Vietnam to appoint person to lead southern key economic hub: PM

The region comprises Ho Chi Minh City and seven provinces Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Long An and Tien Giang with nearly 22 million people that contribute 35 percent of the GDP, 46.1 percent of total budget revenue and 30 percent of total export turnover in the country.

PM Chinh said at a conference Saturday the region still has a lot of room for development.

In addition to the lack of modern and synchronous planning, the linkage and coordination between localities is not yet effective as there is no “real conductor,” he said.

Based on proposals of localities in the region, the PM would consider selecting a deputy prime minister or HCMC Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen as the commander of the southern key economic hub to help develop its full potential.

HCMC Chairman Phan Van Mai said current mechanisms have not encouraged localities in the region to be proactive and strengthen regional linkages while key traffic projects, airport and seaport expansion, garbage disposal and tourism investment promotion need to have a general consensus.

Binh Duong Party Secretary Nguyen Van Loi said localities in the region have been lacking cohesion and only focusing on their own development for years.

This means the region does not have a common voice in planning and supporting mutual development, Loi said.

Loi proposed that the “conductor” be a deputy prime minister.

At the meeting, Chinh said the government would consider granting extra autonomous decision-making power for HCMC and provinces in the region.

The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in the southern key economic region in 2020 was 2.6 times higher than that in 2010.

During the period, the number of new enterprises in the region also expanded by 81 percent, the highest nationwide, while FDI firms in the southeastern region made up half of the national figure in 2020.