Attending the conference to announce the Ninh Binh Province Planning for the period of 2021–2030, with a vision towards 2050, on the morning of May 28, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the organization and basically agreed with the conference’s content. He also expressed his impression with the aspirations, will, and determination of the Party Committee, authorities, army, and people of Ninh Binh Province in deploying the provincial planning.
A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR NINH BINH’S DEVELOPMENT
The Prime Minister affirmed that Ninh Binh has many potentials and advantages. It is located in the southern extremity of the Red River Delta, holding a strategically important position in terms of politics, economics, national defense, and security. It is also the intersection point of three regions (the Red River Delta Region, the Northwestern Mountainous Region, and the North-Central Coastal Region).
Ninh Binh is a land of “geographical advantages and talented people,” with many unique and distinctive cultural, historical, and natural ecological values. Notably, Ninh Binh is home to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, boasting a massive, unique, and rich historical and cultural heritage, including the Trang An Landscape Complex, a mixed cultural and natural heritage site, and Cuc Phuong National Park. The province also has diverse traditional handicrafts.
Ninh Binh is one of the three large and modern automobile mechanical engineering centers in the country and a leading fruit and vegetable processing center in Vietnam. The province’s service sector has developed strongly, with tourism as a bright spot, maintaining its position in the top 15 destinations and among the top 10 provinces attracting the highest number of tourists in the country. Ninh Binh is gradually becoming a national and international tourism center.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the important achievements in socio-economic development that the province has attained over the years. In 2023, the provincial economy maintained its growth momentum, with an estimated GRDP growth rate of 7.27%, ranking 8th in the Red River Delta Region and 22nd nationwide. In the first quarter of 2024, the growth rate continued to increase to 8.02%. Since 2022, Ninh Binh Province has achieved budget self-reliance (ranking 26th out of 63 provinces in 2023, with an estimated budget revenue of VND 16,144 billion). It also ranked 23rd in export turnover.
From an agriculture-based economy, Ninh Binh has transformed so that industry and services now account for more than 80% of its economic structure. Industry has truly become the driving force for growth. Tourism has become a spearhead economic sector, contributing positively to the rapid and sustainable economic restructuring of the province. Infrastructure for socio-economic development has received attention and investment, especially transportation infrastructure.
The construction of new-style rural areas has been deployed decisively and synchronously, achieving many positive results (with 100% of communes and 100% of districts and cities in the province meeting the new rural standards). Ensuring social welfare has been given emphasis, with the multi-dimensional poverty rate at a low level (by the end of 2023, the poverty rate was 1.86%, and the near-poor rate was 2.27%; GRDP per capita ranked 24th out of 63 provinces).
Education and training have been given attention, focusing on the comprehensive development of both scale and quality. Local defense and military have been strengthened, political security has been maintained, and social order and safety have been ensured. Foreign affairs activities have been expanded…
“This is a solid foundation for Ninh Binh to continue affirming its position on the path of development and integration,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
However, the Prime Minister also pointed out the existing shortcomings, limitations, difficulties, and challenges of the province. The economic scale is small compared to other provinces in the region. The urbanization rate is low (with only 21.5% of the population living in urban areas, while 78.5% live in rural areas). The development of the digital economy, green economy, circular economy, and sharing economy needs further investment. Land clearance and the implementation of some projects are still slow. The situation of political security, order, and safety still has potential risks and complexities…
ONE FOCUS, TWO DETERMINATIONS, THREE DRIVING FORCES
According to the Prime Minister, the provincial planning has opened up a new direction, vision, and development space, creating new momentum and value for Ninh Binh in the overall picture of provinces and cities in the region and the country.
The planning has chosen a “green” development model based on four economic pillars and three development corridors. The Prime Minister believes that this is an extremely correct and strategic choice, with decisive significance for the rapid and sustainable development of Ninh Binh Province in the coming time.
According to the Head of the Government, to implement the Planning, Ninh Binh Province needs to focus on and concentrate on realizing “one focus, two determinations, and three driving forces.”
“One focus” is to mobilize and use all legal resources effectively to implement the planning, with internal resources as the fundamental, strategic, long-term, and decisive factor, and external resources as an important and breakthrough factor. The most important resource is human resources, maximizing self-reliance, self-strength, and the historical and cultural traditions of the ancient capital of Hoa Lu.
“Two determinations” include: (1) Determination to invest in and develop human factors, improve people’s knowledge and intelligence, train human resources, and foster talents to take advantage of our own “hands, brains, sky, and sea,” ensure social welfare, and leave no one behind; (2) Determination to promote the connecting role of the three regions (the Red River Delta, the Northwestern Mountainous Region, and the North-Central Coastal Region) in terms of economy, transportation, infrastructure, and production and supply systems…
“Three driving forces” include: (1) Developing strategic infrastructure; (2) Developing industry and services, including the automobile industry, cultural industry, and heritage economy; (3) Promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity, applying science and technology, and developing new and emerging sectors, breaking through into new growth drivers such as the green economy, digital economy, circular economy, sharing economy, knowledge economy, climate change response, and sustainable development.
At the same time, Ninh Binh Province needs to ensure compliance, synchronization, connectivity, stability, inheritance, development, flexibility, and expansion in planning.
DEVELOPING HOA LU INTO A HERITAGE CITY
Elaborating on some specific tasks and solutions, the Prime Minister emphasized that the province needs to rely on industry and services to break through, paying attention to building the brand value of heritage and tourism.
Emphasizing that Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Cuc Phuong Forest, Trang An, Tam Coc – Bich Dong, and other sites are invaluable assets, the Prime Minister stated that the Party and State have had directions, and Ninh Binh Province needs to boldly innovate, “liberate itself,” liberate its thinking, and research, propose mechanisms and policies, and organize auctions to manage and exploit these heritages to promote public-private partnerships and maximize the strength of the people and businesses.
“The land, forests, heritage, and assets remain intact and are still owned by the State and the people, but they are preserved, promoted, and utilized most effectively,” said the Prime Minister. In reality, Ninh Binh has “turned nothing into something, turned difficulties into opportunities, and turned impossibilities into possibilities” in promoting cultural and historical traditions and exploiting heritages. A typical example is the development of the Trang An Scenic Complex, which needs to be further summarized and replicated.
Along with this, it is necessary to urgently develop Hoa Lu into a heritage city and research the establishment of the Ninh Binh Performing Arts Troupe… The Prime Minister also suggested that the province could issue mechanisms and policies to prioritize Xam singing, and Hoa Lu University could open a training course in this art form.
At the same time, it is crucial to promote administrative procedure reform and improve the investment environment; pay attention to investing in education and training, focusing on training human resources for the cultural and entertainment industry and digital transformation; strengthen natural resource management and environmental protection…
Regarding transportation infrastructure, the Prime Minister requested Ninh Binh to coordinate closely with ministries, sectors, and localities to promptly complete the Hai Phong – Thai Binh – Nam Dinh – Ninh Binh coastal expressway, a road connecting the heritages…
The Prime Minister stated that the political and legal foundations are in place, the potential and development orientation have been identified, and the solutions are clear. The remaining decisive factor is effective implementation with dynamism, creativity, political determination, and responsibility of the Party Committee, authorities, army, and people of Ninh Binh, mobilizing the intelligence and strength of the people of Ninh Binh for development.
To implement the Planning practically and effectively, the Prime Minister suggested that the province must urgently build, issue, and actively and effectively deploy the Planning implementation plan.
The Prime Minister requested the Provincial People’s Committee to boldly submit to the Provincial People’s Council for consideration and decision on matters within its competence, with the spirit of “flexible policies, smooth infrastructure, and intelligent governance.”
Regarding the business and investment community, the Prime Minister requested that they promote the spirit of “three togetherness”: “Listen and understand together”; “Share the same vision and act together”; “Do, win, enjoy, and develop together.” They should form long-term and sustainable business strategies, fulfill investment commitments and cooperation agreements, comply with the law, and practice good business culture, ethics, and social responsibility. They should also participate in social welfare activities and ensure a decent life for workers.
The Prime Minister suggested that the business and investment community, along with ministries, sectors, and local authorities, “must act after saying, fulfill commitments, and produce tangible results that can be weighed and quantified” to contribute to strengthening trust and creating a new atmosphere and momentum for development.
