Thai Nguyen: 25 Years of Aspiration for Robust Growth

On January 1, 1997, Thai Nguyen and Bac Kan provinces were re-established from the separation of Bac Thai province and opened up a new development chapter. After 25 years, from a poor province, Thai Nguyen has achieved great progress in all fields. Ms. Nguyen Thanh Hai, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, shared about the province’s 25-year achievements and future development approaches. Ngoc Tung reports.

Could you please introduce some remarkable achievements in the 25-year path of integration and development of Thai Nguyen province?

At the time of re-establishment (January 1, 1997), Thai Nguyen province had nine administrative units, including Thai Nguyen City, Song Cong Town and seven districts: Dinh Hoa, Dai Tu, Vo Nhai, Dong Hy, Phu Luong, Phu Binh and Pho Yen. The province has a natural area of over 3,541 square kilometers and a population of over 1 million.

The northern mountainous province of Thai Nguyen is rich in natural resources for economic development. It is home to many large centrally-governed industrial manufacturers such as Iron and Steel Industrial Park, mechanical factories in Song Cong and Pho Yen, miners, construction material producers, industrial processors and defense factories.

Thai Nguyen is also one of the major education and training centers of the country. It is home to four universities, 20 professional and vocational high schools and eight research facilities worked by intellectuals, academics and technicians. As the center of the northern mountainous region, the province lies near the northern key economic region and has a convenient transportation system and relatively synchronous infrastructure.

However, when it was re-established, Thai Nguyen was a poor province. The economy developed unevenly and unstably due to insufficient investment capital for development. Although the infrastructure was invested to a certain extent, its quality was too low to meet socioeconomic development requirements in the new period. Centrally run industrial facilities were mainly heavy industries created in the 1960-70s. So, their equipment and technology were outdated, unproductive and uncompetitive. The quality of human resources was uneven in the mountainous province.

Determined to speed up sustainable development, after six Party congresses since its inception (from the 15th to the 20th), the Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee has always pursued the path of innovation. At the same time, it had the right decisions for each specific period, utilized strengths and internal resources, and gradually overcame difficulties. Therefore, within the first year, its economic development pace was still high.

At the 20th Party Congress (October 2020), the Provincial Party Committee determined the overall goal “Strengthening and rectifying the Party and political system in a clean, strong, streamlined, effective and efficient manner; ensuring national defense and security; effectively mobilizing and using resources, comprehensively improving the lives of ethnic minorities; building Thai Nguyen into one of the modern industrial economic centers of the northern midland and mountainous region and the Hanoi capital region by 2030.

To realize its right policies, the Provincial Party Committee led a consistent, inclusive, drastic and focused implementation of its policies. Particularly, it paid high attention to personnel affairs and quality to meet work requirements in the new context. It was keen on improving the investment environment, enhancing provincial competitiveness and building synchronous and modern infrastructure.

Therefore, Thai Nguyen achieved impressive results. The clearest evidence was the province completed all 19 targets set for the 2015 - 2020 period in its resolution. The GDP growth was 11.5% a year on average and the economic structure shifted toward the desired paradigm. Most prominently, the industrial production value climbed 16.3% annually to lift the province to the top of the northern midland and mountainous region.

In 2021, despite many difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Thai Nguyen still successfully completed socioeconomic development goals and plans. How do you rate these results?

In 2021, the province's economy expanded 6.56% (2.5 times higher than the national average of 2.58%); the total budget revenue reached nearly VND18 trillion; the industrial production value was estimated at VND844 trillion, up 7.7%; and the export value amounted at nearly US$29 billion, up 17.9%, to stand among the Top 5 exporters in the country.

After 25 years, it is time for Thai Nguyen to reap "sweet fruits". Needless to say, guidelines and decisions of the Party and authorities at all levels have received great consent and support from the people and business community inside and outside the province. Development aspirations and appropriate directions have helped Thai Nguyen make successful breakthroughs. At the same time, this is an important motivation for the province to perform its tasks in 2022 and beyond.

Notably, Thai Nguyen always gives priority to key areas to foster its comparative advantages such as natural conditions, soil conditions and geographical location, while transforming its growth model, economic structure and infrastructure development to attract investment flows in the high-tech sector.

In order to further promote its achieved results, in the coming time, what orientations will Thai Nguyen focus on?

Along with synchronous infrastructure, actively building an enabling investment environment has helped Thai Nguyen become an attractive destination for investment capital flows. Thai Nguyen is one of the 15 best performers of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), ranking No. 11 among 63 provinces and cities in 2020. This shows that the provincial government is always determined to improve the business environment and enhance competitiveness. The province has paid attention to administrative reform, reduced the time and cost for settlement of administrative procedures for businesses, regularly grasped difficulties faced by enterprises and promptly solved them.

2022 is the banner year to implement the resolution of the 11th Provincial Party Congress. The province will be resolute to complete and exceed its targets. Specifically, the GRDP will expand 8%; the industrial production value will increase by 9%; the export value will soar 9%; the GRDP per capita will climb to VND105 million; and the State budget revenue will reach VND18 trillion.

In order to accomplish these goals, in the coming time, Thai Nguyen will continue to flexibly and effectively prevent the pandemic and boost socioeconomic development; implement action programs of the Provincial Party Committee, the 5-year socioeconomic development and public investment plan in 2021–2025; and the master plan after being approved by the Prime Minister.

Last but not least, the province will actively improve the investment environment, create a driving force for socioeconomic development, develop agriculture and rural areas, and ensure social security, sustainable poverty reduction, national defense, security and order. At the same time, it will strengthen its competence to analyze, forecast and closely monitor international, regional, domestic and local developments and situations to take appropriate and timely countermeasures.

Thank you very much!

By Vietnam Business Forum