PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the working session with Ben Tre leaders (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucon July 9 urged the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre to work hard to complete yearlytargets and tasks, with local public investment disbursement rate set at atleast 90 percent.
He pointed out difficulties caused by the COVID-19pandemic and drought facing the locality, and its low disbursement rate.
Ben Tre should utilise opportunities from internationalintegration, especially free trade agreements (FTAs) to which Vietnam is amember like the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), he said.
The PM praised Ben Tre for its high provincial competitivenessindex and other indexes, and asked the locality to step up administrativereform and improve the local business environment.
More attention should be paid to management of climate change projects,he said, stressing that Ben Tre needs to take a step ahead in digital transformationto pave the way for digital economic development.
PM Phuc agreed in principle Ben Tre’s mobilisation ofresources from different economic sectors in building a transmission linesystem connected to renewable energy projects in the province.
It was reported that Ben Tre’s socio-economicdevelopment has been impacted by COVID-19 and drought.
The pandemic has forced 55 businesses to dissolve andmore than 130 others to suspend their operation. As of mid-June, the provincehad received 6,200 applications for unemployment benefits.
Meanwhile, drought has affected 5,300ha of rice,28,00ha of fruit trees and 2,000ha of giant river prawns, with total economiclosses amounting to 1.66 trillion VND (71.65 million USD). /.
