Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung met with the authorities in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang on May 19 to discuss the province’s socio-economic development tasks over the first four months of this year.

After eight years, Hau Giang has made many achievements in several areas, particularly in infrastructure investment, and in improving local standards of living.

Although it has a lot of potential, the province’s poverty rate is still too high in comparison to the country’s average, he said.

He asked the province to apply advanced science and technology to agricultural production and the cultivation and processing of aquatic products, saying it is an effective way of developing quickly and in a sustainable manner.

The PM stressed on the need for administrative reforms and developing human resources, to help attract domestic and foreign investors to the province, as well as creating the best possible conditions for businesses and people to access capital.

With its advantages in agriculture, particularly rice production, Hau Giang should needs to grow more high-quality varieties of rice and purchase rice directly from farmers.

He also suggested the that province develops its transport infrastructure, electricity supplies, schools and health centres.

Earlier, PM Dung attended the inaugural ceremony of the road that links Vi Thanh district in Hau Giang province and Can Tho City.

The 47km long road begins at the crossroads on National Highway 1A and the access road to Can Tho bridge, and ends at National Highway 61 in Hau Giang province, helping shorten the journey by 15 kilometres.-VNA