Da Nang possesses significant potential and distinctive advantages that position it as a key growth hub for the country, with prospects for rapid and sustainable development. Building on its success, the city is implementing effective decisions to realize its aspiration of becoming the most livable city in Vietnam. To learn more about Da Nang’s sustainable values, our reporter conducts an interview with Mr. Le Trung Chinh, Chairman of Da Nang People's Committee.
Meet Da Nang 2024 provides a platform for dialogue and exchange, bringing together authorities, businesses, diplomats, and international guests to discuss Da Nang City's preparedness and the expectations of its partners for the near future
Da Nang City is rich in unique cultural and historical values. Does this require the city to preserve and promote those unique values?
By 2024, Da Nang has two special national monuments, 17 national monuments, 69 local monuments and 42 monuments on the inventory list. Seven intangible cultural heritages are included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and nine national treasures. Particularly, Da Nang joined hands with central localities to build a "Vietnam's Central Coast Bai Choi Art" profile which was officially registered by UNESCO on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. Ma Nhai in Ngu Hanh Son Mountain landscape was recognized by UNESCO as a Memory of the World: Documentary heritage in Asia and the Pacific in 2022.
The municipality has paid close attention to management, conservation and promotion of cultural heritage values by investing and organizing many activities to preserve and promote local cultural features and traditions while effectively exploiting cultural heritage values for tourism development in recent years. The city also promulgated regulations on coordinated management, protection and promotion of local historical and cultural values and scenic spots to assign responsibilities of preserving and promoting relic values to relevant agencies and branches. Furthermore, the gradual formation of tours and tourist routes to heritage sites and traditional festivals has contributed to spreading folk cultural values, cultural institutions, traditional occupations in villages along rivers, especially the Han River - K20 revolutionary base, Ha - Tuy Loan River, and Cu De River.
In the coming time, the city will continue to carry out such key tasks as effectively implementing the project on preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values in the 2021 - 2025 period. Da Nang City will focus on completing the project of renovating, restoring and embellishing Hai Van Quan relic site, the Ngu Hanh Son planning and the second-phase investment of Dien Hai Citadel and effectively operate these sites upon project completion. The city will ensure 100% of special national, national and local relics to be restored and embellished. The city will complete the digitization of special national relics, national monuments, national treasures, documentary heritages and intangible cultural heritages for protection and promotion of heritage value and improve the quality of operations of museums.
For the city's development, it is important that public employees demonstrate greater commitment and that agency leaders set exemplary standards. How do you view the role of these efforts in advancing Da Nang’s growth and aspirations?
Da Nang City has always focused and paid attention to the example-setting responsibility of agency/local leaders. The Da Nang People's Committee specifically issued Decision 2090/QD-UBND on regulations on responsibilities of leaders of state administrative agencies to the implementation of administrative reforms. The city also integrated and aligned task performance evaluations with the responsibilities of relevant leaders. Every year, the work performance of agency/local leaders will be evaluated.
Besides, assessing the responsibilities of leaders is the basis for applying emulation, rewards and discipline for individuals, units and agencies. The endeavor of all public employees associated with the responsibility of leaders is a prerequisite for successfully completing economic, political and social tasks and thus contributing to spreading strong spirit and desire for a worthy future development of Da Nang.
Tien Sa Port in Da Nang is one of Vietnam's largest and most important maritime trade hubs
Investment flows into Da Nang City markedly improved in the first six months of 2024. For you, what makes the city an impressive destination in the eyes of investors?
Da Nang granted investment licenses to 14 domestic and foreign investment projects with a total pledged fund of nearly VND13 trillion in the first quarter of 2024 and many projects with nearly VND10 trillion the second quarter. These are extremely positive results.
Of course, the municipal government made great efforts to achieve the above results, especially with the close direction of the Standing Board of the Municipal Party Committee, the coordination and support of agencies, the interest, companionship and determination of the business community and the consensus of the people. Besides, the city drastically directed all levels and branches to carry out practical tasks and solutions such as Resolution 02/NQ-CP, Resolution 58/NQ-CP and Resolution 105 /NQ-CP. It also issued a resolution on socialization encouragement policies in Da Nang City in 2022 - 2025.
In particular, the city actively proposed solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles in planning and investment procedures (especially those in real estate and urban projects); accelerated the implementation progress of infrastructure projects for socioeconomic development, driving projects and crucial projects to polish the local image. In addition, currently, the city's agencies and branches are trying to complete zoning planning projects, create a legal corridor for planning, publicize regulatory planning information, and speed up auction and bidding procedures to select investors in the most open, transparent, equitable and effective manner.
What solutions does the city have to improve the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and improve investment outcomes in 2024 and beyond?
Departments, branches and related units have actively adopted solutions to improve the business investment environment, boost socioeconomic development, and serve people. Besides, leaders always uphold the spirit of listening and companionship to share and facilitate the development of the business community.
In 2024, Da Nang adopted the annual theme “Year of promoting administrative reform, strengthening discipline, unlocking investment resources, speeding up economic growth and ensuring social security.” Right from the start of the year, the city assigned municipal and district agencies to urgently carry out a series of important solutions in four main task groups: Promoting administrative reform and strengthening discipline; unlocking investment resources; speeding up economic growth; and ensuring social security. The city will focus on attracting investment capital into the city, especially industrial zones. It will give priority to high-tech industries, with emphasis on semiconductor chip design technology, artificial intelligence (AI) technology, big data technology and digital technology. Da Nang City is working hard to entice foreign investment capital flows redirected into Vietnam.
Da Nang City will continue to implement the Smart City Project and the Digital Transformation Project; complete approving the construction of all nine urban subdivisions and seven out of 10 functional subdivisions; and appraise specialized technical infrastructure planning projects. The city will continue to effectively implement the Urban Development Program in 2021-2030, the Housing Development Program in 2021-2030. It will pay particular attention to building social housing for the poor and policy-benefited families.
We hope that the business community and investors will persist in their support, leveraging resources and harnessing both local and city-wide advantages to drive new development opportunities. By doing so, they will contribute to achieving key objectives in business growth, economic development, and social security. We are confident that Da Nang City will continue to achieve remarkable progress, fueled by the solidarity, dynamism, and innovation of the Party, the government, and its people.
Thank you so much!
By Han Luong, Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
October 2024
Hanoi