Municipal leader wants to make HCM City No.1 again
Ho Chi Minh City should become a special economic zone, modeled on Shanghai, in order to win back its position as Southeast Asia’s leading economy, the secretary of the municipal Party Committee has said.
Dinh La Thang believes the southern metropolis is not living up to its potential, and lagging behind other locations and regional cities in terms of economic development.
The city’s Party chief underlined the importance of “winning back the number one position” as he addressed the meeting of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Executive Committee on March 27.
Thang started his speech with a story about a horse which thinks it cannot run any faster until it is chased after by a tiger.
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“With the tiger chasing, the horse can run twice as fast as normal,” Thang said, before questioning whether Ho Chi Minh City had tried its best yet.
The southern economic hub needs a ‘tiger’ to push it to grow further, according to the Party chief.
“We have hardworking, brilliant, creative citizens who are willing to accept challenges, but we are still lagging behind,” he said.
Thang said what is lacking is “the fearless spirit, solidarity and bravery which we used to have during wartime.”
“So Ho Chi Minh City has to re-create the strong spirit as it used to have during wartime in order to have social consensus and overcome all challenges and difficulties,” Thang pressed.
“Every Party member and every citizen has to have an aspiration of a No.1 city – we used to be No.1 so we have to take back that position.”
Thang said Ho Chi Minh City, previously known as Saigon, used to be the “Pearl of the Far East,” and Singapore and Thailand “looked at Saigon with envy.”
“That said, Ho Chi Minh City is now outpaced even by other Vietnamese locations,” he pointed out.
“Ho Chi Minh City is still Vietnam’s leading economy, but the city is not in the top three on the provincial competitiveness index.”
Thang underlined that what Ho Chi Minh City badly needs is a breakthrough development.
“The central-level government should give us more authority and a special mechanism so that Ho Chi Minh City can become a special economic zone, like Shanghai and several other cities,” he said.
Thang added HCM City is determined to achieve its target of building a new urban administration model, which is aimed at creating a better administrative apparatus that facilitates the city in fully tapping its potential and resources to boost its socio-economic development.
“We will also seek more open mechanisms and legal frameworks to ensure that Ho Chi Minh City can develop to its potential,” he concluded.
