HCMC leader calls for economic breakthrough

A corner of Sai Gon Port in HCM City. - VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vu

In his closing remarks, Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan said: “The mid-term review gave a comprehensive assessment of the leadership and management in enforcing the resolutions of the Party Committee Congress.”

He admitted the seven programmes had failed to achieve any breakthroughs or spur the city’s economic development.

One of them, to streamline traffic, faces a great challenge because of a severe shortage of funds.

“Only 36 per cent of roads and 32 out of 76 bridges have been built though half the programme period [two and a half years] has elapsed.

“If there are no breakthroughs, it will be impossible to achieve the target.”

While VND155 trillion (US$6.8 billion) is needed for it and the city had expected to raise around 39 per cent of it through public-private partnerships, it has so far managed only 1.3 per cent, he said.

Similarly, only 37 per cent of the VND73 trillion ($3.2 billion) required for the anti-flooding programme in the next two years is available and authorities have no idea where to look for the rest, he said candidly.

The city has already sought permission from the Government to convert 26,000 hectares of agricultural land into land for industry and services, he said.

“Auctioning the lands will fetch around VND1.5 quadrillion ($66 billion) to the city budget. And we must have a mechanism to manage the money.”

He called for more co-operation from the public for such programmes in the form of obeying traffic laws and not throwing rubbish into drains.

The seven programmes comprise human resource improvement; administrative reform; improvement of growth quality and competitiveness; reduction of traffic congestion and accidents; flood control and response to climate change; environmental protection; and urban rehabilitation and development.

Nhân also called on all members to review innovations in all fields to boost the city’s development.

“Creativity holds the key to future development.”

He laid particular stress on improving the city’s administrative mechanism with an emphasis on human resources.

He also called for full implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolution No 54 to pilot special mechanisms and policies for the city’s development.

Special mechanisms for land clearance and resettlement and involving scientists in all aspects of socio-economic development would be studied, he said.

He listed the key tasks for the rest of the year: continued enforcement of Resolution No 54, improving economic competitiveness and the business climate, developing mechanisms for mobilising investment for development, expanding trade and investment promotion in other countries, and ensuring social welfare.

In the two years since it began to implement the resolutions passed by the Party Committee’s 10th Congress and the 12th National Party Congress, the city has achieved strong economic growth.

In 2016, its economy grew at 8.05 per cent while last year growth was 8.4 per cent.

The city continues to be the economic and financial hub of Việt Nam, but its export growth is lower than that of other localities.

Industrial production is not growing sustainably and the city has yet to identify key products to focus investments on.

Its supporting industries are developing too slowly and the use of technology in agriculture is modest.

It has not dynamically tackled urban planning, flooding, traffic jams and pollution.