Binh Phuoc Socio-Economic Situation: Burgeoning in Tough Times

Mr Pham Xuan Linh, Deputy Director of the Office of the Provincial People’s Committee, said, 2016 is the first year of the five-year development plan from 2016 to 2020. The Provincial People’s Committee directed the development of full-year working agenda, action programmes to carry out the Resolution of the 10^th Provincial Party Congress, and executed consistent measures to speed up and sustain socioeconomic development. Despite mounting difficulties, under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Council, under the drastic; effective and close guidance of the Provincial People's Committee; and with the efforts and consensus of all-tier governments, the business community and the people, Binh Phuoc province's socioeconomic situations continued to improve in most aspects in the first quarter of 2016.

 

According to the Provincial People's Committee, prolonged droughts shrank the winter-spring crop farming area by 7.97 per cent year on year to 6,434 ha as of March 15, 2016, fulfilling 17.34 per cent of the yearly plan. Pig and chicken farming continued to develop as disease outbreaks were well controlled. Regarding the new countryside construction programme, in the first quarter, the Provincial People's Committee assembled the meeting of the Steering Committee for the New Countryside Construction Programme and worked with districts and towns to draft specific plans and measures to have 12 communes meeting standard requirements by the end of 2016. 92 communes achieved 10.73 criteria on average as of the end of the first quarter of 2016, an increase of 0.05 criteria from the end of 2015.

 

The index of industrial production (IIP) in the first quarter rose 10.03 per cent over the same period of 2015. The industrial production value climbed 10 per cent year on year to VND5,395 billion in the quarter, completing 19.4 per cent of the full-year plan. The province granted investment licences to 182 enterprises with a total registered capital of VND1,023 billion in the three-month time, up 11.7 per cent year on year. Total retail revenue of consumer goods and services reached VND7,832.8 billion from January to March, up 6.22 per cent year on year, equal to 21.76 per cent of the yearly plan. Total exports valued US$240.5 million in the first quarter, up 18.59 per cent year on year and equal to 18.86 per cent of the annual plan. The total State budget revenue of the province grossed VND977 billion in three months, meeting 25 per cent of the target set by the Provincial People's Committee and rising 37 per cent over the same period of 2015.

 

Administrative procedure reform is a central task of province. To date, the province has publicly the set of administrative procedures from provincial to communal levels on its website www.thutuchanhchinh.binhphuoc.gov.vn where citizens and businesses can easily access.

 

Along with economic development, social security policies were underlined to as to ensure stable livelihoods of people. Culture, society, health and education continued to develop. Military defence was strongly focused. Political and social security, order and safety was maintained. Nguyen Van Thanh, Director of the Office of the Provincial People's Committee, said "Higher socioeconomic indicators in the first quarter were a very good start and a stepping stone for the province to target at stronger growth in the second quarter of 2016."

 

Answering questions on actions concerning drought handling, export, investment and competitiveness improvement in the second quarter raised by reporters at the meeting, Thanh said that the agricultural sector of Binh Phuoc province will actively track drought situations, focally implement preventive measures to respond to droughts, and advise on centrally funded budget allocations for drought mitigation across the province. To enhance the lure of investment environment, the province will endeavour to assist businesses to deal with their difficulties and problems; host direct meetings and dialogues with them; and create favourable conditions for them to operate most effectively. Binh Phuoc will also practically and effectively accelerate trade promotion and export support activities in new markets and provide export market information for enterprises. Besides, the province will also continue to promote administrative procedure reform, apply information technology to settle administrative procedures according to one-stop single-window mechanism, and introduce solutions to improve and raise the provincial competitiveness index (PCI).