Unlocking Hanoi’s Potential: Forging Ahead with Innovative Solutions for Capital Development

The Vietnamese Government Office has just issued Notification 414/TB-VPCP dated September 12, 2024, on the conclusion of the Prime Minister at the meeting with the Standing Committee of the Hanoi Party Committee.

The conclusion clearly states that developing Hanoi into a “Cultural, Civilized, and Modern” city is an important political task in the strategy of building and defending the country. It is the responsibility of the entire Party, people, military, and political system, as well as the top priority for the Hanoi Party Committee, authorities, and people.

For the upcoming period, the Prime Minister requests Hanoi city and related ministries and sectors to review the goals and tasks set forth in the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, the Resolution of the Hanoi Party Congress and Party Congresses at all levels, and the resolutions and conclusions of the Central Committee, especially the directions of Comrade To Lam, General Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President, at the working session with the Hanoi Party Committee’s Standing Committee on August 9, 2024. This review aims to identify breakthrough and effective solutions for the development of the capital.

At the same time, it is necessary to strongly promote a higher sense of determination, greater efforts, more drastic actions, and improved effectiveness with a focus on key tasks. There should be a clear assignment of tasks regarding people, work, responsibilities, completion time, results, and products. For any targets and indicators that have not been achieved, we must strive and find breakthrough solutions to attain them. For those that have been achieved, we should be determined to enhance efficiency and aim even higher.

Additionally, we need to continue promoting economic growth, ensuring macroeconomic stability and controlling inflation while maintaining the economy’s major balances. This includes fostering economic relations and international integration, revitalizing traditional growth drivers (investment, exports, and consumption), and promoting new growth drivers (digital economy, green economy, circular economy, sharing economy, knowledge-based economy, and night-time economy).

Pioneering in Startups and Innovation

Hanoi needs to focus on removing obstacles and limitations related to institutions, mechanisms, policies, and the awareness and responsibility of officials and civil servants. This will enable the effective mobilization and utilization of resources for the development of the capital. It is crucial to promote administrative procedure reform in conjunction with digital transformation, providing maximum convenience for citizens and businesses. Hanoi should also aim to improve its provincial competitiveness index and the satisfaction of people regarding the service of the administrative system, striving to be among the top 5-10 leading localities in the country in terms of administrative procedure reform.

Another key area is expediting the disbursement of public investment, especially for important and key projects such as the Capital Region’s Ring Road 4, which must be completed by 2026 as scheduled. This involves mobilizing the entire political system to accelerate progress and complete land clearance for projects and investments in a timely manner. Hanoi should take the lead in startups, innovation, and the application of the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, focusing on building a smart city. Gradually address infrastructure issues related to transportation, education, healthcare, environment, and society.

Ensure social welfare, progress, and social equity; resolutely prevent shortages of medicines, medical supplies, equipment, and human resources for healthcare; prepare well for the new school year; effectively carry out salary reform in tandem with market price control, ensuring the supply of essential goods and preventing shortages of food and fuel. Pay attention to environmental protection to make the capital greener, cleaner, and more beautiful.

Developing Culture Worthy of a Civilized, Cultural, and Heroic Capital

Hanoi should develop its culture to match the stature of a civilized, cultural, and heroic capital, strongly promoting the thousand-year-old cultural tradition and transforming heritage into assets. It is essential to establish and issue mechanisms and policies that encourage creativity and the development of the cultural and entertainment industries. The 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital should be well organized.

Enhance the leadership and combativeness of Party organizations and members, build a clean and strong political system, intensify corruption prevention and combat, and create more favorable conditions for economic and social development. Ensure national defense and security, maintain political stability and social order, so that people and visitors to Hanoi always feel secure in the “city for peace”. Strengthen fire prevention and control, and enhance rescue and relief capabilities, especially for establishments with a high risk of fire and explosion.

Report on the Master Plan for Hanoi by the end of September

The notification also states that regarding the Master Plan for Hanoi until 2045, with a vision to 2065, the Hanoi People’s Committee should urgently complete the dossier of the plan in accordance with the law on urban planning and submit it to the Ministry of Construction. The Ministry of Construction is responsible for completing the appraisal and reporting to the Prime Minister in September 2024.

On permitting the pilot model of smart city development in some urban areas in Hanoi: Hanoi should select 2-3 new urban areas to implement the pilot smart city development. The Prime Minister assigns the Ministry of Construction to coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and other relevant ministries to research Hanoi’s proposals and provide advice in accordance with the law, reporting to the Prime Minister in September 2024. The Ministry of Planning and Investment will guide Hanoi on relevant contents related to investment mechanisms.

Regarding the development of the Hong River axis as the dominant spatial axis of the capital, to transform the Hong River space into the “new development symbol of the capital” and to effectively exploit the land along the river as an economic, commercial, service, cultural, and tourist axis: The Prime Minister assigns the Hanoi People’s Committee to direct the management and effective exploitation of land along the river in accordance with the approved planning and the law.

The Prime Minister assigns the Ministry of Construction to coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to research and report to the competent authority for permission to immediately implement investment programs and plans for the development of the Northern City in the Dong Anh, Me Linh, and Soc Son regions and the Western City in the Hoa Lac and Xuan Mai regions without having to establish a proposal for the classification of special urban areas.

Investing in the Upgrade of Dike and Irrigation Works to Ensure Flood Protection

Regarding solutions, schemes, and funding for the upgrade of dike and irrigation works on major rivers: the Da, Hong, Duong, Day, Nhue, and Thu rivers, the Prime Minister requests the Hanoi People’s Committee to proactively allocate the city’s budget and mobilize other legal capital sources (including transportation capital) in accordance with regulations to invest in upgrading the system of dike and irrigation works in the area, ensuring safety according to flood prevention standards, while also combining transportation and socio-economic development.

For the Duong River transport upgrade project, Hanoi should strongly direct and promote site clearance, resettlement, and complete site handover in 2024 to ensure the project’s completion in 2025.

Regarding the solution to prevent flooding in the Right Bank of the Hong River – the Right Bank of the Tich River, which is affected by the transverse flood: The Hanoi People’s Committee should review and supplement the solution to prevent flooding and transverse river flooding in the Right Bank of the Hong River in Chuong My district into the solution to prevent flooding of the dike line in the Hanoi Capital in accordance with the Planning for Flood Prevention and Dike Management of the Day River System.