Lai Chau urged to fully tap hydropower and mineral potential
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau to fully tap its hydropower and mineral resources potential which is a driving force behind economic development in the entire region.
Working with local authorities in Hanoi on July 29, PM Dung insisted that they should utilize the province’s advantages in agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry, especially using technological advances to turn out high-quality products.
He said Lai Chau also needs to upgrade infrastructure facilities to stimulate its socio-economic development while providing its residents with sufficient social welfare, vocational training and jobs.
“The Government is ready to help Lai Chau reduce poverty, so as to make it easier for the province to bridge the development gap with localities nationwide,” the Government leader said.
The provincial officials said the local economic structuring initially succeeded in achieving an annual average of 12.3 percent from 2004- 2012, and 13.84 percent from 2011-2012.
Seeded food output in 2012 exceeded 177,000 tonnes, 1.6 times more than in 2004. Meanwhile, industrial production rose 3.5 times over 2004 and 1.36 times over 2010. Retail and service sales jumped 6.4 times and 1.7 times compared to the figures of 2004 and 2010, respectively.