Hanoi (VNA) - The ꦗMinistry of Planning and Investment, in coordination with ministries and localities, is planning to hold a conference to announce the Government's action programme to implement the Politburo's Resolution 24-NQ/TW on the socio-economic development and ensure national defence and security of the eastern part of the south to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Investment to be boosted to eastern south

At a press meeting on the conference, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said the event will be held in Vung Tau city of Ba Ria – Vung Tau province under the theme of "New thinking – new breakthroughs – new values", with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai on the chair. The Government's programme will raise many new points and breakthroughs in the economic development of the eastern part of the south, with 35 tasks and 29 infrastructure projects. It will assign tasks to ministries and sectors with concrete roadmaps and timelines. Besides making the programme public, the "three-in-one" conference will promote investment and call for attention from investors and business associations, both domestic and foreign, and development partners in implementing important programmes and projects on the socio-economic development of the region. Investment promotion holds special importance in mobilising resources for the development of infrastructure, boosting the whole region's investment, production and business. Deputy Minister Phuong said that this is a pre-condition for the plans, goals, and strategies worked out in the resolution to be realised. At the conference, the exchange of cooperation agreements on the sustainable development of the region between the Ministry of Planning and Investment and development partners, and memoranda of understanding, and investment registration certificates for domestic and foreign investors will be held. Besides, a photo exhibition on the region and a show of products of regional localities' strengths will also be held on November 25 and 26. The exhibition features the modern, dynamic and creative beauty of the land and people of the region, highlighting strengths in services, industry and tourism of regional localities, as well as typical characteristics in the cultural and spiritual life of locals.

Turning Ho Chi Minh City into international financial centre

Deputy Minister Phuong stressed that the eastern part of the south is home to the strongly and dynamically developing private economic sector, with the number of firms topping the whole country. At the same time, the region is the biggest magnet to foreign direct investment, making up 41.1% of the national total. Ho Chi Minh City is a prominent locality in the region, an economic, financial, trade, science–technology, and reform centre. However, the official also pointed out that the region still faces various major difficulties and challenges. Its development fails to match its potential and advantages, while its economic growth tends to slow down and remains lower than the national. Its contribution to the state budget is falling, worsened by the low productivity growth speed and the snail's speed in planning work and implementation of the planning. Besides, the regional and inter-regional infrastructure network, especially on transport, is yet to be sufficient and concerted, thus negatively affecting the development of the whole region. The room for the vigorous development of the region in the time to come will become huge when the difficulties and challenges are addressed and potential and advantages utilised, Phuong said. The Politburo issued Resolution 24-NQ/TW, aiming to develop the eastern part of the south into a region of dynamic development with a high economic growth rate, serving as the biggest growth driving force in the whole country. Under the resolution, Ho Chi Minh City will become a magnet attracting talents, experts and scientists, especially the high-quality human resources, to live and work in. The metropolis will shoulder the responsibility of an international financial centre, the development of which is on par with those of major cities in Asia, playing the role of a growth pole of the region./.