Despite domestic and global economic turbulence in recent years, by grasping support from the central government and mobilising external forces, the Party, the government and the people of Da Nang City has endeavoured to build and develop the city, change the face of the city and pay attention to addressing social and environmental issues.
Economy on the right track
The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of Da Nang City increased 8.8 per cent a year on average in 2011 - 2016, according to a report on socioeconomic development released by the city. Per capita GRDP reached VND67.3 million (US$3,059) in 2016, an increase of 2.3 times over 2011.
The city’s economic structure has positively been shifted towards the “services - industry - agriculture” structure. In 2016, the services sector contributed 53.3 per cent to the GRDP, followed by the industrial and construction sector with 32.5 per cent, agriculture with 2.1 per cent, and product taxes with 12.1 per cent. Total investment capital was estimated to increase by 7.4 per cent annually. Especially, Da Nang has gradually carried out its sustainable development goals by improving service quality and raising technical and technological content in the manufacturing sector.
The city’s budget revenue rose 9.3 per cent annually in the 2011 - 2016 period to VND76.46 trillion. Especially in 2016 the city earned budget revenue of VND18,227 billion for the first time, 32.1 per cent more than in 2011.
Service, tourism and trade have been diversified, particularly tourism services. By the end of 2016, Da Nang City had 83 tourism investment projects with a combined value of US$7.3 billion, including 20 foreign-invested projects with US$1.3 billion (VND27 trillion) of investment capital and 63 locally invested projects with US$6 billion (VND126 trillion). High-grade tourism projects help to draw more tourists to the city.
The city has to date had good results in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) capital (many big projects like Mabuchi, Nissan, Viet Hoa, Intercontinental and Silver Shores) and official development assistance (ODA). Da Nang City now has 486 FDI projects worth US$3.25 billion, of which nearly US$2 billion has already been disbursed. The city currently has five ODA-funded projects with a total budget of US$390 million, of which US$314 million has been disbursed, equal to 80 per cent of total capital. In order to develop its environmentally sustainable economy, in the current context of regional and international cooperation, Da Nang City has focused on carrying out important projects like the water supply and sewerage project (Japan International Cooperation Agency - JICA), Lien Chieu Port Project (JICA and Asian Development Bank - ADB) and East West Economic Corridor Project 2 (ADB).
Urban infrastructure development
The city has accelerated urban infrastructure construction and upgrading, improving the face of the city. Along with road network development, Da Nang City has expanded its urban space to the southeast, to the southwest and to the northwest. The urban space has expanded four times, from 100 roads in 1997 to more than 1,700 roads now.
The tourism infrastructure has been invested, making tourism a spearhead economic sector. This is a necessary step for building a unified tourist economic space of the region like building and expanding Da Nang International Airport, Son Tra and Ba Na - Suoi Mo tourism complexes, Asian Park, East - West Economic Corridor and Da Nang - Quang Ngai Expressway.
The city has concentrated on investing in infrastructure systems of Danang Hi-Tech Park (DHTP) and industrial parks in order to create motive forces to entice investment high-tech projects and industrial component manufacturing projects, particularly environment-friendly projects, to realise the goal of building Da Nang into a sustainably developed city with a high-level workforce capable of creating valuable, value-added products and services to facilitate economic restructuring. Furthermore, Da Nang City officially put into use Obstetrics - Paediatrics Hospital and Oncological Hospital with 500 beds, upgraded Da Nang General Hospital, and local clinics across the city.
Guaranteed social security
Driven by outstanding achievements in economic development and urban infrastructure construction, Da Nang City is also known to have good social security policies. People’s livelihoods have gradually improved; locally cultural identity has gradually shaped. Citizens trust and support the city’s policies.
The city has launched the “Five Nos” Programme since 2000 (no hungry people, no illiterate people, no beggars, no drug addicts, no murderers/robbers). In 2005, it deployed “Three Haves” Programme (have housing, have employment and have urban livelihood).
The city achieved the goals of “no hungry people” in 2003 and the goal of “no illiterate people” in 2009 and adjusted these goals to “no extremely poor people” and “no school dropouts.”
In 2016, the City deployed the “Four Securities City” Programme to 2020 (public security, traffic security, food security and social security) in an attempt to improve the life quality of people and make Da Nang City prosperous, peaceful and civilised.
In 2008, Da Nang City approved the “Building Da Nang - the City for Environment.” Its efforts were recognised by many awards like ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable Cities Award (2011), Low Carbon Cities Award (2012), and one of 20 green - clean and beautiful cities (2013). The city was also a member of the 100 Resilient Cities Programme in 2014.
The city has stepped up the employment programme in a bid to generate 31,000 jobs and raise the rate of trained labourers from 39 per cent in 2011 to 47 per cent in 2016. The “entire people unite to build a cultural life” movement has been effectively carried out with the civilised urban lifestyle programme and civilised urban cultural life years in 2015 and 2016. It has also expanded such effective social development models like civilised urban streets, civilised markets and rubbish-free residences in a bid to raise people's awareness and create new spiritual foundation and motivation for development.
In addition, the city issued policies to support poor households to escape poverty, educate disobedient juveniles and law violators, assist dropouts to return to school, support workers to change jobs and generate jobs for people giving up land for industrial investment projects, get rid of domestic violence, carry out the “building 7,000 houses for low income people” programme and social housing programmes to build dormitories for students and houses for low-income workers. It has also repaired houses for policy-beneficiaries.
Hoang An
Vietnamese
