National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong has emphasised the necessity for the central coast province of Khanh Hoa to focus on sustainable development through addressing social issues, bridging the gap among the rich and the poor and developing the market economy.

The NA leader made the statement during his two-day inspection tour of the province that ended on Jan. 29 to inquire the province’s results of the 20-year implementation of the 1991 Party political programme and the 2001-2010 socio-economic development strategy in order to build and finalise documents to be submitted to the XIth National Party Congress.

On the subject of Party development among foreign-invested and private businesses, Chairman Trong said there need to be concrete standards and guidelines for admitting leaders of private enterprises into Party organisations.

According to the province’s report, Khanh Hoa maintained an average annual GDP growth rate of 11 percent during the 2006-2010 period and is among those localities that have achieved a high industrial growth rate (22.6 percent) mostly in frozen seafood processing, tobacco, ship building and minerals exploitation.

Its annual per-capita income reached more than 24 million VND and the rate of poor households fell to 16.18 percent under provincial poverty standards and to 2.38 percent under the national poverty line.

Khanh Hoa has more than 200 Party members that have registered to set up private businesses and limited liability companies as well as joining in the establishment of private joint stock companies.

Although the number of private entrepreneurs that have been admitted to the Party remains modest, Party members who are leaders of private enterprises have taken on a leading role, ensured workers’ rights and facilitated the operation of mass organisations.

In accordance with the Party and State’s policy, all economic sectors receive encouragement to develop. Private and equitised enterprises have made great contributions to the provincial economy.

While in Khanh Hoa, the NA leader visited the Khanh Thanh mountain commune in Khanh Vinh district where ethnic minority people, mainly Raglai, account for almost 90 percent of the population.

He also inspected the building of Party organisations and looked into economic restructuring, forest development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction in Ninh Phung commune, Ninh Hoa district.

The NA leader visited and presented gifts to a number of Vietnamese heroic mothers in Ninh Tho commune, Ninh Hoa district./.