National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has urged the capitalcity of Hanoi to further leverage its role as an economic hub and a keydriving force in the north and the entire country as well since itsadministrative boundary has been expanded in 2008.
Chairman Hungmade the point at a conference in Hanoi on July 31 to look at thecapital’s implementation of the NA Resolution No.15 dated August 1,2008, specifying the capital city’s boundary expansion.
TheChairman said he was glad that the Party, administration and people ofHanoi have worked together to efficiently realise the NA Resolution andthe Party’s guidelines regarding the work, however, elaborated that alot of challenges still lie ahead in the coming time.
He askedHanoi to launch more communication campaigns to help its residents gain abetter understanding of their role, position and responsibilities inthe path of building and developing a civilised and modern capital cityin the future.
Chairman Hung underscored a must for the expandedcity to ensure that its economy grows in a sustainable, qualitative andhighly competitive manner and its citizens are provided with adequatesocial welfare.
Hanoi should also work towards the nation’s majorcultural hub that is deeply imbued with modern and traditionalcharacteristics, the top legislator said.
The NA Resolution No.15 allowed Hanoi to expand its administrative boundary to also encompassits neighbouring province of Ha Tay, Me Linh commune of Vinh Phucprovince and four communes in Luong Son district, Hoa Binh province.
The city’s current land area covers 3,328 square kilometres, triplingthe former acreage and its population numbers over 7 million, up 1.5times. The city runs 29 administrative units scattering in 577 communes,districts and townships.
Over the past five-year journey, Hanoihas reaped outstanding successes politically, socially andeconomically, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Pham Quang Nghireported.
Notably, the city’s economy made up of over 10 percentof the nation’s GDP, posting an average growth rate of 9.51 percentduring 2008-2012, 1.5 times higher than the national average rate.
Its export turnover grew 15.2 percent a year, jumping to 10.3 billion USD in 2012 from 6.9 billion USD in 2008.
The city’s contributions to the State budget were up 2.5 times to146.3 trillion VND in 2012, accounting for over 20 percent of thecountry’s total State budget.
In the five-year time, Hanoihas pumped 50 trillion VND into agriculture, rural areas and farmers,and eagerly developed socio-technological infrastructure and new stylerural areas.
As many as 12.6 million square metres of housing were built while new urban areas and public works were developed.
With sustained efforts, Hanoi has managed to lead other localities inother realms as well, ranging from culture, education-training,science-technology, literature, to art, health care and sports.
The Party build-up has always been a key task so that the city’spolitical system from the grassroots to central levels has becomestronger. At present, the municipal Party Committee unites over 360,000members, or nearly one tenth of the nation’s figure.
Thoseachievements confirm the rightness and practicality of the NA Resolutionin the long run while constituting the great efforts as well as vivid,persuasive evidence of unity, cooperation, responsibility andcreativeness of Hanoi’s Party Committee, administration and people inmaking their city civilised and modern.-VNA
