Though it has a difficult terrain and encompasses 30 ethnic minority groups, Yen Bai last year managed to achieve a GDP growth rate of nearly 13 percent and reduce the number of poor households by 5.5 percent.

President Triet said the province, which remains very poor, should build on its advantages in terms of forests and land to develop a modern agriculture and should invest more in industries such as mining and cement production. Mr Triet mentioned expanding the local airport to serve economic development.

Regarding judicial reforms in Yen Bai, the state president praised the efforts of the local judicial staff and said the Party and State will devise more appropriate mechanisms with better incentives for cadres working in the province’s remote and disadvantaged areas.

During his visit, President Triet stopped at the VINACONEX Yen Binh Cement Company, which provides steady jobs for 550 people, mostly local ethnics, and additional jobs for thousands of outworkers. On average, the company’s workers have a monthly salary of VND4 million.

The cement company, which has taken part in many charitable activities to help poor families and people affected by natural disasters, plans to raise its capacity to three million tonnes of cement per year. Its plant currently can produce 750,000 tonnes of clinker per year and its cement products have secured a firm foothold in the domestic market and have been used in major construction projects throughout the Northwest region and Hanoi.