Kon Tum (VNA) – PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Central Highlands province of Kon Tumto sustainably develop forests with higher productivity in combination withgrowing medical herbs.
At a working session withprovincial leaders on September 5 as part of his trip to Kon Tum, PM Phuc saidthe province should develop clean agriculture, multi-functional hightechnology, energy and processing industries, border gate economy and tourism.
He suggested that Kon Tum shouldgive priority to developing important and suitable sectors, and mobilisingresources for sustainable growth, especially in the fields of transport andirrigation.
More attention must be paid toimproving educational quality, handling land-related issues, raisingintellectual standards of local people, and attracting more investors,especially big and potential ones, he said.
The PM lauded achievements KonTum has recorded in socio-economic development, ethnic affairs and foreign relations,especially in consolidating the friendship and traditional cooperation with theneighbouring countries of Laos and Cambodia.
Talking about Ngoc Linh ginsengwhich is dubbed as the national treasure planted in Kon Tum, PM Phuc saidthrough projects, the province has reaped initial successes in developing therare medical herb with high economic values.
The government leader, however,pointed out that the province has failed to fully tap its potential and percapita income has remained low.
Besides, some of its productslike coffee and other farm produce have yet to build their own brand names,while there remained limitations regarding business development, the provincialcompetitiveness index (PCI) and the quality of human resources, he said.
At the working session, Kon Tum authoritiesproposed the Government hand over special-use forests to the province to carryout projects on growing Ngoc Linh ginseng and other medical herbs, with a pilotarea of 8,807ha in the Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve.
In this regard, PM Phuc asked KonTum to review the outcomes of implemented projects and coordinate with theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development to report the results to the PMfor further consideration.
The Central Highlands province ofKon Tum is home to 28 ethnic groups, of whom 53 percent are ethnicminorities.-VNA
VNA