Bac Kan Pursuing Green, Sustainable Economic Development

Bac Kan is actively implementing a range of solution to advance a green circular economy and achieve sustainable growth. It aims to become a leading, relatively developed province in the Northern Midland and Mountainous Area by 2030, characterized by a dynamic green economy. With a vision for 2050, Bac Kan aspires to be recognized as one of the most livable places in the country. To find out more information, our reporter has an interview with Mr. Nguyen Dang Binh, Chairman of  the Bac Kan Provincial People's Committee. 

What are your perspectives on Bac Kan province's socioeconomic development in the first six months of 2024 and its key tasks in the remaining months of the year?

Despite facing numerous difficulties and challenges, the province continued to maintain socioeconomic growth momentum and achieved many positive results. Its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) rose 5.45% year on year to VND4,128 billion. The agriculture, forestry and fishery sector accounted for 24.5%, or over VND1,040 billion. Many crops recorded higher-than-expected harvests.

The industry continued to develop and contribute to economic development. The Industrial Production Index climbed 10% year on year in the first six months. The industrial production value rose 12.75% to VND901 billion in the reported period, fulfilling 47.75% of the full-year plan.

The service sector has the largest share, accounting for 56.1% of the economic value, reaching VND2,312.6 billion. Total retail revenue of consumer goods and services completed 106.2% of the growth scenario in the first six months. Total import and export value was US$17.5 million, equal to nearly 59% of the target and up 59% from the same period of last year.

The province licensed five projects with a total registered capital of over VND800 billion and had 45 new companies and 24 new cooperatives in the six month period. Policymaking and troubleshooting for companies were focused.

The new rural development program continues to be seriously implemented. To date, the province has 28 communes certified to meet new rural development standards, four communes accredited to satisfy advanced new rural development standards, and 70 villages recognized to fulfill new rural development standards. On average, a commune fulfilled 12.79 criteria. Bac Kan has 218 OCOP products ranked 3 stars or higher, including one 5-star product, 18 4-star products, and 199 3-star products.

The sociocultural sector was carried out as planned. Healthcare, education, and social security were promoted. Political security, order, and social safety were maintained.

Promoting their achievements, in the remaining months of 2024, localities and agencies will be more determined to lead and direct efforts to realize their tasks and goals, with further focus on key pillars of growth like agriculture, forestry, industry, services and construction.

The province will strive to achieve good results in the last six months of the year as well as in the whole year. Specifically, the province's growth was expected to be over 8% in 2024, with the GRDP growth in excess of 10% in the second half, driven by the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector that will rise by 4.7% in the second half, the industry - construction sector by 15%, services by 11%, and subsidy-minus product tax by 9.5%.

Agencies and investors should resolutely disburse 100% of public investment capital in 2024 and the remaining fund in 2023. The province will urge investors of privately funded projects to speed up the disbursement of their registered investment capital. It will effectively carry out trade promotion programs and develop e-commerce.

The province will focus on removing difficulties and obstacles in land and site clearance, accelerate project implementation, speed up auction progress and collect land use fees. It will continue to reduce the time of granting construction permits for projects and increase total social investment capital as planned.

The Bac Kan Provincial Planning for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, underlines green and dynamic economic development with a synchronous and modern socioeconomic infrastructure system and digital infrastructure. Could you elaborate on this orientation?

On November 3, 2023, the Prime Minister issued Decision 1288/QD-TTg on ratification of the Bac Kan Provincial Planning for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050. Accordingly, by 2030, Bac Kan will become a sustainable average province in the Northern Midland and Mountainous region, with green and dynamic economic development with a synchronous and modern socioeconomic infrastructure system and digital infrastructure. The GRDP growth is expected at over 7.5% a year on average in the 2021 - 2030 period, with services rising by over 8%/year; agriculture, forestry and fishery by over 3.5%, and industry - construction by over 11%.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha presents the Prime Minister’s decision ratifying Bac Kan Provincial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, to provincial leaders

According to the development direction, sustainable tourism development goes in line with environmental protection, preserves, promotes and conserves heritage and cultural values. The province will develop such tourism clusters as Ba Be and vicinity, Bac Kan City and vicinity; Cho Don Safety Zone and vicinity, and Na Ri - Ngan Son.

The agriculture, forestry and fishery sector is developed in a modern and sustainable direction. The province will focus resources on developing the forest economy, based on carbon credit production services, biomass electricity and processing industry.

The province actively attracts and unlocks investment resources to complete the synchronous and modern socioeconomic infrastructure system, with emphasis on the transport infrastructure system connected to economic corridors in the Northern Midland and Mountainous region. Bac Kan will give priority to investment in key transport projects and technical and social infrastructure projects in Bac Kan City and urban areas, and complete infrastructure in industrial zones.

Bac Kan province will strengthen innovation, creativity and scientific and technological application in production; foster digital transformation and digital application in various important industries and fields; encourage the establishment of innovative start-ups with potential and competitive advantages.

The provincial planning is the foundation to open vast room for attracting investment and make Bac Kan an averagely developed locality, a dynamic economy and one of the best places to live in the country.

What are the province’s potentials and strengths to attract investors and boost sustainable growth to meet the above requirements?

Situated in the center of the Northeast region, Bac Kan is blessed with various potential advantages for economic development and investment attraction. With diverse natural resources, a vast river network (the sources of five major rivers in the Northeast region: Lo River, Gam River, Ky Cung River, Bang River and Cau River), the province has potential advantages to develop an ecological agriculture, create products for domestic and export markets, especially industrial crops, fruit crops and large livestock.

Bac Kan can also potentially develop tourism, especially experiential tourism, sightseeing, discovery and community tourism, thanks to rich, diverse customs and practices of seven ethnic groups (Tay, Nung, Kinh, Dao, Mong, Hoa and San Chay), with the most typical being Tay Nung culture. The province has the famous Ba Be Lake - “a green pearl in the heart of Viet Bac mountains”, a special national relic, the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam and one of the 20 largest freshwater lakes in the world. Notably, Bac Kan's most valuable asset is its heroic revolutionary tradition, solidarity and unity of the entire political system and the entire people.

Local leaders are dedicated to advancing and enhancing One Commune One Product (OCOP) offerings

To achieve rapid and sustainable development, Bac Kan has consistently and drastically carried out many socioeconomic development solutions by mobilizing and effectively using all resources, promoting internal resources and maximizing external resources.

In 2021 - 2025, the province has focused on removing difficulties, completing related planning and unlocking resources to invest in synchronous and modern infrastructure systems, particularly the transport system linked to economic corridors in the region. This is considered a breakthrough solution to unlock local potential advantages and attract private investment in locally strong areas to boost local socioeconomic development.

At the same time, the province has seriously improved the investment and business climate, enhanced competitiveness, promoted investment, actively supported the effective implementation of privately funded projects, sped up the investment disbursement progress and raised the effectiveness of public investment capital, especially in key, influential projects, ensured decent employment, good social security and socioeconomic development in ethnic minority areas.

Bac Kan is striving to achieve green growth and sustainable development goals, protect resources and the environment. To concretize these goals and raise the Provincial Green Index (PGI) in the coming time, what specific solutions will the province take?

Bac Kan is determined to achieve green growth associated with growth repatterning and economic restructuring and shift the economy from extensive growth to intensive growth.

In the coming time, the Provincial People's Committee will continue to direct relevant agencies and localities to closely follow the Bac Kan Green Growth Action Plan for the 2018 - 2020 period, with a vision to 2030; strengthen communications, improve the capacity and awareness of authorities and people of developing a green economy and a circular economy; and improve the State management capacity of climate resilience.

In carrying out the Bac Kan Provincial Planning for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, the province will integrate and evaluate sustainable development and green growth contents; support businesses and people to switch to organic production; and maintain forest coverage at an appropriate level, actively plant and protect forests, participate in the carbon credit market, and create sustainable livelihoods from the forest economy.

In addition, the province has directed the development of green sectors, made the most of scientific and technological progress, encouraged innovation and developed circular economic models. Bac Kan has developed commercial organic agriculture, and formed specialized areas with appropriate scale, based on local value chains and OCOP products.

Bac Kan province has developed the industry associated with environmental protection, with focus on processing and manufacturing sectors, harmoniously grown renewable energy industries; expanded services and trade by improving quality and diversity, and boosting the development of ecotourism, leisure tourism and community tourism together with preserving unique traditional cultural values.

With the effort and determination of the entire political system and a clear action roadmap, Bac Kan expects that green growth will further contribute positively to economic restructuring and growth model transformation, thus creating a foundation and an attractive destination for investors.

Thank you so much!

Ngoc Tung (Vietnam Business Forum)