During his working session with the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee on January 31, Mr Manh stressed that the international economic integration process is presenting new opportunities and challenges to the city and the nation as a whole. To make the best use of opportunities and turn challenges into motives for rapid development, it is imperative to persist in the socialist orientations and avoid mistakes.

He asked the city to create a high consensus among Party members, ranking officials and people to take the lead in international economic integration.  

The Party leader praised the city’s achievements in 2006, including an economic growth rate of more than 12 percent and foreign investment of more than US$2 billion. He said it had maintained political stability, security and social order and made progress in poverty reduction.

“The city must develop rapidly and steadily to deserve to be the country’s biggest economic hub,” said Mr Manh.

He emphasised the need to develop high-tech industries and high-quality services such as banking, finance and healthcare and said “HCM City must take the lead in competitions and get the upper hand.”

The Party leader urged the city to sum up practical experience and join efforts with the Party Central Committee in tackling issues which come up during the development and integration process, as well as finalising the socialist market-oriented mechanism.  

He asked the city to better solve social issues and accelerate administrative reform to increase operation efficiency of administrative agencies. He also asked the city to continue the Party building and rectification campaign and increase the leadership capacity and the combative spirit of the Party to meet the requirements at present, while fighting corruption and wastefulness.  

Visiting Linh Trung Export Processing Zone, a successful industrial production model in the city, Mr Manh inquired into the zone’s measures to improve employees’ working and living conditions. It was reported that most of the 70,000 employees working in the zone came from very poor areas.

According to municipal authorities, most of the 210,000 employees working in the city’s industrial parks and export processing zones came from neighbouring provinces and the city has been seeking to provide accommodation for these employees.

Mr Manh said that providing stable income and housing for employees is a big problem occurring not only in HCM City but also in other localities across the country.  

The State will cooperate with local administrations and employers to address the problem and ensure harmonious interests between the State, employers and employees, said Mr Manh.

He asked the city to socialise the building of houses for employees and make recommendations with regard to policies on credit, tax and land use.

During his stay in the city on January 30-31, Mr Manh visited Military Zone No 7, where he reminded the zone’s officials and staff of important tasks to maintain political stability, security and peace for local and national development.