State President and Party Politburo member Nguyen Minh Triet has commended the Party’s Committees and people of six southern provinces on their important achievements in socio-cultural development, education, healthcare, security-defence, Party building work and other fields.

President Triet made the appraisals at working sessions between the Politburo and Secretariat of the Party Central Committee with the provinces of Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Tay Ninh, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc in Hanoi on August 14, 16 and 17.

The people’s lives continue to be improved together with a fast decrease in the number of poor households, he said, adding that their GDP growth surpassed targets and the proportion of industries and services increased while agriculture focused on key products with high economic value.

All investment sources have been mobilised to develop sea tourism, services, industry and the border economy to full potential, he said.

President Triet took the occasion to highlight draft documents and personnel schemes prepared for the provincial Party Congress by the six provinces for the 2010-2015 term.

Although there remain difficulties, the number of female, young and ethnic cadres has been ensured for the congress, he said.

The President also asked the Party’s Committees to increase their leadership capability, bring into play Party members’ exemplary roles and expand the movement, “Study and follow President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example” to consolidate the people’s confidence in the Party leadership.

On orientations for future development, the State leader suggested Binh Thuan and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces bring into play high-value sea tourism services and combine marine development with ecological and environmental protection.

As a locality with a high industry and service competitiveness index, Binh Duong should continue developing value-added and hi-tech services and industries and focus on training high-quality human resources, said the President.

He emphasised the necessity for the southwestern province of Tay Ninh to speed up the construction of the Moc Bai and Xa Mat border economic zones and increase exports of rubber, handicrafts and other highly competitive products, and reduce exports of raw materials.

The President asked Dong Nai province to restructure its industry to ensure its effective and sustainable development and strictly inspect the implementation of environmental protection regulations.

Binh Phuoc’s agricultural proportion is making up more than 47 per cent of its economy, its per capita GDP income is lower than the country’s average and its forest destruction remains complicated, he noted.

Triet said Binh Phuoc should promote industry and service development, exploit economic advantages at the border, reform administrative procedures, and create a favourable investment environment.

The province should also expand rubber planting and large-scaled breeding while paying attention to forest protection and exploitation, he said./.