Directive on Southern key economic region development issued

The directive stipulates that the southern key economic region will target  sustainable economic growth and ensure social and political stability; harmonize economic development goals, social development, ecological environment improvement, forest development, industrial development in combination with protection of urban environment, water and air resources ; realize the goals stipulated on Decision 252/QD-TTg, dated February 13, 2014 on the master scheme of socio-economic development in the South key economic region by 2020 with a vision towards 2030. 

The directive targets to apply high-tech; optimize opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution, FTA and IPA including CPTPP, EVFTA, EVIPA. 

The Southern key economic zone will serve as a driving force and a center of economics, trade, culture, training, healthcare, and high-quality scientific research, manpower training. In addition, the zone will play a role of bridging the Mekong Delta Region and the Central Highlands region in which HCMC is a nucleus. 

Three groups of solutions

To fulfill the aforesaid goals, the directive pointed out three solutions on mechanisms, policies, connectivity of sectors, fields, and resources. 

Regarding mechanism and policies, the PM tasked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to supplement, research, and perfect the legal policies on public investment; urged social engagement on transport infrastructure; perfect coordinating mechanism of the region.

The Ministry of Finance was asked to research and perfect regulations on infrastructure exploitation as well as infrastructure exploiation fees.

People’s Committees of the the Southern key economic zone were assigned to assess and propose solutions to coming periods.   

Accelerating inside and outside  connectivity

The PM requested that the Ministry of Transport speed up progress of key projects especially Ben Luc-Long Thanh Highway and groundbreaking for Long Thanh international airport project in Q4, 2019, put Trung Luong-My Thuan and My Tuan-Can Tho expressways into operation in 2021; and promote water transport routes with Cambodia. 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were asked to develop logistics centers; promote agricultural production and consumption; seek potential markets. 

People’s Committees were asked to beef up inside and outside regional connectivity in investment promotion, resource mobilization and allocation, socio-economic infrastructure construction, training, job attraction and generation, scientific research and transferring, and tourism./.

By Kim Loan