The country’s economy saw complicated changes in Q1 2011. But, thanks to the efforts of the local authorities, Binh Duong province’s socio-economic performance has still further maintained positive growth.

Economy with high growth

The province’s total GDP in Q1 2011 was estimated to increase by 13.4% compared to last year’s same period. Of the total figure, agriculture-forestry-fisheries rose by 1.5%, industrial manufacture and construction by 10.8% and services by 19.3%.

Province-based businesses have still gained stable operation amid the national economy’s difficulties

Estimatedly, the province’s industrial production value reached more than VND29.1bln, up 18.6% compared to last year’s same period. The trade-services sector also gained high growth with the total retail sales revenue for commodities and services reaching more than VND12.6trillion, up 30% compared to last year’s same period.

Meanwhile, transport sector saw sharp growth at the local people’s demand for goods transport and traveling. Tourist sites continued being invested for expansion and lured more than 1mln visitors in the first three months of this year.

The province’s export turnover also achieved more than US$1.95blb, up 20.3% compared to last year’s same period while import value reached more than US$1.63bln, up 25.1% compared to last year’s same period. Besides, the local agricultural sector continued seeing stable growth…

Also during the time, the province absorbed additional VND2.387trillion and US$256mln from domestic and FDI projects; reached VND4.8trillion in State budget collection, getting 26% of the estimation of the Ministry of Finance and 22.8% of the estimation of provincial People’s Council and increasing by 5% against the corresponding period of last year.

Ensuring social welfare

The province has also paid more attention to taking care of the lives of social policy beneficiaries.

Last Tet, the province extracted VND103bln and mobilized tens of billions of dong together with many gifts from businesses, organizations and individuals to take care of the lives of social policy beneficiaries; built 5 unity and gratitude houses and offered 83 saving books for poor households.

The province also attached special importance to healthcare for the local people; well realized the national target programs; made positive change in the education-training work…So far, there have been 93 schools getting national standards and 98.9% of teachers standardized in qualification.

Such these apart, the province set up the Election Committee for the upcoming elections of the 13th NA and the People’s Councils at all levels for the 2011-2016 tenure and many election sub-committees; continued maintaining administrative procedure reform; organized a lot of meaningful culture-sports activities; ensured national defence and security…

In general, the province’s socio-economic performance in Q1 2011 saw positive changes. They will also be the foundations for the province to fulfill its targets in socio-economic development of the next months and the whole year.

Reported by K.Tan-Translated by K.T