The Steering Committee for the Central Highlands will closely supervise the construction of transport infrastructure across the region to keep up the progress of those projects in the second half of the year, the committee said at its quarterly meeting with the press on July 29.

The Central Highlands region groups Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong provinces.

The committee will particularly focus on the construction of Ho Chi Minh Highway and the Truong Son Dong Road and the upgrade of Pleiku Airport in Gia Lai.

At the same time, the board will work with central and local authorities to realise annual socio-economic targets, raise the quality of poverty alleviation, and ensure defence and security.

Coordination will also be improved in promoting education and vocational training and executing policies designed for ethnic minority groups, the meeting heard.

During the first half of 2014, the region’s gross domestic product grew by 10.3 percent while increases were recorded in export turnover and collection for the State budget.

Thirteen projects using Government bonds to build sections of Ho Chi Minh Highway running through the region have been basically finished.

Meanwhile, five traffic projects under the build-operate-transfer model are expected to be completed in 2015 and 2016. Six other projects funded by Government bonds will also become operational from now to 2016.

Covering some 54,474 square kilometres, the Central Highlands has a population of nearly 5.3 million from 47 ethnic groups. About 1.6 million people are of ethnic minorities.-VNA