Governor and Government delegation work in Ben Tre

Reporting at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Truc Son, Vice Chairman of Ben Tre Provincial People's Committee, said: Regarding production and business results, by the end of 2024, Ben Tre province had a growth rate of gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of 5.68%. In particular, agricultural and fishery production was stable, with no dangerous epidemics occurring in livestock and poultry; industrial and handicraft production value increased by 7.93%; total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue increased by 11.58%.

The leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Committee and People's Council of Ben Tre province worked with the working delegation. Photo: Thach Binh

Many breakthrough solutions for economic growth

In 2025, the Government assigned Ben Tre province an economic growth target of 8% - opinions say that this is a high growth target in the development conditions of the locality. Therefore, from the beginning of the year, the Provincial People's Committee has simultaneously implemented many breakthrough solutions in all areas of the economic sector.

Specifically, in the field of agriculture, forestry and fishery, Ben Tre will focus on expanding the area, increasing the output and value of agricultural and fishery products. In particular, developing an additional 700 hectares of organic coconut combined with intercropping model (giant freshwater prawn) in coconut gardens; investing in an additional 100 hectares of high-tech marine shrimp farming...

In the industrial and construction sectors, the locality will strive to complete key projects such as Phu Thuan Industrial Park; speed up the connection to the national grid for the two wind power projects Sunpro and Thanh Hai 2-3-4.

In the service sector, Ben Tre will promote the exploitation and development of the domestic trade market; implement consumer stimulus programs; encourage the use of loan capital for production and business to increase credit growth by double digits or more; promote logistics and transportation services...

Regarding public investment, by the end of 2024, Ben Tre had disbursed over VND 4,578.6 billion in public investment capital, reaching 88.5% of the plan. Last year, the province actively invested in key projects and works, such as: Rach Mieu 2 Bridge Project; Ba Lai 8 Bridge Project, Phu Thuan Industrial Park Project; North Ben Tre Irrigation System Project; Essential Infrastructure Project to support the development of fruit and ornamental flower growing areas in Mo Cay Bac area and Cho Lach district...

Regarding exports, last year the province's export turnover reached over 1.63 billion USD, up 12.23% over the previous year. By the end of February 2025, the local export turnover reached over 300 million USD, up sharply 40.3% over the same period last year.

Regarding the National Target Programs, Ben Tre has so far successfully built 113 new rural communes. The total disbursed capital of the National Target Program on New Rural Development in the province has reached about 214.9 billion VND. Ben Tre has disbursed about 68.6 billion VND from the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction in 2024 to implement activities to eliminate hunger, reduce poverty and develop social security.

Banks support the formation of large enterprises, leading local industries

At the meeting, Ms. Ho Thi Hoang Yen, Acting Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the People's Council of Ben Tre province, said that in order to achieve the target of 8% GRDP growth in 2025, Ben Tre needs to continue to make efforts to promote comprehensive development of all economic sectors, especially local areas with strengths and key projects and programs at the provincial and regional levels.

In particular, Ms. Yen believes that credit capital from the local banking system plays an important role in supporting localities in building large enterprise models, leading local industries with strengths.

According to Ms. Yen, in the coming time, if commercial banks focus on supporting capital and removing difficulties for export processing projects, infrastructure projects, social housing, and power transmission line construction projects for wind power and solar power projects, it will create significant conditions for Ben Tre to complete its economic growth targets in 2025.

State Bank Governor Nguyen Thi Hong represented the Government to direct at a working session in Ben Tre in March 2025 - Photo: Duc Khanh

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 Ben Tre 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. It is expected that Ben Tre's GRDP in the first quarter of 2025 will grow by 6.28% over the same period. "This is a high growth rate, which will create a foundation and momentum for the completion of Ben Tre province's annual goals," the Governor emphasized.

The Governor also requested representatives of ministries and branches that are members of the Government Working Group to take note of 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 the Government's incentive and support programs 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.

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.

Credit focuses on Ben Tre's strong areas

According to the report of the Department of Credit for Economic Sectors (SBV), Ben Tre province currently has 109 transaction points of credit institutions, including 20 level 1 branches; 8 People's Credit Funds and 1 microfinance institution.

By the end of February 2025, the total capital mobilization of credit institutions in the area reached 63,600 billion VND, an increase of 2% compared to the end of 2024. Total outstanding credit in the province reached 68,100 billion VND, of which credit for agriculture, forestry and fishery reached about 20,500 billion VND; industry and construction sector about 12,300 billion VND and credit for trade and services about 34,500 billion VND.

Key sectors of Ben Tre province are focused on lending by credit institutions, including: aquaculture (outstanding loans of nearly 7,800 billion VND); rice (outstanding loans of 1,100 billion VND). Outstanding loans for the coconut industry alone reached nearly 4,100 billion VND by January 2025. Of which, loans for purchasing and processing account for 51%, exports account for 44%, and the rest are loans for planting and caring for coconuts.