Urgently remove difficulties for Ben Tre and Vinh Long to accelerate economic development

The Government delegation led by State Bank Governor Nguyen Thi Hong had an important working session with leaders of Ben Tre province - Photo: VGP/HT

Promoting growth momentum for Ben Tre

Mr. Nguyen Truc Son, Vice Chairman of Ben Tre Provincial People's Committee, said: With a GRDP growth rate of 5.68% in 2024, Ben Tre has affirmed its development potential, but still faces many challenges. To create a breakthrough, the province is focusing on expanding agricultural and aquatic production, promoting industry and trade, and accelerating the progress of key investment projects.

Mr. Nguyen Truc Son, Vice Chairman of Ben Tre Provincial People's Committee, spoke at the meeting - Photo: VGP/HT

Ben Tre continues to promote its agricultural advantages with a plan to expand 700 hectares of organic coconut, combined with a model of intercropping with giant freshwater prawns. In addition, the province also promotes high-tech marine shrimp farming on over 100 hectares, helping to increase output and export value.

In the industrial sector, a series of key projects such as Phu Thuan Industrial Park and wind power projects are being accelerated. Connecting to the national grid for Sunpro, Thanh Hai 2, 3, 4 wind power projects will contribute to ensuring energy supply for production.

Regarding trade and services, Ben Tre is implementing programs to stimulate consumption, promote credit and develop logistics. Export turnover in 2024 will reach 1.63 billion USD, up 12.23%, showing the great potential of the locality in the global value chain.

Ben Tre provincial leaders said: In 2024, Ben Tre disbursed over VND 4,578.6 billion in public investment capital, reaching 88.5% of the plan. Many key projects such as Rach Mieu 2 bridge, Ba Lai 8 bridge and Phu Thuan industrial park are being vigorously implemented.

In addition, the National Target Program on New Rural Development has achieved great success with 113 communes meeting the standards. The disbursement of VND 214.9 billion for new rural development and VND 68.6 billion for the sustainable poverty reduction program has significantly improved people's lives.

Emphasizing the role of financial resources in growth, Ms. Ho Thi Hoang Yen, Acting Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council, emphasized the role of credit capital in developing large enterprises, leading the local economy. If commercial banks increase capital support for export processing enterprises, infrastructure projects and renewable energy, Ben Tre will have more motivation to achieve the growth target of 8% in 2025.

Speaking at the working session in Ben Tre, Governor of the State Bank Nguyen Thi Hong - Head of the Government's working delegation requested the People's Committee of the above province and local departments and branches to continue promoting the positive results achieved in the past year, striving to complete the socio-economic growth targets in 2025 according to the targets and directions of the Government.

Based on the results of the first two months of 2025, Governor Nguyen Thi Hong assessed that Ben Tre's socio-economic situation has had many positive developments. The high growth efforts from the beginning of the year will create a foundation and growth momentum for localities to achieve their annual targets.

Governor Nguyen Thi Hong also requested representatives of ministries and branches that are members of the Government Working Group to record difficulties and direct recommendations from localities and provide a number of solutions and suggestions for localities in speeding up the progress of site clearance for large projects and works, promoting public investment disbursement and implementing preferential and support programs of the Government for each economic sector.

In addition, coordinate to remove difficulties and obstacles related to sustainable development of agricultural and aquatic raw material areas and build models of linking commodity value chains, large-scale agricultural production as well as green economic projects, responding to saltwater intrusion and climate change.

Regarding the banking sector, the Governor of the State Bank directed the State Bank Branch in Region 13 and credit institutions in the area to continue to effectively implement the instructions of the Central Bank. The Governor requested units to proactively coordinate with relevant departments, branches and sectors to assess the current situation of production and business of people and enterprises; grasp difficulties and obstacles to promptly remove obstacles in credit relations; and strengthen the connection between banks and enterprises.

Regional State Bank branches need to actively advise local Party committees and authorities on credit work to serve the construction and socio-economic development in the area in the spirit of closely following the resolutions and socio-economic development plans of the province, thereby contributing to promoting local economic growth.

Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong speaks at a working session with Vinh Long province - Photo: VGP/HT

Vinh Long sets GRDP growth target of 8-8.5% in 2025

At the working session in Vinh Long, Mr. Dang Van Chinh - Permanent Vice Chairman of Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee said: In 2024, the province's GRDP will increase by 5.65%, of which industry will increase by 13.84%, total retail sales of goods will increase by 14.35% and export turnover will increase by 25.85%. However, to achieve the growth target of 8% according to Resolution 25/NQ-CP of the Government, Vinh Long province has adjusted its development strategy. In which, the growth target was adjusted from 7% to 8 - 8.5% and was approved by the Provincial People's Council at the 6th session on February 17, 2025. The province will focus on improving the quality of agricultural production, investing heavily in infrastructure and boosting exports.

In 2025, according to the plan assigned by the Government and approved by the People's Council of Vinh Long province, the Provincial People's Committee, units and departments in the area, Vinh Long strives to increase GRDP from 8-8.5%. In particular, striving to strongly develop all sectors of the economy, including: agriculture, forestry and fishery; industry - construction; and trade and services.

According to a report by the People's Committee of Vinh Long province, it is estimated that by the end of the first quarter of 2025, the GRDP of this locality will increase by nearly 8% over the same period; of which, the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector will increase by 3.2%; the construction industry will increase by 17.41% and the trade and service sector will increase by 9%.

Vinh Long is recognized as one of the localities with strong growth in disbursement of public investment capital. By the end of 2024, the province had disbursed over VND 3,417.7 billion in public investment capital, supporting the completion of many key transport infrastructure projects at the provincial and regional levels in the Mekong Delta.

Regarding import and export activities, Vinh Long has also been assessed as a locality with a fairly strong export growth rate in recent times. By the end of 2024, the total export turnover of this province increased by 25.85% (reaching about more than 1 billion USD) while the overall export turnover growth of the whole country was about 14.3%.

At the meeting, representatives of departments, branches, and business associations in Vinh Long province made many proposals and recommendations to remove difficulties in developing key infrastructure projects; promoting national target programs on sustainable poverty reduction, building new rural areas, eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses for the poor; developing social housing and promoting the transformation of agricultural and rural economic models.

The main difficulties raised by businesses and industry associations at the meeting were mainly related to the impacts of drought, saltwater intrusion, riverbank erosion, and climate change. In addition, the fragmented investment situation in many industries and fields also makes it difficult for the business community in Vinh Long to access preferential policies and priorities of the Government.

The People's Committee of Vinh Long province also proposed to remove some difficulties related to policies for implementing commercial housing projects, such as difficulties in implementing agreements to receive land use rights or having land use rights but that land is not residential land; preferential policies and incentives for investment in the field of power transmission...

Speaking at the conclusion of the working session in Vinh Long, Governor Nguyen Thi Hong highly appreciated the efforts of Vinh Long province in implementing solutions to promote socio-economic growth in 2025.

Regarding the proposals and recommendations of Vinh Long province, the Governor said that from 2024 to present, the locality has made 11 recommendations to the Government and relevant ministries and branches regarding the fields of investment and construction; credit and interest rate policies; tax, fee and charge policies; land use planning. All of these recommendations have been recorded and processed by the Central Government. Vinh Long also proposed a number of issues related to the policy of building commercial housing, social housing and investment procedures for power projects... As the Head of the Government's interdisciplinary working group, the Governor directed relevant ministries and branches to record and handle them according to their functions and tasks, removing difficulties for localities, enterprises and economic organizations in the area.

In order to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles, boost production and business, strongly promote public investment, import and export, 3 national target programs, strive to achieve and exceed the growth targets set for 2025, the Prime Minister issued Official Dispatch No. 14/CD-TTg on organizing a working delegation of Government members to work with localities to promote production and business, public investment, import and export, national target programs, strive to achieve and exceed the growth target for 2025. Accordingly, the head of the Government requested Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, Heads of Ministries, and ministerial-level agencies to continue to organize working delegations with localities on a quarterly basis (or when necessary). The Government leader requested relevant ministries and branches to support localities in removing difficulties in public investment, developing processing and export industries, etc.

Huy Thang