Can Tho should promote its role as a driving force of development in the Mekong delta region, needing to develop infrastructure, high-quality human resources, and processing industry, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has said.

At a working session with the municipal authorities on August 14, the Party chief asked Can Tho to pay heed to Party build-ups and political system consolidation as well as the combat against corruption and waste.

As a central city in the region, Can Tho has yet established strong connectivity with other regional localities, he said, urging it to proactively work with ministries and central agencies in addressing social problems stemming from urbanisation, like flooding, environmental pollution, and hospital overloads.

During the 2011-2014 period, Can Tho posted an average economic growth of 11.98 percent annually. Economic structure is shifting on right track, with trade-service accounting for over 60 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

Last year, the city’s per capita income was estimated at 70.5 million VND (3,313 USD), and its budget collection reached nearly 11 trillion VND (517 million USD).

On the day, Party General Secretary Trong made a fact-finding trip to the Can Tho-O Mon thermo power plant, and had a working session with the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region.

He also visited Nam Hai Food Joint Stock Company in the Tra Noc Industrial Park, Binh Thuy district, the High Command of the Military Zone 9, and the city’s general hospital.-VNA