Measures sought to promote northern key economic growth

Addressing the event, Dr. Pham Thu Phong, Editor-in-Chief of the Vietnam Financial Times said that the northern key economic region, with three core localities of Hanoi, Hai Phong city and Quang Ninh province, is a strategic region with extremely important role in the country’s politics, socio-economy, defence and security.

In recent years, its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) growth hit 9.08% each year, the highest level among key economic regions of the country, while its State budget collection has met and exceeded the estimates. Hanoi, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh have been among top five localities nationwide in terms of State budget revenue, noted Phong.

Vice Chairman of the Hai Phong People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Tho said that the city has worked closely with Hanoi, Quang Ninh and other regional localities in promoting the growth of the region and fostering their connections, especially in transport infrastructure . The Hanoi-Hai Phong- Quang Ninh and Lao Cai-Hanoi expressways have formed the longest highway network in Vietnam, he said.

However, participants pointed out that along with achievements, the region has faced many challenges, including an unequal competitiveness and innovation among regional localities.

Last year, the Politburo for the first time issued six resolutions on the socio-economic development and defence and security of six key economic regions until 2030 with a vision to 2045, defining the northern key economic region as one of the four national motivation region, paving the way for the region to optimise its advantages.

Dr. Nguyen Duc Kien from the National Financial-Monetary Policy Advisory Council said that regional development goals stated at the resolutions reflect the vision not only until 2030 but further to 2050, contributing to making Vietnam a developed country with high income.

Kien gave a number of recommendations to boost the region’s growth, underlining the need to pay greater attention to infrastructure, industrial development, employment, science and technology and innovation, human resources development, climate change response, and green growth./.