First of all, congratulations to Lao Cai province in the first months of 2024 for its impressive growth figures in economy, culture, tourism, and education, with an estimated economic growth of 5.62% in the first 6 months of the year. Through monitoring the socio-economic situation of Lao Cai province in recent years, we can see that these are not spontaneous results in the first months of the year, but rather a continuous process, a good sign for the whole province, showing that the development direction of the province in the past time is correct.
In particular, on February 10, 2022, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW on "Orientations for socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in the midland and mountainous regions of the North to 2030, with a vision to 2045", which determined "... to turn Lao Cai into a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region of China" (Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW dated February 10, 2022 of the 13th Politburo on directions for socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in the midland and mountainous regions of the North to 2030, with a vision to 2045).
So how has the implementation of tasks according to the Resolution of the Politburo been carried out in Lao Cai province, and what breakthrough achievements have there been?
Economic and Urban Newspaper has an interview with Mr. Trinh Xuan Truong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Lao Cai province to better understand this issue.
Sir, on February 10, 2022, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW on "Orientations for socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in the midland and mountainous regions of the North to 2030, with a vision to 2045", in which it determined to turn Lao Cai into a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region of China. To carry out these tasks, what tasks has Lao Cai province implemented so far and what breakthrough achievements has it achieved?
- Mr. Trinh Xuan Truong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee:
Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW dated February 10, 2022 of the Politburo determined to make Lao Cai a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region of China .
To realize the above goals, Lao Cai province has developed an action program and specified the goals and orientations with 18 projects with 24 goals, 7 key tasks, 9 groups of solutions and 2 breakthrough areas; issued many specialized resolutions to focus on exploiting and maximizing the potential strengths of the locality, synchronously implementing many solutions to develop the socio-economy to meet the requirements. At the same time, Lao Cai has also focused on developing and completing the project "Building Lao Cai to become a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region - China" to submit to competent authorities for consideration and approval in order to attract more resources for investment in the locality.
In particular, in recent times, Lao Cai province has focused on developing synchronous and modern infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure, investing in construction and developing border economic zones to meet the requirements of a locality with the role of a "growth pole" and "economic trade connection center".
Could you please share some of the potentials and advantages of Lao Cai province? How has Lao Cai taken advantage of these potentials and advantages to become a center for economic and trade connections between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region - China?
- Mr. Trinh Xuan Truong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee:
Lao Cai is a province with special comparative advantages, converging all the "unique" conditions to develop into a growth pole , a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region - China, and needs the attention and support of the Politburo. Specifically:
(1) The province is located on the shortest traffic route (important connection point) from the Southwest region - China to the seaport; (2) Has a border economic zone of nearly 16,000 hectares with all types of transportation connecting by road, rail, waterway, and soon, by air; (3) Has a provincial capital bordering the Vietnam - China border; (4) Has the Quy Sa iron mine with the largest reserves in the Northern region (2nd in Vietnam after the Thach Khe iron mine - Ha Tinh) and (5) Lao Cai province has Sa Pa - a tourist destination known worldwide.
Over the past time, Lao Cai province has always been persistent and proactive in attracting resources and exploiting the province's main potentials and advantages, specifically as follows:
Firstly, promote border gate economy to become a breakthrough point of Lao Cai and the region: focus on building border gate economic zones, gradually perfecting infrastructure and services, creating an environment to promote official import and export of goods, and develop rich, diverse and high-quality border gate services.
Second, focus on building Lao Cai into one of the key tourist destinations of Vietnam, building Sa Pa into a national and international tourist area rich in identity and modernity, developing Sa Pa tourism is a breakthrough for developing tourism in the province . The number of tourists to Lao Cai increases by an average of over 21% per year, in 2023 it will welcome over 7 million visitors, with revenue reaching over 22,500 billion VND.
Third, industrial development becomes the "pillar" of the economy: the province has focused on attracting investment in the production and deep processing of copper, iron, apatite, and the construction of medium and small hydropower plants... Mineral deep processing plants are given priority for investment, many plants have come into operation and promoted efficiency such as: Ta Phoi copper processing plant with a capacity of 35,000 tons of ore concentrate/year, Ban Qua copper smelting plant with a capacity of 20,000 tons of copper bars/year; DAP fertilizer plant No. 2 with a capacity of 330,000 tons/year. Thereby, the industrial production value by the end of 2023 will reach more than 46,000 billion VND, more than 32 times higher than in 2004 (1,408 billion VND), the average growth rate in the period 2004 - 2023.
Fourth, developing agricultural, forestry, fishery production and rural development becomes a "support" for economic development : promoting the advantages of land and climate resources, over the past many terms, Lao Cai has formed a number of commodity production areas, the total annual grain output up to 2023 reached 330.45 tons.
Forestry has shifted from small-scale timber plantation to large-scale timber plantation and multi-purpose forestry and developed stable and sustainable forests. Forest coverage reached 58.5%, 16.4% higher than the national average.
The results in agricultural production have ensured food security and sustainable poverty reduction. Up to now, 62/127 communes have met new rural standards; it is expected that by 2025, 76/127 communes will meet new rural standards.
Could you tell us about some of the difficulties and challenges in the process of striving to build Lao Cai into a center for economic and trade connections between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region - China? And how has Lao Cai province overcome these difficulties and resolved these challenges?
- Mr. Trinh Xuan Truong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee:
For Lao Cai province, the current challenges and difficulties in the process of striving to build Lao Cai into a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region - China are the "bottlenecks" that have hindered the development of Lao Cai province in recent times such as:
(1) The transport infrastructure connecting Lao Cai with outside parties and localities in the province is not favorable, not creating motivation for the province to exploit development potentials and advantages such as border gate economy, logistics services, tourism, processing and manufacturing industry, etc.
(2) As a province located in the region of provinces with a low starting point, many ethnic minorities live together and account for a high proportion (accounting for 66.2%), the quality of human resources, especially high-quality human resources, is low. This is a huge barrier to socio-economic development, sustainable poverty reduction, especially the requirement for qualified human resources to meet the needs of developing the processing and manufacturing industry and tourism in the coming time.
(3) Lack of specific mechanisms and policies from the Central Government for the midland and mountainous regions of the North to create resources for development.
Therefore, to solve the above problem, in the past time, Lao Cai province has been focusing resources on developing synchronous and modern infrastructure in both economic and social aspects; developing infrastructure of urban areas, industrial parks, tourist areas; investing in telecommunications infrastructure, digital infrastructure, gradually developing digital economy and society and building smart cities, continuing to develop border gate economy, planning and investing in expanding international border gates, promoting the reduction of administrative procedures to facilitate businesses and investors...
At the same time, together with the provinces, proactively propose to the Regional Coordination Council to recommend to the Central Government specific mechanisms and policies for the whole region to create development resources, aiming to soon turn Lao Cai province into an economic and trade connection center, focusing on : building transport infrastructure, developing border economic zones, developing and protecting forests, water resources, and social security.
Could you please share about the province's future orientation to serve the goal of building Lao Cai into a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region - China?
- Mr. Trinh Xuan Truong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee:
To make Lao Cai become a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region - China, Lao Cai identifies the following specific tasks and solutions:
Firstly, build Lao Cai border gate economic zone into one of the important logistics centers of the country, with a synchronous, modern, multi-sector infrastructure network; with the capacity to concentrate and coordinate goods; and provide low-cost logistics services.
Second, build Lao Cai into the tourism core of the region: Lao Cai is an international destination with the pillar being the Sa Pa National Tourism Area. Along with the effective exploitation of Sa Pa Airport, Lao Cai becomes an important tourism bridge; connecting and regulating international visitors to the region and the whole country.
Third, reasonably adjust industrial development strategies; combine exploitation with deep processing of minerals; prioritize industries that manufacture high-value, technological products.
Fourth, build Lao Cai towards becoming a regional and international financial and service center in the future.
Fifth, develop infrastructure, the breakthrough is connecting traffic infrastructure and digital infrastructure: focus resources on investing in synchronous and modern traffic infrastructure to create a complete network, connecting provinces in the region, between the region and the whole country and internationally.
Sixth, continue to strengthen foreign affairs activities, contribute to economic development associated with the role of a national "fence", promote economic trade between ASEAN and China through Lao Cai's border gates; gradually build Lao Cai into a reliable connection point of the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh economic corridor.
How do you evaluate the coordination and support of press agencies in the process of building Lao Cai into a center for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region - China in recent times?
Also on the occasion of the upcoming 99th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day June 21 (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2024), do you have any message to share with the press agencies?
- Mr. Trinh Xuan Truong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee:
Over the past 30 years of re-establishing Lao Cai province, central and local press agencies and journalists have accompanied and participated in all fields, becoming a bridge between the Party, the government and the people, contributing to creating unity within the Party, consensus in society, improving people's knowledge, promoting the image of a dynamic and developing Lao Cai to the people in the country and the world. The achievements in all fields of Lao Cai province over the past 30 years have been contributed by local press agencies, central press agencies and journalists.
On behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee of Lao Cai province, I would like to sincerely thank the central and local press agencies and the team of journalists.
On the occasion of the 99th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2024), on behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee of Lao Cai province, I would like to wish the Economic & Urban Newspaper in particular and press agencies and journalists across the country good health, sharp pens, and a pure heart to contribute to readers with excellent works, contributing to the socio-economic development of each locality and the country.
Thank you very much!
Wishing Lao Cai province to overcome difficulties and challenges and soon complete the set political, economic and social goals!
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Content - Presentation: Duy Anh
05:06 06/21/2024
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/xay-dung-lao-cai-tro-thanh-trung-tam-ket-noi-giao-thuong-kinh-te.html
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