Quang Ninh- Positive Economic Engine of the North

 

In the past term, with the spirit of solidarity, innovation, creativity and determination, the Party, Government and people of Quang Ninh achieved many comprehensive important results in all fields. The province’s economic growth was maintained at a reasonable level, an average of 9.2 per cent a year in the five-year period - much higher than the country’s growth. The size of the provincial economy continued to expand, exceeding VND100 trillion. GDP per capita was US$3,900, more than 1.77 times of the country’s level. State budget revenue was estimated at VND160 trillion, standing among five biggest provinces and cities in the country by budget revenue.

 

Three strategic breakthroughs set by the 11^th National Party Congress were actively and effectively implemented by Quang Ninh province. Socio-economic infrastructure, especially dynamic works, was invested to better serve development requirements. Quang Ninh basically completed the construction to the national grid to Co To Island District, becoming the first in the country to bring electricity to all island communes and remote communes. The province also completed renovation and upgrading of key projects such as National Road 18A (Ha Long - Uong Bi section), National Road 18C (Tien Yen - Hoanh Mo section), and Quang Ninh Museam - Library. Many other driving projects were kicked off, including Quang Ninh Airport Project, Ha Long - Van Don Highway and National Road 18 (Ha Long - Mong Duong section).

 

The economic structure and growth pattern were positively changed towards sustainability. The investment and business environment was continuously improved. The total investment capital valued over VND220 trillion, up 1.6 times over the previous term. The new countryside construction programme was creatively and effectively carried out. The province had 23 communes completing all 19 criteria of new countryside construction, 63 communes basically meeting key criteria and three districts meeting new rural countryside criteria.

 

The social and cultural aspect made progress, with many indicators higher than the average of the country, including the rate of standard schools, the number of hospital beds and the ratio of doctors to residents. Human development, social security and justice were considered for development. In five years, the province spent VND4,690 billion on social security and drove the poverty rate from 7.68 per cent at the beginning of the term to 1.55 per cent. Defence and security was maintained. External activities achieved positive results to better serve economic and social development.

 

Party and political construction was strengthened across the system. The execution of the Resolution of the 4^th Central Party Committee 4 (11^th term) on “Urgent issues in current Party construction” was undertaken seriously in close cooperation with the spirit of learning and following the moral example of Ho Chi Minh.

 

The above results showed the very high effort, initiative and creativity of the Party, the government and people of the province, helping realise the Resolution of the 11^th National Party Congress and the country’s socioeconomic development plan in the 2010 - 2015 phase.

 

 

The biggest goal of Quang Ninh province in the 2015 - 2020 term is to become an economic growth engine of the north where the economy is primarily constituted by high-quality service, industry and tourism.

 

To accomplish this lofty objective, I think that the province must firstly focus on educating Party members, State officials and people in the province to deeply and truly understand historical and cultural traditions, patriotic and revolutionary traditions of Quang Ninh province, and understand new opportunities of the province and the power of 1.225 million people.

 

Secondly, the Party Committee must clearly define the specific responsibility of each Party cell, Party executive committee, Party standing committee and Party unit leader at all levels; strengthen inspection and supervision of implementing Party cells over their tasks; and renovate this work regularly and continuously.

 

Thirdly, the province needs to expeditiously realise targets and tasks of the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress with practical and particular solutions in support of overall targets and major orientations of the province; speed up the completion of transport, service and tourism infrastructure projects in industrial parks and economic zones; focus economic restructuring towards service on the basis of fully tapping local potential and strengths; further attract foreign investors, especially strategic investors; promote PPP form and diversify investment sources; build and develop Van Don Special Economic Zone into a dynamic, civilised and modern development region and build Ha Long City into a tourist city.

 

Finally, the province will resort to the leadership, direction, support and assistance of the Central Party to the fullest and the support and assistance from other provinces, cities and international friends.

 

For Quang Ninh province, accompanying and supporting businesses to deal with their difficulties is always a central task of the provincial administration. The “Accompanying businesses” programme was realised with specific actions by means of organising regular direct meetings and contacts with provincial officials. The province held a national-level conference on investment promotion for the first time in early 2012, the largest of the nation by scale, with the presence of international delegations, Party and State leaders, and investors. This event provided a foundation of success for the province in investment attraction in the following years. The province has hosted many exchanges and dialogues with businesses since 2013 through which recommendations from businesses and investors are solved by the province. Quang Ninh has particularly paid due attention to accelerating administrative reform and site clearance to provide the most favourable conditions for them to deploy their projects. As a result, the business confidence in investment and business environment has been strengthened and enhanced and companies feel assured with their business expansion and new investment projects. So far, the province has 10,809 enterprises with total registered capital of capital nearly VND125 trillion (US$6 billion). Foreign investors from 17 countries and territories have invested US$5.1 billion in Quang Ninh province.

 

Quang Ninh is committed to further creating favourable conditions for investors and accompanying businesses in the spirit of "Going together, coming together and being successful together." With the principle of "Citizen and business satisfaction is the measure of all activities," Quang Ninh province has basically changed the process of settling investment procedures. The time required for handling administrative procedures for investment projects has so far been reduced to just two-thirds of the Government's regulated time. Particularly, the time for granting investment certificates has been shortened to only 7-10 days instead of 25 days as earlier, and the time for construction permission has been reduced to 109 days from 237 days.