The mountainous northern province of Tuyen Quang should make use of its advantages to develop a forest-based economy as it is home to nearly 500,000 ha of economically valuable forests.

So said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at a working session with local authorities on August 14. The Government leader suggested the province boost intensive farming and high-quality husbandry in addition to applying advanced technologies and more effective mechanisms and policies so that farmers can make a living off forestry.

The provincial authorities and the people must try their best to fulfil this year’s socio-economic objectives, including a GDP growth rate of 14 percent, per-capita income reaching over 740 USD and a reduction in the poverty rate to 15 percent, he added.

The PM also praised efforts made by the Tuyen Quang authorities and people in boosting socio-economic development with annual GDP growth reaching 13.8 percent in 2008.

The quality of education has much improved, healthcare networks have been consolidated and the poverty rate has decreased to 18.58 percent, he said.

However, he noted that Tuyen Quang remains a poor province with limited economic potential, a slow pace of development, sluggish progress in infrastructure projects and poor living standards.

“Thus, the province should continue promoting achievements and overcome its shortcomings, helping boost its rapid and sustainable development in the new situation of the country,” PM Dung reiterated.

He also asked the locality to implement overall socio-economic development plans with a focus on industrial development, especially agro-forestry processing, hydropower, construction materials and mineral exploitation.

“Tuyen Quang should develop its technical infrastructure, particularly transport and communication, promulgate preferential policies and speed up administrative reforms in order to create a clear, open and favourable mechanism for economic entities in and outside the province to boost business operations as well as encourage domestic and foreign investors,” the PM said.

He added that the province also needs to prevent and control environmental pollution, pay attention to the disbursement of capital for developing infrastructure, education and vocational training, to ensure social welfare and accelerate poverty reduction.

During his working visit to Tuyen Quang province, Prime Minister Dung visited the An Hoa Paper Plant, a large-scale industrial project with an investment of 8 trillion VND (444 million USD)./.