In 2010, Cao Bang Town was recognised as a third-grade urban zone. In 2012, Cao Bang City was founded, creating an important motivation to push urbanisation. The Party and the people of Cao Bang City have focused all investment resources to build a driving city to deserve a centre of politics, economy, society and culture of Cao Bang province. Currently, Cao Bang City is focusing investment on infrastructure development to create a new spacious, clean, beautiful face, typical of a mountainous city.
One year after establishment, Cao Bang City looks like wearing a new coat. From lessons in harnessing community power, promoting resources and building the city into a third-grade urban zone, Cao Bang is now given the strength of solidarity and determination to overcome difficulties for sustainable development.
Due to economic downturn impacts, Cao Bang City has faced a lot of difficulties and challenges in implementing its tasks set for 2013. Some socioeconomic indicators achieved progress, but the results were not very high. The growth was slow and unsustainable. Handicraft production remained fragmented and spontaneous. There were no breakthroughs in agriculture and forestry production and high-quality material production zones were not established. The collaboration between the city and some provincial agencies is unresponsive and time-consuming, thus leading to sluggish site clearance and project implementation.
Amid many difficulties and challenges, the Cao Bang City People’s Committee has closely directed economic, cultural and social development fields; drastically implemented investment projects; stepped up site clearance for investment projects; and applied solutions to State Budget increase in order to complete targets for 2013. Hence, handicraft - industrial production and commercial - service activities are relatively stable. As of October 28, 2013, handicraft - industrial production value was VND48.6 billion, fulfilling 87.5 percent of the full-year plan. Total retail sales of goods and services in the first 10 months of 2013 reached VND1,626 billion, equal to 92 percent of the yearly plan. In 2013, with good rainfall, crop growth and development is favourable and all objectives of crop acreage and productivity exceed the plan. Grain output in the spring season was 6,450 tonnes, equal to 117 percent of the full-year plan and was expected to reach 11,659 tonnes in the whole year, exceeding the annual target by 4.7 percent.
The picture of the present city is brightening. Public works with characteristic architectures are being constructed. Lighting and decorative illuminating systems are basically completed. Together with architectural works, spacious, modern urban transportation networks with cemented lanes are adding to the beauty for the young, dynamic city of Cao Bang. Many big projects are being implemented in the city, including the provincial administrative centre, southern urban traffic routes, a road connecting National Road 3 and National Road 4, inner roads in new urban zones, De Tham Industrial Park, and Chu Trinh Industrial Park. Once completed, these works will be important highlights of the city’s architectural planning.
For sustainable urban development in the future, together with promoting its achievements, Cao Bang City will focus on a number of strategic and urgent issues:
- Completing the master planning of Cao Bang City towards 2030, with a vision to 2050. Based on the master planning, the city will work out detailed sector-specific development plans for industry, handicraft, trade, service, tourism and others.
- Performing thorough administrative reform in land allocation, leasing and urban order management, assistance for legal procedures in business investment, construction and site clearance, etc. to create a safe legal framework to draw investment.
- Strengthening the role of State management in reforming and constructing the urban zone in accordance with the planning to ensure inheritance and serve development; investing in urban infrastructure development in accordance with urban planning, allocating population and labour force, determining potential and development level in each area, building goods production zones, ensuring rational and sustainable development; mobilising social resources to improve urban quality, improve working conditions and living environment sanitation.
- Developing stable economy, creating jobs for people, with a focus on low-income and poor people; focusing on production restructuring, planning new countryside construction, changing production patterns and consumer habits based on environmental friendliness and clean industrialisation; and strengthening trade links between urban and rural areas.
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