Realizing the Aspiration for Further Growth

With a commitment to harmonious and sustainable development, Ninh Binh is working toward becoming a relatively prosperous province in the Red River Delta region and achieving the status of a centrally-governed city and a world-class national tourism center by 2030. This progress is driven by strategic decision-making, as well as the determination and collaborative efforts of local authorities, businesses, and communities.

The delegation of the Provincial People's Council, led by Mr. Mai Van Tuat, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, engages in discussions with the Brussels Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Belgium, May 2024

Outstanding and sustainable economic growth

The Red River Delta province of Ninh Binh has a strategic geographical position in politics, economy and military. The province is the "gateway" to the southernmost part of northern Vietnam and the "southern gateway" of the "Red River civilization". Ninh Binh is also an important traffic hub with vital passing traffic routes as it lies in the North-South national economic corridor (Bac Ninh - Hanoi - Ninh Binh) and the northern coastal economic corridor from Mong Cai (Quang Ninh) to Kim Son (Ninh Binh). The province is a transit point of three economic regions: Red River Delta, North Central Coast and Central Coast, and Northwest, while holding an important position in national defense and security.

Over 30 years of reestablishment, from a purely agricultural province with a small scale and slow growth, Ninh Binh today has increasingly developed, with a constantly expanded economic scale reaching nearly VND90,000 billion in 2023, 130 times higher than in 1992, and GRDP per capita climbing to VND88.03 million in the year, 105 times higher than in 1992.

The economic structure has shifted in a positive direction, based on three motivational pillars of high added value: High-tech supporting industry and clean technology; organic, ecological, advanced agriculture; and tourism which is defined to become a spearhead economic sector. The province has transformed its “brown” development model to a “green” one and developed the heritage economy and the agricultural economy.

In the first six months of 2024, the province's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth was 8.19%, ranking 12th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide and 6th out of 11 provinces and cities in the Red River Delta. Its GRDP value was estimated at VND26,838.9 billion, up 8.19% year on year.

Ninh Binh granted initial investment registration certificates to 13 projects and revised investment registration certificates to 55 projects with a total registered capital of VND3,229 billion, 2.7 times higher than the corresponding period of 2023. Ninh Binh reaffirmed itself as a leading destination for domestic and foreign tourists. Tourist arrivals totaled 6.28 million in the first six months of the year, up 38.5% year on year and equal to 83.7% of the yearly plan. Up to 1.18 million visitors stayed overnight in the province, up 79.4% year on year and equal to 75.5% of the full-year plan. The province also made social and cultural progress, ensured social security, and improved the material and spiritual life of the people.

These achievements are not only a testament to the rapid development of the province but also an affirmation of the right decisions and the determination, persistent effort and consensus of the local government, businesses and the community.

Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee always upholds the spirit of responsibility, solidarity and unity, constantly reforms leadership and direction methods, promotes democracy, steadfastly pursues development goals, and reinforces administrative discipline with the motto of "Clear people, clear work, clear results, clear time, clear responsibility".

Right from the beginning of the year, the committee announced and resolutely implemented the annual work program, adopted new important and strategic viewpoints, goals and tasks, clearly demonstrated the enterprising spirit, high determination and great effort. Some key solutions include:

Strengthening responsibility and improving the effectiveness of administrative reform, promptly removing obstacles and difficulties for people and businesses.

Continuing to maintain dialogues with investors and large corporations for common development, provincial leaders organized a series of regular meetings and dialogues on the last Thursday of every month to directly listen to their feedback and recommendations so as to address emerging issues quickly, clearly and lawfully.

Organizing important cultural and political events of national and international significance; spreading unique identity values to the world, gradually transforming into resources for socioeconomic growth; reforming methods and improving the organization and operation of investment promotion advisory divisions.

Especially, the province has strongly moved to create a friendly and favorable business environment. In 2023, Ninh Binh's Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) reached 67.83 points (gaining 3.61 points and advancing 25 places on the ranking from 2022), ranking 19th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide and 6th out of 11 Red River Delta provinces and cities. Eight out of 10 component indices advanced in score and ranking. In particular, many indicators increased impressively, including time cost; legal institutions and security and order; market entry index; informal charge; land access; transparency; dynamism and innovation of the government; business support policies; and labor training.

In addition, its Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) scored 44.07 points, ranking 14th, four places higher than in 2022. The Public Administration Reform Index (PAR Index) reached 88.72% to advance six places from 2022, higher than the national average of 1.74%, to rank 11th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide.

This shows that the province's determination and efforts to improve administration and gradually build an enabling government for the people and businesses has brought meaningful results.

Aspiration for higher position

The recently ratified Ninh Binh Provincial Planning for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision to 2050, features the perspective of “rapid, sustainable and harmonious” development. The province will strive to basically achieve the urbanization criteria by 2030, become a centrally run city by 2035, featured with a millennium heritage city, a creative city, and a civilized, modern, smart city with its own identity on par with heritage cities and creative cities in the world 2050.

The planning clearly shows the Ninh Binh development strategy: “One strategy” based on “three foundations”, “four pillars” of economic development and seven key, breakthrough tasks. This is an important legal basis for the province to formulate policies, implement tasks, organize territorial spaces, allocate resources, attract investment and utilize potential and strengths to realize its goals and aspirations.

To effectively implement the planning, in the coming time, the province will focus on carrying out the following contents:

First, focusing on disseminating the planning widely, publicly and transparently to people and businesses, promoting administrative reform, placing people and businesses at the center of service; enabling strong changes in the investment environment to successfully achieve development goals.

Second, allocating resources to execute seven key, breakthrough tasks, with focus on developing synchronous, smart, modern and connected socioeconomic infrastructure and creating new spaces and drivers for development.

Third, improving and strongly reforming leadership, direction and administration mindset with the consistent viewpoint of “Following to the end, solving to the end” and working with “Clear work, clear people, clear responsibility, clear time and clear results"; assigning specific tasks to each relevant unit and each responsible leader in all fields; focusing on directing the effective and synchronous implementation of tasks and solutions to resolve bottlenecks in the fastest, most effective fashion and deal with difficulties for businesses, investors om the fastest manner.

With the spirit of constant innovation, creativity and courage to overcome difficulties and strengthen self-reliance nurtured by many generations, the Party, government, people and business community of Ninh Binh province are confident and united to work together to address difficulties and challenges and successfully carry out the given goals and tasks to realize the desire to become a “millennium heritage city” and a centrally governed city by 2035.

By Duy Anh (Vietnam Business Forum)