. To achieve this goal, the province has determined to implement a number of tasks to promote investment attraction:

Firstly, on the basis of the provincial planning, it will develop a list of projects calling for investment. The list must be calculated so that the investment is made on a reasonable scale, and the projects must be pervasive, have development dynamics, and contribute a lot to the state budget.

Secondly, it should build a database system of information on plannings (provincial planning, construction planning, land use planning...); investment mechanisms and policies; investment processes and procedures and transparent publicity for businesses and investors to know when investing in the province.

Thirdly, with the support of the Central Government, the locality targets at mobilizinge resources to complete investment in the system of economic and technical infrastructure, focusing on the transport infrastructure system to ensure synchronous, modern, and reliable connectivity, connecting with the national highway main axis and the near-completed expressway to regions in the province, key economic areas, forming a fairly complete traffic network and connecting with other provinces, creating a premise for favorable conditions in economic and social development.

Fourth, it must do well the job of selecting investors with real capacity (financial capacity, investment experience, etc.) and enthusiasm for investment according to the law. From there, there are good quality and effective investment products.

Fifth, it may attach importance to the work of improving the business investment environment, enhancing the provincial competitiveness; reforming administrative procedures on investment, construction, land, environment, etc., taking the trust and satisfaction of investors and businesses as a measure. Leaders of Provincial People's Committees, directors of departments and branches and Chairman of People's Committees of districts, towns and cities must spend monthly at least 1-2 working sessions to directly solve difficulties and obstacles for investors, enterprise.

As all the above jobs are well-done, the province's investment attraction will certainly have more positive changes.

Reporter: After the 30-year journey, the following years will be very important. What messages would you like to send to all cadres, civil servants, public employees, workers, armed forces and people in the province?

Chairman Le Tuan Phong: In the new context, Binh Thuan is facing new opportunities and opportunities. This is the time when we actively promote patriotic emulation movements, in order to strive for early completion of the targets and tasks of the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress. However, besides opportunities and advantages, there are always new difficulties and challenges. Therefore, all officials, party members and people in the province are looking forward to make the right decisions so that it can foster the province more and more developed.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the re-establishment of Binh Thuan province, I wish to send a message to all cadres, civil servants, public employees, laborers, armed forces and people in the province to always arouse the desire to build Binh Thuan province by 2030, with a vision to 2045 with the goal of constantly developing economic coupled with environmental sustainability; People's lives and welfare are increasingly improved, people can easily access development opportunities and enjoy the fruits of the development process, so that "no one is left behind". In order to achieve the above goal, there are some very first things must be conducted, as follows:

• The whole province’s cadres, civil servants and public employees must consider the difficulties and problems of people and businesses as their own work to be dedicated, and responsible to solve the business's recommendations and citizen; effectively implement key programs, tasks and breakthroughs in accordance with the Resolution of the 14th Provincial Party Congress.

- Leaders of departments, agencies and localities must take the initiative in solving according to the authority and responsibility of the head in the implementation of state guidelines and policies. All cadres, civil servants, public employees, employees, and the armed forces wholeheartedly and devotedly perform their tasks, promote initiative, creativity and improve the sense of responsibility in the execution of public service works. At the same time, it is also indispensable to accompany, join hands and join hands of the business community and the people of the province.

With steadfast faith in the revolutionary path and the cause of innovation under the leadership of the Party, promoting the revolutionary tradition of the homeland, Binh Thuan Party Committee, government and people will strive to build an increasingly clean and strong Party Committee, promote democracy and the strength of the great unity of the whole people, mobilize all resources, to decide focus on bringing Binh Thuan to develop quickly and sustainably.

* Thank you for your interview, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee!