Dong Nai (VNA) – The southern province of Dong Nai will continue to review andmake necessary preparations to ensure rapid and efficient compensation and resettlementso that the Long Thanh International Airport project could be kicked off in2019, said a local official.

Dinh QuocThai, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, made the statement at theclosing ceremony of the fourth meeting of the ninth provincial People’sCouncil, adding that the first phase of the project is scheduled to becomeoperational in 2025.
  
Reviewing Dong Nai’s economic situation in thefirst half of this year, Thai said the province’s GDP grew by 7.26 percentyear-on-year with industrial production index up 7.82 percent while trade andservices up 6.23 percent, respectively. 

Despite impacts of unusual weather, which causedlosses for tens of thousands of areas of fruits, as well as the oversupply ofsome agricultural products such as pork, banana and pepper, the local farmingsector still expanded by 2.45 percent, he said. 

The province’s export turnover hit nearly 8.1billion USD, up 11.2 percent against the same period last year while its importrevenue was 7.5 billion USD, Thai said. 

Of note, he said, Dong Nai’s trade surplus stoodat nearly 600 million USD, a record high in recent years, and its contributionsto the State budget was over  22.26 trillionVND (980 million USD), representing a year-on-year rise of 12 percent. 

According to Thai, in order to maintain theeconomic growth rate, the province will focus on facilitating production andbusiness activities, promoting cultural and tourism development, improving thequality of education, ensuring social welfare,  managing natural resourcesand the environment, intensifying administrative reform and enhancing nationaldefence and security. 

During the meeting, the provincial People’sCouncil passed 28 resolutions on socio-economic development, nationaldefence-security and issues regarding social welfare and environmentalprotection.-VNA