3:06:52 PM | 16/6/2008
Reporter Ngoc Huong had an interview with Mr Le Trong Sang, Chairman of District People’s Committee, to learn more about potentialities, strengths and development orientations of District 2, Ho Chi Minh City.
Could you please tell driving potentialities and advantages for economic development in District 2?
District 2 lies in the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City which is the new downtown of the city in the near future. District 2 adjoins District 1 across the Saigon River, the old downtown of the city which is the link to key roads, railways and waterway routes to Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces. In general, the geographic location, natural resources and environment are favourable for socioeconomic development. At the same time, District 2 also holds favourable conditions to become a service, trading, industrial, cultural and sporting centre. District 2 is also an important seaward gateway of Ho Chi Minh City where there are traffic arteries. Especially, the accommodating climate is good for agricultural production. The diversified terrain, thick waterway system, wide construction land fund are favourable conditions for the construction of a new green downtown in the future.
With its strategic location, District 2 is of top concerns of Ho Chi Minh City and the central authorities. Infrastructure projects are drivers to attract more investment capital into the precinct. District 2 also holds advantages as it has a rich construction land fund and thinly populated population.
Thu Thiem new urban zone in District 2 is one of key projects to develop Ho Chi Minh City eastward. Many other important projects like Dong Tay Boulevard, Thu Thiem Bridge, Thu Thiem Tunnel, Phu My Bridge, belt roads, Long Thanh - Dau Giay Highway, Rach Chiec sports complex, residential areas and new urban zones are also carried out in the district. When these projects are completed, they will create new drivers for the city to make all-faceted development not only for District but also Ho Chi Minh City, bringing up the city to the regional and international level. Then, District 2 will become a downtown district together with District 1. This combination will resolve weaknesses of the current downtown such as conferencing centre, international exhibition, financial service, banking service, commerce, square, sports centre and entertainment centre.
How has District 2 promoted its potentialities and advantages to obtain outstanding social and economic achievements?
We should go backward to understand what District 2 had achieved. District 2 was set up in April 1997 from the separation of five communes (Thu Thiem, An Phu, An Khanh, Binh Trung and Thanh My Loi communes) of agriculture-based Thu Duc District. The infrastructure system was very poor. The traffic was very bad. In 1998, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee approved the master development plan for the District 2 until 2020. The main goal was to turn the district into a centre of service, commerce, industry, culture and sports. Based on the 10-year development plan of Ho Chi Minh City from 1997 to 2007, the local authority and people made reasonable efforts to carry out tasks to build and develop District 2 as planned. Then, the new District 2 has taken shape.
To date, District 2 has obtained outstanding achievements as follows:
- Economic development was kept at average high growth rate of 33.59 per cent per annum; resources of all economic sectors are mobilised and economic structure was transformed as planned.
- Total social investment capital increased 58.57 per cent per annum; many key projects were put into operation to meet the urgent demand: Cat Lai Industrial Zone, schools, medical centres, roads and other facilities.
- The education system was planned for development until 2020. District 2 was one of the first localities to finish primary and secondary education universalisation. The training system currently meets the demand.
- Cultural activities are diversified. The district followed the Resolution of the Central Party on making Vietnamese culture civilised and nationally characteristic. It mobilised all residential units to unite to build cultured life and join physical campaigns.
- Healthcare activities are strongly developed to treat popular diseases for the people and address epidemic outbreaks. Many popular charity campaigns were launched, including poverty reduction programmes, elderly caring programmes and disabled caring programmes. All households have access to electricity and 99.8 per cent of households have access to clean water (in which 80 per cent use tap water).
To create new strong drivers to boost the sustainable economic development and create favourable conditions for local enterprises, which orientations and solutions will District 2 introduced?
The goals set for the period until 2010 is to speed up the urbanisation, improve material and spiritual life of the people and maintain political and social security to turn District 2 into a new modern industrial hub of the Ho Chi Minh City. Thus, to realise these goals, the Party, authority and people of District 2 have applied orientations and solutions as follows:
1. Focusing all resources on stepping up compensation and construction of the Thu Thiem new urban zone as well as other residential and urban zones. These projects will create favourable conditions for District 2 to develop other aspects.
2. Focusing on instructing the adjustment to the master district development plan and detailed plans for urban development to ensure the harmony and consistence in the district. Besides, the district will pay attention to giving facelifts to existing residential zones to ensure the criteria for a modern urban zone.
3. Prioritising to allocate investment capital for building technical and social infrastructures, encouraging and applying incentives for private sectors, speeding up construction of key projects to put into operation on time to meet the demand. Top priorities are to resolve traffic conditions and water systems.
Another crucial issue is to create a capable workforce for the district to become a centre of a metropolis.
Vietnamese
