Vision and Motivation for Development

Thai Binh province has been striving to establish itself as a new growth hub in the Red River Delta, fostering a strong economy and a high quality of life as it embraces integration and development. To learn more about this aspiration, our reporter has an interview with Mr. Nguyen Quang Hung, Standing Vice Chairman of the Thai Binh Provincial People's Committee.
 

Promoting its economic growth and investment attraction results in 2023 and early 2024, Thai Binh has worked hard to achieve the highest goals set for this year of acceleration and breakthrough. Could you tell us about the outcomes of this effort and the key tasks to be achieved in the remaining time of the year?

In the 2023 - 2024 period, amid the mix of advantages and difficulties, the economy of Thai Binh province has still maintained its development. The province's GRDP economic growth was 7.37% in 2023 and 7.96% in the first six months of 2024 (ranked 16th out of 63 provinces and cities in the country and 7th in the Red River Delta), higher than the outcome in the same period of 2023. Particularly, industry grew by 17.42% and agricultural production remained stable.

Investment attraction was remarkable. In 2023, Thai Binh province attracted nearly US$3 billion, standing among the Top 5 provinces and cities in the country. In the first six months of 2024, the province drew VND7.8 trillion, 2.2 times higher than that in the corresponding period of last year. Thai Binh Economic Zone affirmed its key role as a driving force of the coastal economy and a reliable destination for investors. The rate of public investment disbursement was higher than the national average.

The province has completed the Master Plan of Thai Binh province for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050 (approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 1735/QD-TTg dated December 29, 2023), ensuring quality, strategic vision and many new breakthrough points and demonstrating aspirations for socioeconomic development.

The province gave comprehensive attention to cultural and social fields; maintained military, national defense and political security; and ensured social order and safety.

Upholding its achievements, in the remaining months of the year, the province will continue to seriously and effectively implement programs and plans with the spirit of "Working with responsibility and discipline, stepping up reforms, grasping opportunities, and making breakthrough progress". The province will speed up investment promotion to attract capable investors with advanced technology and potential to support rapid and sustainable socioeconomic development, focusing on such fields as industry, trade, urban areas and tourism. Thai Binh will continue to plan and invest in the agricultural sector to transform agricultural services towards commercial production and modernized industry to unlock local strengths; and move to build Thai Binh into a green - clean - beautiful - modern riverside city. The province will develop housing projects according to its urban development programs to upgrade urban areas, build civilized, modern, livable residencies; and build affordable accommodations for workers, experts and investors. It will actively remove difficulties and obstacles to enable investors and businesses to develop their production and business operations.

Provincial leaders witness the signing ceremony for business collaboration between local companies and FDI firms

The province will focus on implementing and accelerating the progress of key projects, building social and economic infrastructure and connecting traffic to create breakthroughs in economic development like Expressway 08, Coastal Road, Southern Ring Road, main roads in economic zones and industrial parks. The locality will speed up administrative reform, improve the investment environment and turn Thai Binh Economic Zone into a nucleus and a driving force for the coastal economy.

Thai Binh will comprehensively develop and improve the quality of cultural and social fields; effectively implement social security works; consolidate the political system at the grassroots level; enhance State administration; and ensure social order and safety.

Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Ngo Dong Hai pays a working visit to assess project performance in the Thai Binh Economic Zone

In addition, the province will effectively implement tasks and solutions for economic and social recovery and development in combination with the treatment of rural household waste and industrial waste associated with environmental protection. It will boost budget revenue collection, public investment disbursement and funding for national target programs.

The Master Plan of Thai Binh province for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, was approved by the Prime Minister on December 29, 2023. How will the Plan open up development opportunities for the province?

The Plan was approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 1735/QD-TTg dated December 29, 2023. According to the Plan, Thai Binh aims to become a fairly developed province by 2030 and one of industrial development centers of the Red River Delta; and have a modern economic structure with industry as the main driving force of growth to enable Thai Binh to develop rapidly, comprehensively and sustainably. Technical infrastructure, social infrastructure, and urban areas will be invested synchronously. Synchronous traffic connectivity will facilitate the Red River Delta planning. Coastal and marine economy will be invested for development to take advantage of potential opportunities in the Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh economic growth triangle and connect with southern provinces through Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and other localities.

By 2050, Thai Binh will be a developed province of the Red River Delta and have a prosperous economy, progressive society and a guaranteed ecological environment. Economic growth is driven by science and technology, innovation and highly competitive key economic sectors.

The Plan outlines four growth pillars, four socioeconomic spaces, three economic corridors and development orientations for sectors and fields.

Four growth pillars: Agricultural development is aimed to build Thai Binh into a leading agricultural production center of the Red River Delta. The province will strive to become a modern industrial center, a merchandise transit and distribution center in the southern region of the Red River Delta and the North Central region. The province will build green - clean - beautiful, fresh, livable urban areas for people. Thai Binh Economic Zone will be comprehensively developed into a nucleus, driving force of economic development.

Four development spaces: Central area (Thai Binh City and vicinity), coastal space (Tien Hai and Thai Thuy districts), peripheral area (Hung Ha, Quynh Phu and northern Dong Hung districts), and southern space (Kien Xuong and southern Vu Thu districts).

Three economic corridors: Eastern coastal economic corridor, Northwest development corridor that connects peripheral areas with neighboring provinces (Hung Yen, Ha Nam and towards Hanoi City), and Northeast - Southwest corridor that connects North Central provinces with Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh province.

With a new mindset and a long-term vision towards harmony and sustainability, the plan is an important legal basis for the province to formulate policies, implement tasks, organize and arrange territorial spaces, allocate resources, attract investment, and maximize potential strengths in order to realize the goals and aspirations of the Party, the government and people of the province.

What are the potential and strengths of Thai Binh? What specific tasks will the province focus on to realize the above aspirations?

As a coastal province in the Red River Delta, Thai Binh has a lot of potential and advantages to make a breakthrough in the coming time: Favorable geographical location, leadership in new rural development, and valuable support from Party and State leaders.

Notably, Thai Binh has a rich history, culture and human qualities. This is an endogenous resource and a soft power. Besides, the province has an infrastructure system, especially traffic connection, which has been invested synchronously to create an important driving force to promote development.

To realize the aspirations in the Master Plan of Thai Binh province for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, the province will continue to make development breakthroughs according to the resolution of the 20th Provincial Party Congress, focusing on three key stages:

Building synchronous social and economic infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure that connects key traffic axes with economic centers of the Northern Coastal region and the multi-sector coastal economic zone; connecting with the Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh economic growth triangle and with southern provinces via Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces; building and developing Thai Binh Economic Zone into a driving force for economic development of the province.

Promoting the development of advanced scientific and technological applications, with focus on biotechnology, post-harvest and processing technology to serve agricultural production development and people's lives.

Improving the quality of human resources, with an emphasis on high-quality human resources to meet development requirements; developing a marine-oriented economy to create breakthrough developments in seaport, energy, entertainment services, resorts and marine ecology; expanding the seaward development space to create land funds for development, form a synchronous industrial - urban - service space, and attractive coastal ecological landscape.

How has Thai Binh fulfilled its commitment to accompany businesses and build and spread its trustworthiness to investors in the coming time?

The province has regularly met with businesses and investors to promptly find solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles, speed up the implementation of investment, production and business projects; maintain the good operation of provincial and district public administration service centers and settle administrative procedures according to the “five localized steps” model.

With the determination and consensus of all levels and sectors from the province to the grassroots level, the province’s investment and business environment has been increasingly improved, and businesses have been offered favorable conditions for development. Thai Binh has continued to remove bottlenecks in investment attraction and production and business development in a practical and effective manner. It has particularly directed all levels, sectors and localities to effectively carry out site clearance and create available land to attract investors.

The province will continue to reform, further enhance the responsibility of leaders, strengthen leadership and direction in task performance; direct, urge and work to raise awareness and actions of civil servants and workers in carrying out the “enabling government for people and businesses”; and boost the effectiveness of receiving and processing information, handling business feedback via contact hotlines and websites.

In addition, Thai Binh province will further speed up e-government construction towards a digital government; enhance information technology (IT) application, connect and share common databases for State administration, especially in investment, construction, natural resources and environment fields as well in fields directly related to the delivery of public services to businesses and people. The province will innovate the “Business Coffee” Program, promptly resolve recommendations, proposals, difficulties, and problems from businesses.

With the working principle of “taking business development as provincial development”, Thai Binh province is committed to accompanying businesses, removing their difficulties and creating the most favorable, stable, safe and open business environment for the business community. Doing so, the province will realize its development aspirations and become a new growth pole in the Red River Delta region, with a modern and sustainable economy.

Thank you very much!

Ha Thanh  (Vietnam Business Forum)