Politburo’s Resolution No.26 NQ/TW: Making a new change and comprehensive development for the North Central and Central Coast region

For that reason, the 13^th Politburo lately promulgated the Resolution No.26 on socioeconomic development and ensuring national defense and security in the North Central and Central Coast region by 2030, with a vision to 2045 with a purpose of creating a powerful change for the regions so they are worth of their status as a strategic center of the country, meeting the requirements for the nation’s comprehensive development in the new phases.

Strategic targets

The North Central and Central Coast regions encompass 14 coastal provinces and cities directly under the central government from Thanh Hoa to Binh Thuan, in which there are 3 sub-regions: North Central region, (including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri): The Central key economic region (including Da Nang city, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh); and the South Central region (including Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan). After nearly 20 years of implementing the Resolution No.39/NQ-TW of the 9^th Politburo, thanks to the support of the central government, National Assembly, as well as the determination and efforts of the Party Committees, administrations and people, the North Central and Central Coast provinces and cities have well exploited their own potentialities and advantages, and gained a breakthrough to become fairly dynamic development areas, significant contributing to the whole country’s overall growth.

Economic growth rate of the regions reached 7.3% per year in the period of 2005-2020, higher than the nation’s average level. Economic scale in 2020 increased nearly 9.1 times compared with that of 2004, accounting for 14.5% of the whole country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product); GRD (Gross Regional Domestic Product) per capital reached VND 56.9 million/year. Economic structure has transformed towards a model that service and industry sectors play key roles.

However, development indexes in some economic sectors of the North Central and Central Coast region is still lower than the nation’s average levels. Moreover, potentialities and advantages in the regions, particularly in marine economy, have not been effectively exploited. The region’ economic structure is still low, with low GRDP per capital while economic structure has changed slowly.

With such situation, the 13^th Politburo, on November 3 promulgated Resolution No.26-NQ/TW on socioeconomic development, and ensuring national defense and security in the North Central and Central Coast regions until 2030, with a vision to 2045. The Resolution has set a target to turn the North Central and Central Coast region into a more dynamic, faster, stronger and more sustainable development area in 2030, with strength in marine economy; having synchronous and modern socioeconomic infrastructure capable of preventing natural disasters and pandemic, as well as effectively adapting to climate change; having a number of major industrial, service and international cooperation centers with coastal economic zones and coastal city systems in par with national and regional standards; the region is the gateway to the sea of the Central Highlands and the neighboring country of Laos; the values of culture, history, marine, island and forest ecosystems are preserved and promoted; material and spiritual lives of the region’s residents are continuously enhanced; national defense and security, national sovereignty over sea and islands are firmly protected; Party cells and political system are strong; the of the great solidarity bloc of whole people is well enhanced.

The Resolution No.26 identifies 7 mission and solution groups to implement the targets, as follows: focusing on perfecting the mechanisms and policies along with boosting regional linkage; strengthening the transformation of regional economic structure towards promoting marine economy; focusing on developing urban system, particularly coastal urban areas; increasing investment in regional socioeconomic infrastructure, particularly transport infrastructures.

Various opportunities open for Binh Thuan

Binh Thuan province attended in the National Conference on thoroughly grasping and implementing Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW organized by the Politburo and Secretariat on the morning of November 16 in the form of direct and online connection from Hanoi capital to the provincial, district and grassroots points. Speaking at the conference, Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee Secretary Duong Van An emphasized that: It is helpful for the region to unclog resources, take ultimate advantages of the remaining geographical resources development and bring the North Central and Central Coast regions develop more dynamically, faster and more sustainably in the coming time if we can determine the right direction.

Secretary An confirmed that: The Provincial Party Committee is fully aware of the role and position of agricultural development for the province’s development in line with the province’s presentation on "A number of key tasks and solutions to developing agriculture in Binh Thuan province towards ecology and endemicity with high tolerance to extreme weather, effective adaptation to climate change, linking with the high added value chain”.

The first thematic resolution issued by the Executive Board for the 2020-2025 term right after the Congress is the Resolution on developing a modern, sustainable, high-value-added agricultural sector. Being an area with harsh natural conditions, the driest place in the country, and due to the effects of climate change, the drought situation is getting worse and worse, along with the reduction of fishery resources, so the Agricultural development of the province is very difficult, it is necessary to have a new and appropriate direction and thinking.

“As far as aware of the above-mentioned problems, we highly agree with the solution stated in Resolution No.26 which is to restructure and renew the agricultural development model, to switch from agricultural production to agricultural economic development, to develop ecologically and endemic agriculture with high tolerance to extreme weather and adaptation to climate change; links along the value chain and has high added value”, said Binh Thuan Provincial Party Secretary.

Following the above directions, Binh Thuan has focused on performing a number of key tasks such as: Perfecting the irrigation system, ensuring sufficient water supply for agricultural production; Improving the quality and value of a number of advantageous agricultural products of the province, especially in 2 areas of Cultivation and exploitation - seafood processing and development of the processing industry to meet large-scale commodity requirements in agriculture; concentrating on the province's advantageous agricultural products (such as seafood, fish sauce, dragon fruit, rubber, etc) with modern technology associated with market development.

Secretary An added that the Resolution of the Politburo sets the goal of a dynamic, fast and sustainable development region and strong marine economy. To achieve this goal soon, the region needs to attract the attention and leadership of the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Central Executive Committee, the National Assembly, the Government and central ministries and branches.

The Secretary of Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee expressed his wish that the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly and the Government pay attention to direct and complete the North-South expressway (East section) as soon as possible; invest in high-speed north-south railway, invest in completing coastal routes in localities in the region and routes connecting the East-West, connecting the region with the Central Highlands to enhance connectivity and promote socio-economic development of the region and other regions.

In addition, Secretary An suggested that the Central Government continue favor localities in the region with mechanisms, policies and even funds to invest in the construction of industrial parks, coastal economic zones, seaports and airports so that eligible localities can both promote the development of economic sectors such as industry, transport services, logistics services, etc and create favorable conditions for the provinces in the region to attract foreign investors and soon achieve the goals and targets set out by the Resolution.

The relationship between regional development and the country's general development must be properly understood and properly resolved: "The whole country for the region and the region for the whole country". It is neccesary to create a high consensus in awareness at all levels and sectors about the role, position and importance of the region and regional linkage. Regional integration must become the leading thinking that can guide the development of the whole region and each locality in the region," - General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized at the National Conference on thoroughly grasping and implementing Resolution No. NQ/TW of the Politburo.