Vietnam currently has many types of regional plan, including the Central Highlands plan until 2030 and the Mekong Delta Master Plan on socio-economic development. However, according to international experts at the workshop, these plans are not specific enough.
Nguyen Quang, Manager, UN-HABITAT Programme in Vietnam said: We don’t have regional management authorities so we need the co-operation of all stakeholders. It will require a lot of commitments from them to implement efficient planning.
Solutions for these difficulties were discussed so that they could be included in the draft planning law. For example, for the delta regions, each province’s planning can have knock-on effects on nearby provinces. Therefore, according to the new draft, related ministries should propose a detailed regional plan to avoid this situation.
Nguyen Duc Kien, Vice Chairman, National Assembly's Economic Committee said: It is crucial that we can create linkages among plans, and enhance co-ordination among ministries, departments and localities. The government will need to step up its role in co-ordinating different localities in a region.
Detailed and effective regional planning focuses on regional links and co-operation in both short and long term. It will gradually solve socio-economic problems of each province as well as the whole region, and develop their advantages.
