Ha Giang Capitalizing on Opportunities, Leveraging Advantages and Enhancing Socioeconomic Development

In pursuit of stability and economic balance in 2023, Ha Giang province has followed all tasks and solutions stated in Resolution 30 of the Provincial Party Committee in a cohesive and effective manner. Our reporter discussed this issue with Mr. Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of the Ha Giang Provincial People’s Committee.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Ministry of Transport and local authorities pay a working visit to the construction site of the Tuyen Quang-Ha Giang Expressway project

How do you assess the province's socioeconomic development and investment attraction tasks in 2023? Could you tell us about some outstanding results in the first months of this year?

In the first months of 2023, Ha Giang carried out socioeconomic development tasks amid intertwined advantages, difficulties and challenges. This is also the third year the province has worked to reach the targets in the resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress (2020 - 2025 term). However, with the unity and resolve of the entire political system, the province's economy continued to recover and develop more rapidly and more stably. Socioeconomic recovery and development policies/programs and national target programs were comprehensively implemented and brought optimistic outcomes. Traffic infrastructure construction was a focus; trade activities and tourism services developed strongly; and import and export activities at Thanh Thuy - Tianbao International Border Gate and Xin Man - Dulong Border Gate were restored and developed positively.

Specifically, the province achieved some outstanding socioeconomic development results in the first six months of the year as follows:

Starting construction on key Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang Expressway (first phase), landscaped dam in Ha Giang City, upgraded Minh Ngoc - Mau Due Road (Provincial Road 176B), upgraded Yen Binh - Coc Pai Road (Provincial Road 178), PaPiu - Lung Ho Resort in Yen Minh district, and the inauguration of restored and upgraded Ha Giang Provincial Museum.

Successfully organizing Ha Giang Mong Khen Festival, North - Central - South Culinary Culture Festival 2023 and Khau Vai Love Market Festival 2023; announcing the establishment of Thai Nguyen University Branch in Ha Giang province.

Planning was seriously established, approved and highly appreciated by the National Appraisal Council, featured by guaranteed progress, quality and high feasibility as well as clear breakthrough goals and objectives, submitted to the Prime Minister for approval.

National target programs and socioeconomic recovery and development programs/projects were implemented synchronously and effectively, especially the first phase construction of Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang Expressway, the Ha Giang section.

Total social investment capital reached VND6,378.4 billion, an increase of 21.1% over the same period of 2022. Total retail revenue of consumer goods and services was VND7,864.5 billion, up 15.83% year on year. Total export value jumped 6.7 times year on year to US$148.5 million, including US$102.3 million from exports and US$46.2 million from imports. Tourist arrivals rose 28.2% year on year to 1,418,000 people. Total outstanding credit was VND28,154 billion, slightly 1.1% higher than in late 2022.

Digital transformation was actively and synchronously implemented in all three aspects: digital government, digital economy and digital society. Executing Project 06, Ha Giang province brought all 25 basic public services to the national public service portal. The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in 2022 advanced 18 places over 2021 to secure the 41st standing out of 63 provinces and cities and rank 7th out of 14 northern mountainous provinces.

In addition, foreign affairs were promoted, featured by the spring meeting between the Provincial Party Secretary with Guangxi and Yunnan provinces (China) and the signing of 11 international agreements (six more than in the same period of 2022).

The achievements will be a solid foundation to successfully achieve socioeconomic targets set for 2023 and create momentum and strength for development in the 2021 - 2025 period.

In 2022, the PCI Index of Ha Giang province strongly progressed, advancing 18 places to rank 41st out of 63 provinces and cities. How do you assess this outcome? What breakthrough solutions will Ha Giang implement to further improve the index in the coming time?

According to the PCI 2022, Ha Giang ranked 41st out of 63 provinces and cities, scoring 64.39 points, an increase of 3.86 points, to advance 18 places from a year earlier on the standing table.

Determining that strongly improving the business environment and raising the PCI Index is an important solution to boost socioeconomic development, the province will continue to launch consistent solutions to strongly enhance the investment and business environment in a synchronous, comprehensive, open, transparent and equitable manner.

The province will also continue to conduct the District and Department Competitiveness Index (DDCI) to raise the PCI Index to the group of good performers by 2025 and progress to the group of best performers in the country.

How have untapped potential, geographical location, infrastructure and determination to accelerate economic growth been assessed and expressed in the Ha Giang Provincial Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050? After being approved by the government, what new visions and development opportunities will the Plan open up for the province?

Ha Giang Provincial Plan for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, asserts the viewpoint that green and sustainable socioeconomic development is based on utilized internal resources plus the investment and support of the central government and other resources, based on four growth pillars: Transport infrastructure and digital infrastructure; identity and class tourism; a typical agricultural product chain suitable to the region's soil and climate; and urban area construction and development with unique (border area, high mountains and ethnicity) and modern architecture. The province will strengthen regional development connectivity and expand opening and integration; make the best use of opportunities; and promote digital transformation in all fields to create breakthroughs and develop comparative advantages.

The plan also underlines changing the intensive growth model; improving the economic quality, efficiency and competitiveness based on locally comparative advantages; capturing digital technologies to access and connect domestic and international markets; enhancing the quality of life and healthcare; improving high-quality human resource education and training for ethnic minorities; speeding up poverty reduction; fostering social progress and justice; preserving and promoting historical - cultural values and revolutionary relics; and developing culture, life and infrastructure in ethnic minority areas, remote areas and underdeveloped areas.

Some important goals to 2030: The average GRDP growth in the 2021 - 2030 period is expected to be over 8% a year. The economic structure will be constituted by 22% of agriculture, forestry and fishery, 29% of industry and construction, 44% of service and 5% of taxes and subsidies. GRDP per capita is forecast at VND95 million by 2030, equaling 45% of the national median.

The Plan determines three breakthrough stages: Developing infrastructure, especially transportation infrastructure, urban infrastructure, border-gate commercial infrastructure, industrial zone infrastructure and digital infrastructure; developing identity tourism, high-quality characteristic agriculture along the value chain; and creating livelihoods, reducing poverty and improving the people's material and spiritual life.

Would you mind telling us about the province's commitments to the business community members as well as investors that are, and will, accompany the province's development?

With the principle of "The government is committed to always accompanying businesses", Ha Giang province has actively reformed administrative procedures, improved the business investment environment, attracted investors into three key areas: Typical commercial agriculture, tourism and cross-border economy.

In the coming time, Ha Giang province will continue to complete its plans, introduce effective investment incentive policies, speed up administrative reform, create an open investment environment, and boost economic development.

Specifically, the province established the Provincial Investment Attraction Board; hosted the monthly "Business Coffee" Program, a meeting with entrepreneurs to capture their information, viewpoint and experience to seek workable solutions to their existing difficulties; and applied a single-window model to settlement of administrative procedures regarding business registration, investment registration, tax, land, and complaints from citizens and the business community.

Last but not least, the province supported labor training, administered land, reviewed legal documents, ensured publicity and transparency of administrative procedures and enhanced the responsibility and accountability of state administrative agencies.

Thank you very much!

By Duy Binh, Vietnam Business Forum