Along with the effective implementation of socio-economic development tasks and solutions, Bac Kan province has been promoting administrative reforms, improving the business environment and enhancing competitiveness. The province is completing the Bac Kan Provincial Master Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050 to submit to the Prime Minister for approval, creating a premise to promote investment attraction and unleash breakthrough resources. Vietnam Business Forum had an interview with Mr. Nguyen Dang Binh, Chairman of Bac Kan Provincial People's Committee regarding this issue.
Mr. Hoang Duy Chinh, Secretary of the Bac Kan Provincial Party Committee and the provincial delegation check the progress of the project of Bac Kan City - Ba Be District
The accomplishment of many socio-economic growth targets in 2022 created momentum for the following years. How will Bac Kan province translate this performance into the vital year of 2023?
Despite facing numerous difficulties in 2022, Bac Kan strived to boost socio-economic development and achieved remarkable results. The province completed and exceeded 22 out of 26 key targets; obtained GRDP growth of 6.01% and per capita GRDP of VND46.3 million; collected budget revenue of VND830 billion; and made the import-export value of US$35 million. In 2022, the province also licensed 11 investment projects with VND1,500 billion, bringing the total investment projects to 177 and the investment value to VND18,500 billion. The above results created a solid foundation and confidence for the province to set higher goals in 2023: GRDP growth of over 7%, per capita GRDP of over VND50 million, budget revenue of VND955 billion or more; 3,900 ha of newly planted forests, 20 new OCOP products recognized 3-star class or higher, 11 new communes certified to meet new rural development standards, and poverty rate reduced by 2-2.5%.
Right from the beginning of the year, the Provincial People's Committee, departments and localities actively, effectively carry out proposed tasks and solutions. Believing that, with the revolutionary cultural tradition, dynamism and effort of the entire political system, people and businesses in the province, Bac Kan will successfully realize its goals to create a premise for strong breakthroughs in the near future.
After nearly two years of implementing Resolution 08-NQ/TU dated April 22, 2021 of the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee on speeding up administrative reform and improving provincial competitiveness in the 2021-2025 period, what are the outstanding results Bac Kan province has achieved?
In the past time, administrative reform and competitiveness improvement have been considered a central and cross-cutting task by the province. For the 2020-2025 term, the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution 08-NQ/TU dated April 22, 2021 on speeding up administrative reform and enhancing the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in the 2021-2025 period. On that basis, the Provincial People's Committee launched an action plan for implementation (Decision 1814/QD-UBND dated September 30, 2021). At the same time, to carry out Resolution 02/NQ-CP of the Government dated January 10, 2022, the Provincial People's Committee also announced a plan to improve the business investment environment and enhance the PCI in 2022 - 2025 (Decision 594/QD-UBND dated April 14, 2022). The province pronounced some key goals to 2025: To gradually raise the PCI ranking by at least one place a year and achieve the overall score of over 67 points.
In 2023, to strongly enhance the business investment environment and raise its PCI score and ranking, the Provincial People's Committee launched Plan 37/KH-UBND dated January 19, 2023 on implementation of the Government's Resolution 01/NQ-CP dated January 6, 2023 on main tasks and solutions for the implementation of the socioeconomic development plan, state budget estimation, business climate improvement and national competitiveness in 2023. Accordingly, the province actively executed the following consistent solutions: Strengthening the responsibility and activeness of provincial departments and agencies assigned to monitor PCI component indicators; simplifying administrative procedures; speeding up investment attraction and actively handling difficulties for enterprises; focusing on developing synchronous modern infrastructure. In particular, the province paid special attention to reviewing and reducing the time needed to work with administrative procedures relating to investment, production, land business, construction permit, tax, customs and other contents.
Following directions of the Provincial People's Committee, agencies at all levels have actively participated; clearly defined purposes and requirements to assign tasks to responsible units; and upheld the responsibility of agency/unit leaders and public employees. Without a doubt, the government at all levels of Bac Kan province has now been closely and responsibly monitored; stepped up administrative procedures and improved competitiveness, all for the purpose of creating a more open investment and business environment.
These determinations have been gradually transformed into concrete actions and this positive transformation is clearly felt and appreciated by people and businesses. This is evidenced by substantive occurences. The province’s Digital Transformation Index ranked 51 out of 63 provinces and cities in 2021, up 8 places over 2020. Its Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) in 2022 ranked 35, climbing 13 places over 2021. In addition, direct investment capital in Bac Kan has increased strongly in both value and quality, becoming the most obvious result of the effort made by the government, people and businesses.
Bac Kan also focused investment resources on developing connection transport infrastructure
In order to create a driving force to increase investment flows, the whole political system of the province is trying to complete the Bac Kan Provincial Master Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, to submit to the Prime Minister for approval at the earliest. Could you please tell us about the vision, aspirations and development breakthrough stages of the province in the coming years?
In 25 years since provincial re-establishment (January 1, 1997 - January 1, 2023), Bac Kan has obtained many important achievements in socioeconomic development. However, the province is still facing many difficulties and challenges in development which require prompt, radical and scientific guidelines and decisions to make breakthroughs.
Having been clearly aware of the above requirements, immediately after receiving guiding documents of the central government, Bac Kan quickly embarked on research and construction of the Bac Kan Provincial Master Plan for the 2021 – 2030 period, with a vision to 2050. In the first quarter of 2023, the draft planning was further revised and supplemented to be officially promulgated as soon as possible. Planning is an important content, a foundation for comprehensive and unified leadership, direction and management in socio-economic development, human resource development, national defense and security and foreign affairs.
The master plan defines the target that, by 2030, the province has enough fundamental foundations for becoming a relatively developed locality in the country, having a harmonious urban and rural space development system, and aligning economic development with ecological and cultural conservation. By 2050, Bac Kan will have a dynamic economy, an ecologically-oriented, modern and sustainable city with a ideal living environment; and reach a relatively high development level in the country.
The planning states the focus on four strategic breakthroughs: (1) Attracting tourism investment; (2) Perfecting mechanisms and policies and enhancing competitiveness; (3) Upgrading synchronous, modern social and economic infrastructure, with a focus on the transport system; and (4) innovation, human resource development and digital transformation.
Thank you very much!
Ngo Khuyen (Vietnam Business Forum)
Vietnamese
October 2024
Hanoi