Regional connectivity needed in economic restructuring

This was the idea highlighted at an international conference in Hanoi on Sunday. The event was jointly held by the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, the German Embassy in Vietnam, and the Coordination Committee for the Central Coastal Region.

9 of 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta are experiencing record salinisation. Tens of thousands of households in the central region and Central Highlands are suffering from serious lack of water due to droughts. Participants at the conference agreed that such issues can not be solved without regional connectivity, and strong regional coordination will help localities address socio-economic and environmental issues out of their reach.

"Raising economic development capacity doesn’t mean that one region focuses only on the sector of its comparative advantage. The regional comparative advantage should be promoted in harmony with the overall economic development of 63 provinces and cities." - Vuong Dinh Hue, Politburo member, Head, Party Central Committee's Economic Commission.

Committees have been coordinated to promote regional connectivity. However, effectiveness remains poor due to lack of management and authority. Such a committee only has 1 or 2 meetings a year to discuss related problems.

Regional connectivity is not the responsibility of the government alone. It needs to be built with social resources. The participation of enterprises in the regional value chain is also an important factor in regional economic linkage.

"We should attract more attention from enterprises to the development of regional sectors by improving facilities and infrastructure, as well as using preferential policies, not compulsory orders." - Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, Economist.

A pilot strategy to promote regional connectivity has been planned for the Mekong Delta and is awaiting approval. Salinisation since the beginning of the year in this region has added to the urgent need for regional connectivity. The pilot plan is expected to be applied to other regions, to better employ regional resources in economic restructuring and growth model change.