With many potentials and outstanding advantages for developing marine economy, Thanh Hoa province has mobilized and effectively used resources for marine economic development, thereby promoting the province's socio-economic development rapidly and sustainably, gradually making Thanh Hoa a strong province in marine economy of the country.
Politburo member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the implementation of several key projects in Nghi Son Economic Zone, Thanh Hoa province. Photo: VNA
Promoting the potential and advantages of marine economy
Thanh Hoa province is located at the junction of the North Central and Central Coast regions with the Red River Delta; the nearest gateway to the sea of the West Northwest region of our country and the Northeast of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Thanh Hoa is a province with many potentials and outstanding advantages for developing the marine economy, with a territorial sea area of 17,000 - 18,000 km 2 , 1.6 times larger than the mainland area, a 102 km long arc-shaped coastline; along the coast there are 7 estuaries, 2 large islands (Hon Ne island and Hon Me island cluster); many beautiful beaches, gentle sand banks, very favorable for developing marine tourism, such as Sam Son coastal tourism urban area; Hai Tien, Linh Truong (Hoang Hoa district); Hai Hoa, Bai Dong (Nghi Son town); Tien Trang (Quang Xuong district)... This is also the place where marine cultural sediments are deposited, with many relics, scenic spots and intangible heritages, which are clearly expressed in unique festivals and cultural activities of fishermen. The coastal area of the province has Nghi Son economic zone - one of the eight national key economic zones, with Nghi Son deep-water port, which can receive ships with a capacity of 70,000 DWT (full load), the offshore area of Nghi Son port can receive ships with a capacity of over 200,000 DWT. The above factors are favorable conditions for Thanh Hoa province to develop a variety of marine economic sectors and fields, especially marine tourism, coastal industry, seaports, fishing, aquaculture, seafood...
Fully aware of the position, role and importance of the sea in the cause of national construction and defense, in recent years, Thanh Hoa province has focused on promoting its existing potential and advantages, effectively mobilizing resources for marine economic development, promoting the province's socio-economic development rapidly and sustainably, gradually building Thanh Hoa into a strong province in the marine economy of the country. The province has issued many programs, projects, mechanisms and policies to develop the marine economy, create breakthroughs, and promote socio-economic development in all fields.
Hai Tien Beach Tourist Area (Hoang Hoa)
Regarding the development of marine tourism, in order to effectively exploit and promote the potential and advantages of marine tourism, in the two recent terms, the 18th Provincial Party Congress for the 2015-2020 term and the 19th Provincial Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term identified tourism development as a key program to focus on leadership, direction, and turn tourism into a growth pillar, a spearhead economic sector of the province, with marine tourism being one of the three priority tourism products for development. The province has proactively issued strategies and projects to develop marine tourism, such as the Strategy for Tourism Development of Thanh Hoa Province to 2025, with a vision to 2030; Project for Developing Spearhead Tourism Products to 2025, with a vision to 2030...; implementing the development of 13 plans for the development of coastal tourism areas and destinations; Prioritize investment resources to complete the tourism infrastructure system; focus on calling for, attracting and creating conditions for large-scale resort and hotel projects to be completed and put into use, dramatically changing the appearance of the province's coastal tourism, such as the FLC resort and golf course complex, the sea square, the Sam Son city festival landscape axis, Flamingo Hai Tien... Currently, the coastal tourism areas in the province have about 780 accommodation establishments, with 35,300 rooms; 320 establishments providing tourism and food services, with 36,200 seats, meeting the increasing demand of tourists. Coastal tourism products are developing in a professional direction, in addition, a number of new tourism products are put into operation and promoted effectively, such as the sea square, water music, walking street in Sam Son city; Me Island, Ne Island tours; Paragliding festival at Hai Tien tourist area... In the period of 2021 - 2023, Thanh Hoa province tourism attracted over 26.5 million visitors, with an average growth rate of 17.8%/year.
Regarding coastal industrial development, Nghi Son Economic Zone (1) plays an important role as the driving force and “nucleus” of economic growth of the province and the Southern Delta and North Central regions. This is a multi-sector, multi-sector economic zone, selected by the Prime Minister as one of the eight key coastal economic zones of the country, with attractive investment incentives. The development of Nghi Son Economic Zone has been identified by the Provincial Party Committee as one of the key programs throughout the three terms from the 17th Congress for the 2010-2015 term, the 18th Congress for the 2015-2020 term and the 19th Congress for the 2020-2025 term. Resolution No. 58-NQ/TW, dated August 5, 2020, of the Politburo, "On the construction and development of Thanh Hoa province to 2030, with a vision to 2045", also orients the goal of continuing to invest synchronously and complete essential infrastructure works in Nghi Son Economic Zone, soon turning this economic zone into one of the key coastal urban - industrial and service centers of the country. Thoroughly grasping those viewpoints, in recent years, Thanh Hoa province has sought support from the Central Government and mobilized maximum resources in the province to invest in completing the socio-economic infrastructure of Nghi Son Economic Zone to call for and attract investment, gradually turning Thanh Hoa province into one of the major centers of the North Central region and the whole country in heavy industry, in which the development of coastal industry is the core. Up to now, Nghi Son Economic Zone has attracted 332 direct investment projects (including 25 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects), with a total registered investment capital of VND 159,595 billion and USD 12,827 million; A number of large-scale projects have been completed and put into operation, contributing greatly to the economic growth of Thanh Hoa province in particular and the country in general, such as Nghi Son 2 Thermal Power Plant with a total investment of 2.8 billion USD, Nghi Son International Port with a total investment of 5,870 billion VND, Nghi Son Steel Mill No. 1 with a total investment of 4,980 billion VND... In particular, Nghi Son Oil Refinery with a total investment of about 9.3 billion USD, a capacity of 10 million tons of crude oil/year, has made Thanh Hoa province one of the leading localities in the country in the oil refining industry, supplying and ensuring 40% of the national demand for gasoline and oil. In addition, coastal districts, towns and cities have attracted investment, establishing 11 industrial clusters, with a total area of 304 hectares, and a total registered investment capital of 2,335.7 billion VND. Up to now, some industrial clusters have attracted many enterprises to operate in production and business, contributing to improving industrial and handicraft production capacity, promoting the development of the marine economy.
Regarding infrastructure development, from 2018 to present, the province has completed and put into use many inter-regional traffic routes through coastal areas, such as the coastal road section from Sam Son city to Quang Xuong; East-West Road 4 to Nghi Son port; the road from National Highway 1A to the starting point of East-West Road 4 to Nghi Son port... A number of major traffic routes are being deployed, such as the coastal road section from Nga Son - Hoang Hoa, Hoang Hoa - Sam Son, Quang Xuong - Nghi Son town; the traffic route from Bim Son industrial park to the coastal road section from Nga Son - Hoang Hoa...
Regarding seaport infrastructure, the province has two seaports, Nghi Son port and Le Mon port; of which Nghi Son port is a type I seaport with the potential to become a special port, currently there are 25 ports in operation, capable of receiving ships with a capacity of 70,000DWT. To effectively exploit the strengths of Nghi Son deep-water port cluster, Thanh Hoa province has focused on calling for and attracting investment in regional logistics centers in Nghi Son economic zone; issued policies to support international and domestic sea transport vehicles, support enterprises transporting goods by container through Nghi Son port, attract and call on enterprises exporting goods, large shipping lines to open international container transport routes through Nghi Son port. Initially, it attracted two shipping lines CMA, CGM (France) and VIMC Shipping Company (Vietnam) to exploit international container transport routes; The capacity of loading and unloading goods through the port increases every year, reaching 44.5 million tons in 2023. Besides seaports, the estuaries in the province have favorable conditions for building wharves and cargo ports; in which, Quang Nham, Lach Sung, Quang Chau... are included in the Master Plan for the development of Vietnam's seaport system in the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050.
Fishermen of Ngu Loc commune (Hau Loc) prepare to go to sea.
Regarding aquaculture and fisheries, the sea area of Thanh Hoa province is assessed to have rich and diverse aquatic resources with about 426 species belonging to 203 genera in 101 seafood families, accounting for 68.7% of the total number of species found in the Gulf of Tonkin; in particular, the sea area around Hon Me island has rare species with high economic value, such as abalone, grouper, snapper, eel, lobster... The total seafood reserves reach about 140,000 tons to 165,000 tons. In order to develop aquaculture into a large, high-quality and sustainable commodity production industry, Thanh Hoa province has issued many projects and policies, such as the Project on developing aquaculture associated with firmly protecting national sovereignty at sea until 2030; policies to support the purchase of voyage monitoring equipment and subscription fees for voyage monitoring equipment services for fishing vessel owners with a length of 15m or more; consolidate and develop the province's marine production solidarity groups... Currently, the whole province has 8 fishing ports, 4 anchorage areas serving fishing boats to dock and anchor to avoid storms, with a total capacity of over 2,000 fishing boats; there are 6,057 fishing boats of all kinds, of which 1,095 are 15m or longer; there are 28 enterprises specializing in processing, trading and exporting seafood with a total capacity of about 280,000 tons/year, of which 5 enterprises participate in official exports to major markets, such as Japan, Korea... In 2023, the total output of exploitation and aquaculture in the province will reach 215.6 thousand tons, an increase of 11.5% compared to 2020.
With the synchronous implementation of solutions to promote marine advantages, in recent years, the coastal area of the province has become a dynamic development area; the growth rate of production value in the period of 2020 - 2023 is the highest in the province, reaching 12.94%. Nghi Son Economic Zone continues to promote its role as a driving force, a "locomotive" leading the province's economy; urban areas, coastal tourist areas of Sam Son, Hai Tien, Hai Hoa... develop vigorously; the exploitation and aquaculture industries continue to grow strongly, contributing significantly to promoting the high economic growth of the province. The growth rate of gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in the period of 2021 - 2023 reached 9.6%, ranking 5th in the country and in the first quarter of 2024 reached about 13.15%, ranking 3rd in the country; in which, the coastal area contributed about 61% to the growth of the province.
In addition to the achieved results, the exploitation of marine economic resources in the province still has some limitations and difficulties, specifically: Marine economic development is not commensurate with the potential and advantages of the province; marine tourism has received investment attention, but has not yet become a key economic sector of the province. The system of economic and social infrastructure in coastal areas is still not synchronous, not creating a strong driving force for attracting investment and developing marine economy; the development linkage between coastal regions and cities, between coastal areas and inland and between marine economic sectors and fields is still inconsistent and ineffective. The application of science and technology to marine economic development is not much; the attraction and training of high-quality human resources to serve economic development has not met the requirements. State management of marine resources and environment has not received due attention; some marine resources are overexploited, affecting biodiversity and marine ecosystems. The income of a part of the people in coastal areas, especially fishermen, is still low. Coastal areas are often affected by natural disasters, storms and floods, accompanied by heavy rains, landslides and rising sea levels with increasing scale and consequences, affecting production and people's lives...
Fishermen of Quang Tien ward (Sam Son city) prepare fishing gear to go offshore and stick to the sea.
Striving to become a strong province in the country's marine economy
Resolution No. 58-NQ/TW, dated August 5, 2020, of the Politburo, "On the construction and development of Thanh Hoa province to 2030, with a vision to 2045" identifies comprehensive development, but with a focus on 3 key economic-social regions, including breakthrough and sustainable development of coastal and island areas with 2 growth poles: Nghi Son town and Sam Son city. This is especially meaningful, as the 21st century is assessed by experts as the century of the sea and ocean; the marine economy holds enormous potential in supporting economic growth, creating jobs and promoting innovation.
In order to effectively exploit marine economic resources, create breakthroughs in socio-economic development, build and develop Thanh Hoa province into a new growth pole in the North of the country, Thanh Hoa province will continue to resolutely and synchronously implement tasks and solutions according to Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW, dated October 22, 2018, of the 12th Central Executive Committee, "On the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's marine economy to 2030, with a vision to 2045", the Party's guidelines, policies and laws of the State; focus on leading and directing the effective implementation of the following key tasks and solutions:
Firstly, promote propaganda and raise awareness of all levels, sectors, business communities and people of the position, role and importance of the sea for socio-economic development and the significance of exploiting and effectively using marine economic resources, associated with environmental protection, aquatic resources, and sea and island sovereignty. Closely follow national planning, review, revise, supplement, connect, upgrade and effectively organize the implementation of provincial planning related to the sea and islands, ensuring harmonious and synchronous combination between conservation and development of mainland, coastal, sea and island areas of the province and neighboring provinces.
Second, exploit the potential and advantages of marine space, while mobilizing and effectively using resources to develop marine economic sectors.
Anh Phat Marina (Nghi Son town).
For sea tourism , continue to build and develop new, classy, unique and different sea tourism products to increase competitiveness, attract visitors and build brands, aiming to develop 4-season tourism; in which, focus on developing 3 main sea tourism centers along the coast: Hai Tien - Linh Truong - Hoang Phu area (Hoang Hoa district); Sam Son city area and Quang Xuong district; Hai Hoa center and Hon Me area (Nghi Son town). Research and develop sea and island exploration tourism products in Hon Ne and Hon Me island areas; seabed exploration tourism and other types of combined tourism services.
For coastal industry, create favorable conditions to attract and implement investment projects to develop coastal industries, industries associated with the sea with advantages, such as petrochemical refining and post-petrochemical refining products processing, metallurgy, food processing... Focus resources on synchronous and modern investment in essential infrastructure works, build Nghi Son economic zone into one of the key coastal urban - industrial and service centers of the country. Attract investment in LNG power projects according to the VIII power plan in Nghi Son economic zone; promote investment in construction, exploitation of wind power, solar power and other forms of renewable energy in accordance with the plan.
For maritime economy, promote the exploitation of the strengths of Nghi Son deep-water port cluster; gradually upgrade Nghi Son port into a special port to serve the socio-economic development of the whole country and inter-regions; invest, upgrade and expand Le Mon, Quang Chau and Quang Nham ports according to the plan. Continue to effectively implement solutions to attract businesses to transport goods by container through Nghi Son port, contributing to ensuring import and export revenue for the Central Government and increasing local budget revenue. Develop a sea transport fleet with a reasonable structure, meeting the needs of the domestic transport market, deeply participating in transport supply chains, gradually increasing and capturing international market share.
For aquaculture and seafood exploitation, promote the restructuring of aquaculture towards industrialization and modernization; enhance the application of science and technology in aquaculture, exploitation, preservation and processing of seafood, creating products with high economic value, meeting market demand. Strongly transform aquaculture towards reducing coastal fishing vessels, increasing large fishing vessels for offshore fishing, associated with the regeneration of marine resources; form fishing unions, production teams at sea. Invest in upgrading Hai Chau, Quang Nham, Hoang Truong fishing ports; Lach Hoi, Lach Bang storm shelters...
Third, promote administrative reform, strongly improve the investment and business environment, mobilize diverse resources from economic sectors to invest in sustainable development of the marine economy. Proactively approach investors in depth in association with the goal of sustainable development. Effectively use state budget capital to invest in developing infrastructure in coastal areas, creating connections between the four dynamic economic centers of the province (2) , to promote the province's socio-economic development rapidly and sustainably; gradually form an economic corridor, connecting Nghi Son seaport - Tho Xuan airport with the Northwestern provinces through the route from Tho Xuan airport to Nghi Son economic zone and the inter-regional connecting traffic route from Ho Chi Minh road in Ngoc Lac district, Thanh Hoa province to National Highway 6 in Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province.
Fourth, continue to innovate and apply advanced scientific and technological achievements to the sustainable development of the marine economy. Develop high-quality human resources to meet the development needs of the tourism industry, heavy industry, petrochemical industry, etc.; have mechanisms and policies to attract talents, gradually forming a team of managers, scientists, and experts with deep expertise in the sea. Effectively implement vocational training associated with job conversion for coastal residents.
Fifth, strengthen environmental protection, conservation, sustainable development of marine biodiversity, natural marine ecosystems; improve forecasting capacity, proactively prevent and mitigate natural disasters, adapt to climate change and rising sea levels. Take care of socio-economic development combined with ensuring national defense and security in sea and island areas. Strengthen state management at sea and islands, especially close and effective coordination between functional forces at sea in protecting sovereignty, ensuring security and safety at sea and islands; firmly build the national defense posture associated with the people's security posture in sea and island areas.
DO TRONG HUNG
Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council of Thanh Hoa province
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(1) Nghi Son Economic Zone was established by the Prime Minister in 2006 (in Decision No. 102/2006/QD-TTg, dated May 15, 2006 of the Prime Minister) with an area of 18,611.8 hectares, including 12 southern communes of Tinh Gia district (now Nghi Son town). On December 7, 2018, the Prime Minister approved the adjustment and expansion of the master plan for the construction of Nghi Son Economic Zone to 2035, with a vision to 2050 in Decision No. 1699/QD-TTg, accordingly, Nghi Son Economic Zone was expanded to 106,000 hectares (of which the mainland and island area is 66,497.57 hectares; the water surface area is 39,502.43 hectares).
(2) Including: 1- Thanh Hoa city dynamic center - Sam Son city, 2- Southern dynamic center (Nghi Son Economic Zone), 3- Northern dynamic center (Thach Thanh - Bim Son), 4- Western dynamic center (Lam Son - Sao Vang)
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phat-huy-tiem-nang-loi-the-huy-dong-hieu-qua-cac-nguon-luc-xay-dung-thanh-hoa-tro-thanh-hoa-tinh-manh-ve-kinh-te-bien-cua-ca-nuoc-220509.htm
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