Officials stress connectivity in central region’s development

Binh Dinh (VNA) – Officials attending a conference on August 20 underlined the need to promote connectivity among central localities so as to create a driving force for economic growth of the whole region.

The central region consists of 13 provinces and one city, stretching from Thanh Hoa to Binh Thuan. As part of it, the central key economic region comprises Da Nang city and the provinces of Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Binh.

At the conference held in Binh Dinh province, Secretary of the Quang Nam provincial Party Committee Phan Viet Cuong said with enormous potential and advantages, the localities in the central key economic region are aware of the importance of regional connectivity so as to optimise advantages of each of them with the ultimate goal of sharing long-term interests and improving their stature.

To make connectivity policies effective, at first, it is necessary to perfect institutions and enhance their realisation, and this work should be piloted in the central key economic region first.

He said pending the building of a plan for the whole region, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) should coordinate with the central key economic region’s council to make plans on the arrangement of economic sectors and development fields in the region; the building and upgrade of local infrastructure, especially transport facilities; human resources development; and climate change response.

The Government and the MPI need to consider adjusting the targets and size of economic zones, industrial parks and hi-tech parks in the central key economic region, Cuong said, adding that they should also weigh the delegation of power to economic zones’ management boards.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Binh Dinh provincial People’s Committee Ho Quoc Dung said to step up attracting investment, promote the central region’s development and capitalise on local advantages, the Government needs to direct the early building of an overall plan for the region in accordance with the Law on Planning. This plan needs to clarify orientations for the development of the central region in relation to the Central Highlands region and the East-West Economic Corridor.

The central key economic region holds a special role in terms of defence, security and socio-economic development of the country. It currently houses four coastal economic zones, four deep-water ports and four airports, which is favourable for industry, logistics, seaport and tourism services.

However, compared to the northern and southern key economic regions, the central one is still lagging behind, Dung noted.

The official asked the Government to accelerate the construction of the North-South Expressway, part of which will traverse Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen, along with a coastal road connecting central localities, so as to facilitate goods transportation and tourism.

He also proposed transport facilities be built and upgraded to link coastal central localities with Central Highlands provinces and bring into full play their role as a gateway to the sea of the Greater Mekong Sub-region’s countries.

Echoing the view on the need to boost transport infrastructure, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The said his ministry has determined the mechanisms for mobilising and using resources for local transport infrastructure development. As a result, transport infrastructure has been gradually improved, creating better connectivity for the region and the whole country.

However, he also admitted a lack of expressways through the region, inter-connected roads among localities, as well as the connectivity among different means of transport here. He called on the Government to remove bottlenecks in transport infrastructure development to fuel economic growth in the time ahead.

At the conference, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien also highlighted the need for tourism connectivity to optimise advantages in this field of each locality. -VNA