Ho Chi Minh City Chairman lists 6 priority transport projects to connect with the Mekong Delta

Leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta provinces have agreed on many cooperation programs from now until the end of 2025, including six transport projects that are 'prioritized'.

Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai speaks at the preliminary review session - Photo: CHI QUOC

On November 29, in Can Tho City, Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of the Mekong Delta held a conference to review the agreement on socio-economic development cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces and cities of the Mekong Delta for the period 2023-2024 and the implementation plan for the period 2024-2025.

The conference aims to evaluate the implementation results of the cooperation agreement plan between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta provinces issued from March 2023.

After cooperation, Western products enter supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City

Mr. Tran Ngoc Tam - Chairman of Ben Tre Provincial People's Committee - said that since the cooperation agreement with Ho Chi Minh City, the province has been able to sell its strong products in Ho Chi Minh City, especially agricultural products and OCOP products, some of which have entered the shelves of large stores and supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thereby helping Ben Tre to consume goods conveniently, especially its strengths in ornamental plants, seedlings and OCOP products.

Regarding tourism, thanks to the association with Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Tre tourism has recovered and developed rapidly, and has now surpassed the pre-COVID-19 period in terms of number of visitors and revenue. Notably, two large tourism businesses in Ho Chi Minh City, Saigontourist and Vietravel, have surveyed the site and opened headquarters to develop tourism.

Reporting on a year and a half of cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta provinces, Mr. Quach Ngoc Tuan - Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment of Ho Chi Minh City - said that in the field of connecting supply and demand, promoting trade and investment, in 2023, there were 322 participating units with 657 booths, with 13/13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta participating with 184 registered enterprises participating with a scale of 328 booths with typical local products.

The "On the wharf, under the boat" spring flower market is one of 19 typical annual cultural, artistic and festival events in Ho Chi Minh City. To prepare for the organization of the above activities, District 8 has organized promotion and connected supply and demand in 12 provinces and cities, creating a place for traders and gardeners to display and trade ornamental flowers and fruits to serve tourists.

In 2023, there will be 788 booths, consuming 138 tons of goods, fruits and 120,000 flower pots; in 2024, there will be 745 booths, consuming 95 tons of goods, fruits and 90,000 flower pots of all kinds...

In particular, Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces have coordinated to advise on the supply of construction materials for component projects of the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 construction investment project...

Proposal to have Mekong Delta space in Ho Chi Minh City

Chairman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee Ho Van Mung proposed having a Mekong Delta space in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: CHI QUOC

With the request to "speak frankly about the provinces' requests to Ho Chi Minh City" from Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai, local leaders have made many proposals.

Mr. Ho Van Mung, Chairman of the People's Committee of An Giang province, proposed that Ho Chi Minh City pay attention to and arrange spaces for the Mekong Delta provinces to introduce their potential, advantages and promote investment. "This space is not only conferences and forums but also space arrangement through locations, headquarters and even on cyberspace," Mr. Mung further explained the proposal.

Mr. Dong Van Thanh - Chairman of Hau Giang Provincial People's Committee - also expressed "agreement with An Giang's proposal that Ho Chi Minh City needs to have a space to display and introduce products of the Mekong Delta so that visitors coming here will know what the Mekong Delta has to offer. If people need to see the culture of the Mekong Delta, there will be a presentation and introduction for them to see. If they have a need and want to go, there will be a tour for them to follow the tours that we have linked together".

Chairman of Dong Thap Province People's Committee Pham Thien Nghia said that Ho Chi Minh City is the leader, and the Mekong Delta has human resources, recently there was a very effective Mekong 1,000 training program. Therefore, Ho Chi Minh City should cooperate or propose to the central government to have such a high-quality human resource training program to help the Mekong Delta escape the low-lying area in terms of human resources.

Mr. Nghia also suggested that when receiving foreign delegations or investors, Ho Chi Minh City should combine with the Mekong Delta provinces, and introduce the Mekong Delta, "like the VSIP industrial park, not only of Can Tho but also of the region, to implement, to create momentum for the region. Or when promoting investment abroad, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta should go together to raise the level and connect with each other," Mr. Nghia suggested.

Cooperation to advance the transportation system

Talking about the one and a half year of implementing cooperation, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai said that initial results have been achieved, which the report only partially shows, including the effective method of "mutual cooperation" (cooperation with the Mekong Delta provinces but with separate programs for each province), this needs to be further studied to operate more effectively in the future.

Mr. Mai also agreed with the proposal to have a Mekong Delta space in Ho Chi Minh City. "We will have a Mekong Delta week or festival in Ho Chi Minh City and not just separate tourism or trade but do it as a whole. There will be a Mekong Delta week in Ho Chi Minh City to comprehensively introduce and carry out activities to promote investment, trade and tourism for the Mekong Delta," he said.

Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong Expressway will be prioritized for expansion from now until the end of 2025 - Photo: CHI QUOC

Mr. Mai said the city will assign the Department of Planning and Investment and soon the Department of Tourism to be the focal points to coordinate with localities in the Mekong Delta region, and at the same time request that localities in the Mekong Delta also need to have an address to coordinate with the city.

Mr. Mai also said that the cooperation in the coming time from now until the end of 2025, the first task is to cooperate in connecting infrastructure first, "although it is very costly, we must do the basics first".

"From now until the end of 2025, we must work with the Ministry of Transport to complete the legal process to promote the expansion of the expressway from Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong, expand National Highway 1, National Highway 50B and research to deploy two important routes: the coastal road and the border road.

Ho Chi Minh City has determined to take the lead in the research and invite the Mekong Delta provinces to participate. In addition, it will work with the Ministry of Transport to urgently complete the legal procedures for the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho railway project, trying to start construction before 2030.

Next year, we will try together to restart some important items of waterway traffic from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta, if possible, promote connections to Cambodia.

This is to serve waterway tourism and some logistics points, connecting the Mekong Delta processing center with the refining center in Ho Chi Minh City, then to the border gate for export," Mr. Mai added.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chu-tich-tp-hcm-neu-6-du-an-giao-thong-uu-tien-lam-de-ket-noi-voi-dong-bang-song-cuu-long-20241129140916481.htm