Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat Truong Tan Sang on July 14 praised the northern province of Yen Bai for its rapidly growing economy, well maintained public and national security and constant social and cultural development.

Sang, however, urged provincial leaders to focus on specific areas for development instead of investing in a large variety of areas. He said issues related to capacity building and staff training should be prioritised and that Yen Bai should continue to renovate rural areas while shifting the economic structure to the industrial and service direction.

During his two-day trip, Sang said he hoped the Noi Bai-Yen Bai Highway would provide a huge opportunity for development.

He said cement manufacturing is strong in the province, but larger projects need to be attracted.

Sang said the province could also focus more on tourism as it has Thac Ba Lake, a beautiful natural resource.

In the first seven month of this year, Yen Bai's economy developed at a stable 10.86 percent. Industry and construction comprised 14.59 percent of this, while services stood at 12.23 percent and agriculture, forestry and aquaculture at 3.7 percent./.