Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai called upon the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang to be more innovative and proactive in order to speed up socio-economic development in the second half of the year.

In a meeting with provincial leaders on July 22, the Deputy PM praised the province’s achievements made in the first six months of this year. However, he asked the province to make the most of available resources in a bid to develop its infrastructure and push key projects forward.

The province’s investment environment should be improved and the economic potentials at border areas should be fully exploited, while Ha Giang city should be turned into a level-three city, he stressed.

The Deputy PM requested the province to develop commercial agriculture, focusing on traditional crops, such as Bac Quang orange trees, Shan tea and medicinal plants.

With regard to tourism, Ha Giang was advised to develop unique tourism products and services, taking advantage of its natural conditions such as the Dong Van Karst Plateau.

The Government leader urged the province to implement poverty reduction programmes and projects in an effective manner which produces sustainable results and reduces the poverty rate by at least 3 percent during the 2016-2020 period.

The province was asked to maintain security and defence and develop a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

Ha Giang, one of the country’s poorest provinces, proposed the Government devise policies and provide funding to implement residential projects for 5,000 households and forest protection projects in four mountainous districts in the 2015-2020 period.

The province requested governmental support for infrastructure development at the Thanh Thuy border gate, environmental protection, mine clearance projects in border communes and road construction for border patrols.-VNA