Central Highlands urged to improve investment promotion

Lam, who is also Minister of Public Security, urged the committee, regional authorities, Party units, ministries and agencies to fully grasp the resolution adopted by the 12th National Party Congress and others set at the fourth plenum of the 12th Party Central Committee, in order to direct socio-economic development and ensure national defence-security. 

On the economic front, localities were asked to review socio-economic and sectoral planning, speed up the restructuring of public investment, State-owned enterprises and agriculture in tandem with new rural development while facilitating start-ups. 

On land issues, the region needs to push forward forest planting and seriously abide by the Prime Minister’s directions on forest management and protection, shutdown of natural forests and sustainable forest recovery, he said, adding that localities should consider devising special mechanisms to rally resources for regional transport connectivity and improve ethnic groups’ well-being. 

Regional localities were also required to consolidate grassroots political systems, with a focus on improving the quality of Party units and members in key areas. 

Despite prolonged drought last year, the regional gross domestic product surpassed 151 trillion VND (6.56 billion USD), up 7.47 percent annually while the gross regional domestic product per capita hit 39.56 million VND (1,720 USD), up 8.57 percent. 

Total social investment reached 78.79 trillion VND (3.42 billion USD), a 7.25 percent increase. 

The number of newly-established firms and registered capital rose year-on-year. 

Thanks to the adoption of technological advances, agricultural production recovered quickly from drought. More attention was also paid to forest protection and development. 

Positive results were recorded in the national target programme on new rural development and policies targeting ethnic minority groups. 

Participants proposed offering more incentives to farming enterprises, allocating production land for ethnic minorities, and rallying resources for transport infrastructure connectivity in the region and adjacent areas. 

At the event, Lam presented gifts, each worth 500,000 VND (21.7 USD), to 7,400 poor residents in the Central Highlands and mountainous districts bordering the region on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year.-