One of the key tasks of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tauin the next five years is to become a deep seaport transshipment centrefor the region, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
PM Dung onAugust 9 held a working session with authorities of Ba Ria-Vung Tau,which houses enterprises of spearhead industries, including oil and gas,fertilizer, electricity and steel, and is a main gateway to thesouthern key economic zone. He suggested that the locality fullyutilize its advantages in seaports for developing its hi-tech industriesand tourism and maximizing value-added farm produce to attainsustainable growth. The province needs to coordinate with otherministries and agencies to screen the planning of its seaport system toensure that it is well connected with infrastructural network, PM Dungsaid. He urged the locality to focus on building transportinfrastructure, including roads and airport, pledging Government helpwith estimating investments necessary for the work. Ba Ria-VungTau should pay due attention to the training of human resources in ruralareas, the PM said, advising it to cut the proportion of the workforceengaged in agriculture as 50 percent of these workers contributed toonly 5 percent of the provincial GDP. In 2006-2010, the localityregistered an average annual GDP growth rate of 17 percent and a 2.28times rise in average per capita income. Industries and servicescontinue to provide up to 95 percent of the province’s economicstructure, the number of trained workers reached more than 55 percent ofits workforce, and the poverty rate was reduced strikingly to stand at0.5 percent. At the working session, PM Dung and leaders from theGovernment ministries and sectors addressed the province’s proposalsregarding the planning of industrial zones, investments in the offshoredistrict of Con Dao, the development of Vung Tau City, the constructionof a transport system linking with the Cai Mep-Thi Vai deep seaport, andother transport infrastructure projects. The same day, PM Dungmade a tour of the construction sites of the Cai Mep-Thi Vai deepseaport and the Long Son Oil Refinery Complex./.
