A City of Pioneers: Unleashing Ho Chi Minh City’s Potential with Six Trailblazing Initiatives and Effective Policy Utilization

On the morning of August 10, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Steering Committee for the Implementation of Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly on piloting some mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City, and the delegation worked with Ho Chi Minh City on the results of the socio-economic development of the city and the implementation of Resolution No. 98.

Attending the meeting were Comrade Nguyen Van Nen, Politburo member, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; members of the Central Committee: Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son, Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai; leaders of ministries, branches, central agencies and localities.

At the Conference, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Phan Van Mai reported on the situation and results of socio-economic development. Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung reported on the situation and results of the implementation of Resolution 98 of the National Assembly.

The Ministry of Finance reported on the project to develop the carbon credit market in Vietnam and the tasks that need to be done for Ho Chi Minh City. The Ministry of Transport reported on the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong Expressway, Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh – Dau Giay according to the complete scale; the situation of making the master plan of Thu Duc city and solutions for the development of Ho Chi Minh City urban area.

Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 stipulates 6 groups of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City in (i) investment management; (ii) finance and state budget; (iii) urban management, natural resources and environment; (iv) industries and trades to attract strategic investors to the city; (v) management of science and technology, innovation; (vi) organization of the city’s apparatus and Thu Duc city.

On the specific results of the implementation of Resolution 98,

the reports and opinions at the meeting said that up to now, the Government has issued 3/4 decrees, the Prime Minister has issued 1 decision. The ministries and agencies continue to actively implement the 4 regular tasks that have been assigned.

Regarding the tasks under the authority of Ho Chi Minh City, the City Council has issued 31 resolutions to implement. The City People’s Committee has completed 13/25 tasks and issued 24 decisions to implement the contents related to Resolution No. 98.

In the field of investment management, in 2023-2024, VND 3,794 billion was prioritized for the poverty reduction program for 52,000 customers; VND 1,500 billion of investment capital was arranged to support interest rates for priority projects to promote socio-economic development; VND 2,900 billion was arranged for the Ho Chi Minh City – Moc Bai Expressway project; a list of projects calling for investment in the form of public-private partnership was issued, focusing on the field of culture and sports with 23 projects (total investment of VND 22,394 billion).

In the field of finance and state budget, the subjects entitled to the policy of increasing income, creating motivation for the team of civil servants and public employees have been supplemented in the context of Ho Chi Minh City with a high population density, diverse and complex socio-economic activities.

In the field of science and technology management, innovation, the policy on salaries, wages, benefits and remuneration for the implementation of science and technology tasks has been effective; initially attracting dossiers registering for the implementation of science and technology tasks.

The organizational apparatus continues to be consolidated and perfected with the establishment of the City Department of Food Safety; arranging one more Vice Chairman of the City Council and one Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee; completing the apparatus of Thu Duc city, one Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee for 3 districts (Can Gio, Nha Be, Hoc Mon) and 51/52 Vice Chairmen of the People’s Committees for 51/52 wards, communes and towns with a population of 50,000 or more.

On the socio-economic development situation,

the GRDP of the city in the first 6 months of 2024 increased by 6.46%, higher than in the same period in 2023 (3.55%). In 7 months, the consumer price index (CPI) was well controlled, up 3.29%, lower than the same period and the national average.

Total retail sales of goods reached VND 661,000 billion, up 10.3% over the same period. Total tourism revenue is estimated at VND 108,000 billion, up 15.4% over the same period, reaching 67.5% of the plan.

FDI attraction reached US$ 1.545 billion; credit outstanding increased by 11.8%; state budget revenue reached over VND 308,000 billion, reaching 63.94% of the estimate, up 13.96% over the same period. The city speeds up the progress of key projects such as: Ring Road 3 project; An Phu traffic project, Thu Duc… Digital transformation, implementation of Project 06 is promoted. The fields of culture and society are paid attention to. Politics – society is stable; social order and safety are ensured.

The delegates spoke frankly, pointing out the results achieved, the limitations and difficulties in the implementation of Resolution 98, socio-economic development of Ho Chi Minh City; identify the causes and draw lessons and experiences, while proposing directions and appropriate solutions for the coming time.

Creating a premise and foundation for the rapid, strong and sustainable development of Ho Chi Minh City

Speaking to conclude the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that during his lifetime, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong always cared about the development of Ho Chi Minh City. General Secretary and President To Lam also paid great attention and planned to work with the city in the near future.

Highly appreciating the preparation work and the frank and straightforward reports and opinions at the conference, the Prime Minister requested the VPCP to coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment (the Standing Agency of the Steering Committee) and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to receive the opinions, and complete and submit the Conclusion of the Conference for issuance and implementation in the coming time, contributing to the realization of the goal of stabilizing the macro-economy, controlling inflation, promoting growth, and ensuring the country’s major balances.

Analyzing further about the position, role and potential advantages for the development of Ho Chi Minh City, the Prime Minister said that Ho Chi Minh City is the country’s leading locomotive in terms of economy and finance, and is the nucleus of the key southern economic region, accounting for about 17% of the country’s GDP (according to the report of the General Statistics Office, if GRDP of Ho Chi Minh City grows by 1%, the country’s GDP will increase by 0.18%), state budget revenue accounts for more than 27% of the whole country.

Ho Chi Minh City is also a locality that pioneers the implementation of new models for development such as the development of export processing zones and industrial parks; the Securities Trading Center, the banking system, the investment fund; software parks, high-tech parks… These creative models have made an important contribution to helping the city achieve a very strong breakthrough in economic development, society and international integration.

Regarding the implementation of Resolution 98, the Prime Minister evaluated that looking back on the past year, the implementation of the Resolution has brought about very basic and positive initial results, creating a premise and foundation for the rapid, strong and sustainable development of Ho Chi Minh City.

Regarding the socio-economic development situation, on behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister praised and recognized the efforts of the Party Committee, authorities and people of Ho Chi Minh City, which have achieved many important results, contributing to the common achievements of the country in the first 7 months of 2024.

Along with the achievements, the Prime Minister pointed out a number of shortcomings and limitations. In implementing Resolution 98, the coordination between ministries, branches and Ho Chi Minh City is sometimes still lacking initiative, closeness, and flexibility.

Along with that, Ho Chi Minh City needs to make more efforts in exploiting potentials and advantages, developing infrastructure, disbursing investment capital, reforming administrative procedures, and removing difficulties for production and business of enterprises, ensuring the needs of the people for hospitals, schools, housing, and social welfare system.

Especially, the Prime Minister expects Ho Chi Minh City to actively contribute with the central agencies to remove difficulties and obstacles in institutions and policies, including the amendment of the Law on Public Investment.

Regarding lessons learned, the Prime Minister said that it is necessary to continue promoting the spirit of “not saying no, not saying difficult, not saying yes but not doing”; discipline, administrative discipline; raise the responsibility of the head; do not let the situation of shirking, pushing, and shirking responsibility; protect officials who dare to think, dare to do for the common benefit.

At the same time, focus on removing difficulties, promoting production and business, paying attention to improving the business investment environment; unblocking, mobilizing and effectively using all resources from inside and outside the country; promote decentralization and delegation of power; promote the spirit of proactiveness, positivity, innovation and creativity, dare to think, dare to do; strengthen solidarity and unity; ensure political stability and social order and safety; promote foreign affairs, international integration and information and communications, creating social consensus.

“Only talk about doing, not talking about retreating” in implementing Resolution 98

Regarding the work in the coming time in implementing Resolution 98, the Prime Minister emphasized, “thoughts are ripe, thoughts are clear, mechanisms are available, and the flag is in hand”, it is necessary to have higher determination, greater efforts, more drastic actions, “only talk about doing, not talking about retreating”, work more focused and focused, do one thing at a time to get the motivation and inspiration to do the next thing, promote the spirit of attack, encourage and protect those who dare to think, dare to do, dare to innovate and dare to break through for the common benefit.

With the requirement of achieving better results month after month, quarter after quarter, and year after year, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the Standing Agency of the Steering Committee, the ministries, branches and Ho Chi Minh City to continue to propagate Resolution 98 and on that basis, perform the assigned tasks and solutions with a proactive and positive spirit, if it exceeds the authority, propose to the competent level, coordinate closely with each other in the implementation, clearly assign tasks to each person, each job, each time, each product, each result, strengthen inspection, supervision, and timely reward and discipline, strictly. The way of solving and removing difficulties must be stronger, more sophisticated, and more methodical.

On the viewpoint of leadership and direction,

the Prime Minister requested to review the tasks that have been set to continue implementing, clearly realizing the role, position and potential of the city in the common development of the whole country and the Southeast region; clearly identify the difficulties and challenges, limitations, weaknesses, closely follow the reality, start from reality, respect reality, and take reality as a measure; do it while expanding gradually, do not be perfectionist, do not be hasty, pay attention to summing up, drawing experience, good lessons, good ways of doing things effectively to continue promoting, disseminating and creating high resonance.

Strengthen decentralization