PM tells Dak Nong to make breakthroughs in development

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs an online meeting with the leadership of Dak Nong province, to remove hurdles to its development (Photo: VGP)

Addressing an online meeting with the Dak Nong provincial leadership, PM Phuc noted that the province holds an importantly strategic position in the Central Highlands region with plenty of untapped development potential.

“Such a region does not solve any development problems unless it attracts investment, especially from large companies,” Phuc told the meeting. “Dak Nong should seek to accelerate administrative reforms, complete an e-government model and connect all agencies to create a favourable business environment for investors.”

The PM lauded the province for remarkable achievements in poverty reduction, saying for a mountainous locality inhabited by different groups of ethnic people, poverty reduction should be given priority in its socio-economic development strategy.

However, he expressed his dissatisfaction at the province’s slow public investment disbursement that has now met just 35% of the yearly plan and asked for a greater effort to realize the set target.

The Prime Minister reminded the province to develop industries of its strength such as mining and farm produce processing, especially the hi-tech agriculture.

“During talks with the New Zealand Prime Minister yesterday, we touched upon the possibility of increasing the export of avocado and kiwi, of which avocado is a specialty of Vietnam in general and the Central Highlands region in particular,” he said. “This is a great chance for us to expand the consumption market for this kind of fruit.”

The Prime Minister asked Dak Nong to better manage land, protect forests and increase forest coverage, in addition to caring about social security, poverty reduction, education and training, as well as improving the quality of human resources, considering this a sustainable way out of poverty.

He acknowledged the local leaders’ proposals to develop the power network and hi-tech agriculture, and pledged to work with relevant ministries and agencies to support the province in this regard.

In the first 6 months of the year, Dak Nong obtained an economic growth rate of 6.09%, ranking 2nd in the Central Highlands region. Its Index of Industrial Production increased by 4.5%.

It aims to achieve an economic growth of 7.91% for the whole year, raise a poverty reduction rate of above 3.5% and complete other important socio-economic indicators.