Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Friday meets with leaders of the south central province of Ninh Thuận. – VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Friday held a working session with leaders of the south central province of Ninh Thuận, during which he asked the province to exert more efforts to fulfill its target of becoming a hub for renewable energy and boosting the development of its sea-based economy.

Ninh Thuận connects the southeast, south central and Central Highlands regions, with the largest potential for solar and wind power development in the country, enabling it to become an economic hub, especially in green energy and aquatic and high-value agriculture sectors.

Boasting over 105km of coastline with many beautiful beaches such as Vĩnh Vy, Bình Tiên and Ninh Chữ, the province also has bright prospects for sea-based economic and tourism development.

In the first nine months of 2018, Ninh Thuận recorded 10.2 per cent growth in gross regional domestic product (GRDP) and jumped 11 positions in the provincial competitiveness index to rank 38th among 63 provinces and cities nationwide, while climbing to 21st position in the IT application index.

Ninh Thuận welcomed 2.11 million visitors in the reviewed period, up 16.1 percent year on year, while collecting VNĐ1.9 trillion for the State budget, a rise of 16.4 per cent over the same period last year and equivalent to 82.8 per cent of its yearly target. The province is likely to complete all 15 socio-economic targets set for the year.

PM Phúc lauded achievements that the province has made so far this year. However, he pointed out that per capita income in the province remained low, while its advantages in renewable energy had yet to be fully tapped and natural disasters still affected people’s lives.

The number of enterprises in Ninh Thuận remained limited, while its provincial governance and public administration index (PAPI) ranking had fallen, he said.

Ninh Thuận should diversify its products and promote sustainable development of tourism, the PM stressed.

He reminded the province to pay special attention to environmental protection, while continuing to speed up administrative reforms and agricultural restructuring, reducing poverty, tightening forest and public land management, and improving irrigation.

The PM also requested Ninh Thuận to focus on human resource development, ensuring social welfare, and accelerating Party building work. — VNS