Can Tho (VNA) - Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on May 26 urged the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho to explore special and breakthrough policies and mechanisms to promote its comprehensive development, and pilot investment in several emerging and high-potential sectors.
Chairing a working session with the Standing Board of the municipal Party Committee, PM Hung commended the efforts and achievements of the city’s Party organisation, administration and residents, noting that Can Tho has made meaningful contributions to the country’s development goals.
However, he also pointed out several shortcomings and challenges facing the city, including one of the country’s lowest GRDP growth rates, underperforming expansion of the service sector despite its large economic share, slow public investment disbursement, limited human resources quality and weaknesses in digital and information infrastructure.
Against that backdrop, the PM called on Can Tho to effectively implement the resolutions and conclusions of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, the National Assembly and the Government, particularly the Politburo’s strategic resolutions, in order to renew development mindset and governance approaches.
He stressed that the city must decisively carry out 19 key tasks assigned under Conclusion No. 18-KL/TW for completion in 2026. These include reviewing and adjusting urban planning in line with the Mekong Delta regional master plan, developing detailed economic growth scenarios, accelerating solutions for infrastructure bottlenecks and solving the management of underutilised public assets and land resources.
PM Hung particularly emphasised the need to review the implementation of the Politburo's Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW on the development of Can Tho and the National Assembly's Resolution No. 45; and accelerate nationally and internationally significant infrastructure projects with strong regional connectivity, linking the city’s growth poles along the North–South and East–West development corridors.
Regarding public investment, the Government leader instructed the city to proactively reallocate capital from slow-disbursing projects to those with stronger implementation capacity and additional funding needs. He further called for the swift resolution of long-delayed projects in order to unlock resources for development.
In the industrial and agricultural sectors, PM Hung encouraged the city to attract investment into high-tech manufacturing and processing industries with higher added value, and develop Can Tho into a major hub for the collection, processing and export distribution of agricultural and aquatic products from the Mekong Delta and the Greater Mekong Subregion.
The leader also highlighted the importance of improving the effectiveness of the two-tier local administration model through enhanced decentralisation, better personnel arrangements and stronger training for commune-level officials, especially in education, healthcare, land management, construction, finance and information technology.
In line with the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and digital transformation, PM Hung urged the city to prioritise the development of high-quality human resources and scientific research capacity at Can Tho University and other major higher education institutions.
The PM further stressed the need to strengthen Party building, develop a professional, transparent and service-oriented administrative system, and ensure social welfare, environmental protection, social housing development and national defence and security.
He also expressed broad support in principle for several proposals submitted by the city and assigned relevant ministries and agencies to coordinate on the implementation and resolution within their respective authority.
According to a report presented at the meeting by Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Le Quang Tung, newly expanded Can Tho, following the merger with Soc Trang and Hau Giang provinces, has focused on consolidating its organisational apparatus and stabilising the political system amid a broader administrative scale and growing governance requirements.
The city recorded economic growth of 7.02% in the first quarter of 2026, ranking second among five localities in the Mekong Delta region. State budget revenue by mid-May reached more than 13.2 trillion VND (501 million USD), equivalent to nearly half of the assigned annual target.
Earlier, PM Hung paid floral tribute and offered incense at the Can Tho Martyrs’ Cemetery in commemoration of late President Ho Chi Minh and fallen heroes and martyrs who devoted their lives to the struggle for national liberation and protection./.
