Maritime economy to be boosted in northcentral and central coastal region

The world’s longest sea cable car was put into operation in 2018 in Phú Quốc Island District in the southern province of Kiên Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngọc Hà

HÀ NỘI — A national conference on the socio-economic development of the northcentral and central coastal region will be held on Sunday, focusing on measures to boost maritime economic growth for fast and sustainable development, Đông said.

Đông said the conference would call for the engagement of investors, domestic and foreign business associations and partners in major investment projects and programmes in the region.

The conference also aims to launch the Government’s action programme to implement the Politburo’s Resolution 26-NQ/TW on the orientations for socio-economic development and security-defence protection of the region to 2030 with a vision to 2045, and to attract investment to the region.

At a press briefing in Hà Nội on Wednesday, Deputy Minister Đông underlined that the event has significant importance to the development of the region, which has a special strategic role in the economy, politics, culture, society, environment, defence, security and foreign relations of the country, especially the national strategy on the sustainable maritime economic development.

An investment promotion conference will be held in parallel with the event, aiming to mobilise resources for the region's infrastructure development and boost the region's investment and business activities.

During the conference, an agreement on cooperation in the region's sustainable development is expected to be signed between the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPI) and development partners, along with several memoranda of understanding. Investment licences will also be granted to domestic and foreign investors.

According to the MPI, in the 2005-2020 period, the region posted annual growth of 7.3 per cent, higher than the country’s average, with the economic scale expanding 9.1 times in 2004-2020.

However, Deputy Minister Đông pointed out several regional shortcomings, including the ineffectiveness in exploiting maritime economic development potential.

Resolution 26 was released in the hopes of turning the region into an area with dynamic, fast and sustainable development, which is strong in the maritime economy.

By 2045, the region is expected to post rapid and sustainable development, hosting several major industrial, service and international cooperation centres on par with those in Asia, with modern coastal economic zones, a smart and sustainable coastal urban system, as well as a unique identity and good environmental protection.

In an action programme to implement the resolution, the Government gave eight major solutions, including perfecting institutions and policies and promoting the development of regional connectivity, restructuring the regional economy with greater attention on the development of the marine economy; boosting the growth of the urban system, especially the coastal urban system; and stepping up investment in regional socio-economic infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure.

It also underlined the need to effectively manage and exploit natural resources, especially maritime and forest resources, protect the environment, and improve resilience against natural disasters the adaptation to climate change.

The programme includes 34 specific tasks and 11 transport infrastructure projects.