Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has urged the northern province of Quang Ninh to tap all of its potentials to develop rapidly and sustainably.

PM Dung told the provincial authorities to focus on coal mining, ship building, thermal power, cement, tourism and border gate economy during his working visit to Quang Ninh on May 21.

Accordingly, the province needs to coordinate with the Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group to build thermal power plants so as to turn Quang Ninh into a major thermal power centre of the country, Dung said.

The province should create favourable conditions for businesses to invest in tourism services, the Hai Ha seaport-industrial park, the Van Don economic zone as well as aquaculture, the PM noted.

The Prime Minister also reminded the province of paying attention to environmental protection, health care and training human resources.

He also visited a factory manufacturing handling facilities of the Quang Trung Engineering Enterprise in Uong Bi city of Quang Ninh . The factory is capable of making about 1,000 cranes a year to supply the domestic market.

Quang Ninh asked the government to soon approve its project to build the Van Don and Mong Cai-Hai Ha economic zones, as well as assist it in speeding up the implementation of some major transport projects in the locality.

Provincial officials briefed the government leader on preparations for the elections to the 13 th National Assembly and People’s Councils for the 2011-16 term, which will take place on May 22.

In 2010, the province obtained a GDP growth rate of 12.7 percent with the economic scale expanded 1.8 times over 2005. It started the implementation of the National Sea Strategy till 2020, focusing on infrastructure projects.

In the first five months of this year, Quang Ninh continued obtaining remarkable achievements in socio-economic development, namely its industrial production value rise of 8.8 percent year-on-year and budget collection, 19 percent.

The province has strictly implemented the Government Resolution 11 on controlling inflation, stablising macro economy and ensuring social welfare./.