Expect a breakthrough in 2024

In 2023, Ninh Binh completed and exceeded 12/15 key targets, of which 10 targets were exceeded. Gross domestic product (GRDP) in the area increased by 7.27% compared to 2022, ranking 23rd out of 63 provinces and cities, higher than the national average. Although some targets did not meet the set plan, it still showed great efforts of the Party Committee, government, people and business community, creating confidence for breakthroughs in the new year and the entire term.

The colorful economic picture

In 2023, the world economic situation continues to be complicated and unpredictable, the global economy recovers slowly... negatively affecting our country. In this context, with the efforts of the entire political system and business community, Ninh Binh still chooses to stick with the proposed growth scenario. The Provincial Party Committee has reached a high consensus on the viewpoint of high concentration and determination to strive to achieve the highest level of socio-economic development goals and targets; proposes to adjust and raise the targets for targets that are likely to be over-fulfilled;

persist with targets that are difficult to achieve due to the influence of unpredictable and unforeseen factors.

At the same time, based on practice, new important viewpoints, goals and tasks of strategic nature are proposed; clearly demonstrating the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, high determination, great efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges to ensure long-term development goals, for the development of the province and the country. With the right policies, the socio-economic situation of the province continues to achieve many positive and comprehensive results, basically achieving the set general goals, completing and exceeding 12/15 main targets (of which 10 targets were over-fulfilled). The total social product (GRDP) in the province in 2023 is estimated at 53,389.76 billion VND, an increase of 7.27% compared to 2022, ranking 23/63 provinces and cities, higher than the average level of the whole country; GRDP per capita is estimated at 88.03 million VND.

It can be seen that, in the difficult conditions "on all sides", the economic picture of the province still has bright colors. Industrial production gradually recovered, especially in the last months of the year; it has overcome the very negative impacts from the general situation of the world and the country, achieving positive growth with the value of industrial production increasing by 1.51% compared to 2022, although the growth rate is not large, but it is a very encouraging result in the general difficult conditions of the world and the country.

Agriculture continues to affirm its supporting role with the GRDP value of the agriculture-forestry-fishery sector increasing by 2.86% compared to 2022; the production value/ha of cultivated land reached 155 million VND, exceeding the plan by 1.3%. The construction of new rural areas (NTM), advanced NTM, and model NTM continued to achieve positive and comprehensive results, exceeding the set targets. To date, all 119/119 communes and 8/8 districts and cities have met NTM standards and completed the task of building NTM; of which 50/119 communes met advanced NTM standards, 18/119 communes met model NTM standards, and over 430 villages, hamlets, and villages were recognized as meeting model NTM standards...

In particular, the service sector plays an important role as the growth driver of the province in 2023, with GRDP value increasing by 13.23% compared to 2022, the second consecutive year with high double-digit growth. In 2023, total retail sales of goods increased by 36.7% compared to 2022; 12/12 commodity groups had high growth compared to the previous year. Tourism continued to recover and develop strongly, service quality was increasingly improved, continuing to be in the top 15 destinations, 10 provinces with the highest number of visitors in the country. In 2023, it welcomed over 6.5 million visitors, an increase of 76.4% over the same period, exceeding the annual plan by 22.5%; revenue reached nearly 6,380 billion VND, nearly 2 times higher than the previous year and exceeding the annual plan by 23.8%.

In addition to the achieved results, the economic picture of Ninh Binh still has some dark colors. Notably, the three economic development indicators including: GRDP growth rate; state budget revenue; total export turnover did not reach the set plan. The reason is that the complicated and unpredictable fluctuations in the world political and economic situation have caused shortages and delays in the supply of raw materials, high prices; purchasing power in the domestic and international markets has decreased, leading to businesses having no new orders; increased inventories... greatly affecting the industrial development and import and export of the province. Businesses have to cut labor, reduce working hours... narrow down the scale of production, leading to the growth rate not reaching the set plan.

Total export turnover decreased by 1.7% over the same period, reaching 96.2% of the annual plan. This is also the reason for the decrease in budget revenue compared to the same period and lower than the estimate. Total state budget revenue in 2023 reached VND 18,425.7 billion, reaching 82.3% of the estimate. In addition, capital absorption by economic sectors is still weak, especially in the real estate sector.

Expect a breakthrough in 2024 — Tourists visit Trang An. Photo: Minh Duong

Stick to your chosen goals

Although the results achieved are not as complete as expected, the Party Committee, government and people in the province have the right to believe and expect a strong breakthrough of the thousand-year-old ancient capital in 2024, creating a breakthrough to complete the goals and targets of socio-economic development for the 5 years (2021-2025).

Accordingly, continue to thoroughly grasp and promptly and effectively implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 22nd Provincial Party Congress. Focus on seriously and effectively implementing solutions to promote growth, economic recovery, and successfully achieve the set goals and targets, especially the targets that have been adjusted by the Mid-term Review Conference on the implementation of the Resolution of the 22nd Provincial Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term to suit the practical situation.

Ninh Binh is focusing on implementing very large, strategic viewpoints, goals and tasks, shaping development for many future stages, demonstrating the great aspirations of the Party Committee, government and people in the province. The focus is on building Ninh Binh province to become a fairly well-off province in the Red River Delta region by 2030, basically meeting the criteria of a centrally-run city; by 2035, it will become a centrally-run city.

On that basis, Ninh Binh continues to adhere to the socio-economic development goals in the direction of "Green, sustainable and harmonious"; economic development goes hand in hand with social equity and progress. The specific goal that Ninh Binh province aims for is to become a typical model of harmoniously combining restoration, heritage conservation and development;

shaping the nature and functions of the millennium heritage city, creative city; national and international tourism and cultural industry center; establishing the leading position and key link connecting the network of heritages and creative cities of the region and inter-region, the country and the world, deeply integrating into the network of heritage cities holding UNESCO titles in the world. Research, review, report, and propose to the Central Government to issue policies, mechanisms, and strategies for Ninh Binh province to successfully carry out the above tasks.

Nguyen Thom

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