Promoting regional linkages, creating driving force for development

In the context that the socio-economic conditions of localities in the Southern key economic region tend to slow down, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, leaders of ministries and sectors had working trips to these localities in order to listen to, share and have basic orientations to help them set up sustainable development strategies over the past time, further contributing to the development of the whole country.

Building up a strong Binh Duong

That is the statement of Nguyen Chi Dung, member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Planning and Investment during a recent visit to Binh Duong province regarding the content of socio-economic development and national defense-security in the southeastern region and the southern key economic region in the period of 2005-2020. After hearing the province's achievements over the past time, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung highly appreciated Binh Duong's efforts and innovative spirit. He also suggested provincial Party Committee and People's Committee to further inherit the spirit of the previous generations, making appropriate and right decisions to promote the local socio-economic development. In terms of mechanisms and policies for Binh Duong, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung and his delegation said that there will be a direction to advise and submit to the Government soon for appropriate adjustment.

The traffic infrastructure system in Binh Duong and Southeastern region needs the  attention and investment of the Government. In picture: Functional forces regulate traffic at the intersection of My Phuoc - Tan Van and Phu Loi

Talking about the province's socio-economic development orientation in the general picture of the southern key economic region, Nguyen Hoang Thao, Pernament Vice-Secretary of provincial Party Committee said that in the coming time, the province will continue strengthening regional linkages in the direction of focusing on investment for development. The cooperation between localities in the "nuclear core zone" of the southern key economic region is an important premise, a strategic link to promote help the socio-economic development of the whole region.

In the program of working with provinces in the southeastern region, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders of ministries and sectors also said that the process of socio-economic development in the direction of industrialization and modernization over the past few years brought about obvious and positive changes. In order to further hold an important position in the region and the whole country, Binh Duong needs to continue having a strategy for planning, building and managing the urbanization process in a sustainable, smart, efficient and comprehensive way in the coming time. In particular, the local scale and quality of infrastructure works for socio-economic development need to be invested, built and upgraded to match with the local development. The quality of life of the local people needs to be improved towards being healthy, civilized, friendly with identities.

Clearing traffic "blockages"

So far, the socio-economic conditions of the provinces and cities in the southern key economic region have achieved great achievements. Leaders of the Government and ministries have considered the process from a purely agricultural locality to becoming the industrial capital of Binh Duong over the past time as a miracle. The province’s speed of socio-economic development over periods is among the country’s top dynamic localities, but this rapid development has also created problems for change. Particularly, issues related to the living environment, quality and scale of transport infrastructure works, problems of social housing and social welfare policies for people, social evils… need to continue receiving attention from authorities.

Currently, the big problem for Binh Duong in particular and the southern key economic region in general is that traffic infrastructure is not commensurate with the economic development potential of the localities and region. Accordingly, in Binh Duong province alone, recently a number of arterial roads such as National Highway 13, My Phuoc - Tan Van, DT741, DT742, DT743 ... have shown signs of congestion in some certain times. If not being resolved early, it will cause negative points for the level of competition in the local investment attraction.

To solve this problem, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that the Government will soon make a decision on appointing a "commander" dedicated to handling obstacles and supporting localities in the southern key economic region. He also suggested localities to be proactive to sit together in order to find the most optimal solutions in the problem of regional linkage and mutual support for development. These localities need to have a plan to assign tasks under each locality’s advantages.

The Prime Minister and leaders of ministries and sectors also suggested localities in the southern key economic region to focus on building key traffic routes with regional connectivity. Binh Duong was assigned the tasks of focusing on monitoring, directing, reviewing and speeding up the disbursement of the medium-term and annual public investment plan; focusing on implementing key traffic works in the direction of connecting local roads with the traffic system of the southern key economic region, with Long Thanh international airport and Thi Vai - Vung Tau seaport compound, HCM city and other technical infrastructure systems, such as: the belt roads 3, 4; Ho Chi Minh city - Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh expressway...

As one of the four "nuclear quadrilateral" provinces and cities in the southern key economic region, Binh Duong is aspirational towards further goals. Accordingly, the province has set a goal to become a smart and friendly city, a modern industrial hub of the country by 2030s. To realize those goals and visions, Binh Duong needs specific and appropriate policies, thereby continuing nurturing revenues for re-investment, creating breakthroughs in mechanisms and policies in attracting investment, and promoting the national and local socio-economic development.

Reported by Dinh Thang-Translated by Kim Tin