Tra Vinh Actively Boosting Economic Competitiveness

 

Despite difficulties, with the effort of authorities and people, Tra Vinh province has still achieved positive socio-economic development results in 2013. GDP growth was estimated at 10.53 percent, higher the plan of 10.5 percent. In particular, agriculture rose 1.02 percent, forestry expanded 6.05 percent, fisheries enlarged 13.99 percent, industry augmented 3.73 percent, construction climbed 11.27 percent, and services increased 17.06 percent. The economic structure continued to change as expected, featured by a reducing proportion of agriculture, forestry and fishery in GDP and increasing percentage of services, industry and construction.

 

Cultural and social aspects have positively improved. The ratio of graduated students increased and the number of students passing entrance exams at colleges and universities leaped. Public healthcare was enhanced, social policy was applied, social security was guaranteed, unemployment was slashed, per capita income raised, national security was maintained, and social order and safety was ensured.

 

To achieve the overall objectives of ending the status of underdeveloped province and becoming a relatively developed province in the Mekong Delta by 2020, apart from sticking to objectives, tasks and measures defined for the 5-year plan 2011 - 2015, the socioeconomic development master plan until 2020, sector development plans, and product development plans, Tra Vinh province will also focus on developing infrastructure, improving business climate by reviewing, amending and supplementing mechanisms and policies associated with administrative procedure simplification; reshuffle agricultural production, build and develop centralised specialised farming zones; develop industry in the direction of diversifying products with high tech content; call up investors to invest to develop and operate infrastructure systems of Dinh An Economic Zone, Co Chien Industrial Park, Cau Quan Industrial Park, Long Duc Industrial Park, and small industrial complexes; build mechanisms to mobilise resources, apply appropriate investment preference and encouragement policies, expand domestic and foreign investment attraction.

 

Specially, the province places emphasis on improving human resource quality in association with promoting scientific and technological application, supply key economic sectors and businesses, strengthen vocational training based on market and social demands, and integrate vocational training with employment trends. Tra Vinh also steps up administrative procedure simplification, improves the efficiency of applying ISO 9001:2008 quality management system to activities of State administrative agencies; maintain and improve the quality and performance of one-stop source mechanism; enhance information technology application so as to shorten the time needed for administrative procedure settlement in such aspects as land, investment and construction; and create a favourable business environment.

 

To develop the economy rapidly and sustainably, narrow development gap and equate the average income of the country, Tra Vinh province has put forth many solutions, particularly the following four groundbreaking ones.

 

Tra Vinh province, primary home to Khmer people, has a high poverty rate. Hence, the province always attaches particular importance to poverty alleviation and job creation. The province has built and implemented sustainable poverty reduction scheme until 2015, with orientation to 2020, and adopted a clearly defined coordination mechanism for relevant poverty reduction agencies.

 

The province also invests in infrastructure development for remote areas, Khmer areas, extremely poor communes and coastal communes; encourages the poor to participate in annual local socioeconomic planning process; guides the poor to build business plans and schemes for specific periods; and continues carrying out residential land policies for the poor in the spirit of the Decision 29/2013/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister dated May 20, 2013.

 

Besides, the province enhances scientific - technical support and industrial - agricultural - aquatic promotion to encourage the poor to apply to production and business effectively; sets up poverty support funds to coordinate preferential credit capital flows for poverty reduction; diversifies credit sources for the poor, focuses on loan accessibility and utilisation; has monitoring and assessing mechanisms to ensure proper and effective use of loans; carries out vocational training scheme for rural labourers in Tra Vinh province until 2020 in order to meet the learning demand of learners and the recruitment demand of employers; develop electronic employment exchanges in the province; organises employment exchange sessions in districts and communes; and facilitates enterprises to get involved in vocational training.

 

In order to effectively exploit potential and strengths to assert its important position and role in the Mekong Delta economic region, Tra Vinh province has focused its resources to invest and develop key products of industries and sectors with comparative advantages, to build up the foundation for sustainable socioeconomic development, including Dinh An Economic Zone, maritime economy, rice production and processing industry; sped up comprehensive and balanced agricultural development based on highly productive, quality, effective and competitive products; exploited advantages of labour resources, soil conditions and raw agricultural and aquatic materials to develop processing industries in combination with building infrastructure, renovating policies and mechanisms, expanding cooperation, promoting industrial development investment and enhancing sustainable competitiveness for industrial products in the process of international economic integration; and increased domestic and foreign investment sources for industrial development.

 

The province has paid attention to investing rapid and effective development of Dinh An Economic Zone, Long Duc Industrial Park, Co Chien Industrial Park, Cau Quan Industrial Park, and industrial complexes in line with approved development plans and environmental protection requirements. Tra Vinh has also synchronously developed services, new urban areas, agricultural industrial development zones.

 

Besides, to develop trade, Tra Vinh province has boosted cooperation and promoted trade to expand markets, especially export markets, to encourage enterprises to export goods and services, and enhance the popularity and information of local products and services to domestic and international markets. At the same time, the province has diversified exports and increases shipments of processed products.