Forum overview. — Photo nhandan.vn

HÀ NỘI — Hà Tĩnh authorities and business leaders gathered on Friday to explore ways to strengthen the private sector’s role in driving local economic growth as the province pushes to become a major growth hub in the North Central region.

The Hà Tĩnh Provincial People’s Committee held the 2026 Hà Tĩnh Private Sector Development Forum to discuss measures aimed at boosting private enterprise development and improving the local business environment.

Speaking at the forum, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Phan Thiên Định said Hà Tĩnh had recently focused on implementing breakthrough tasks in pursuit of becoming one of the country’s key growth poles.

As a result, the province’s socio-economic situation had improved significantly and achieved positive outcomes, he said.

Economic growth reached 8.78 per cent last year, ranking 10th among 34 localities nationwide. Total social investment exceeded VNĐ61 trillion, state budget revenue reached VNĐ21.36 trillion and export turnover stood at around US$2 billion.

Economic growth reached 12.42 per cent in the first quarter of this year, the highest in the country, with the industry-construction sector expanding by 20.6 per cent, including industrial growth of 22.5 per cent.

The results indicate that the province is entering a period of accelerated growth while highlighting the need to further strengthen the private sector’s role in expanding production, improving productivity and creating new growth drivers.

At the forum, representatives from central ministries, provincial authorities and businesses discussed opportunities for the local private sector to become a core economic force, alongside policies supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, improving the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) and governance quality, as well as promoting entrepreneurship, technology enterprises and innovation.

Key discussions focused on practical and actionable issues such as support policies for private enterprises and SMEs, PCI improvement, removing barriers in investment, land, construction and environmental procedures, credit support, development of technology enterprises and startups, application of AI and digital transformation and connecting Hà Tĩnh businesses with large corporations, strategic investors and reputable business networks.

Hà Tĩnh currently has nearly 12,000 operating enterprises. The private sector contributes about 60 per cent of GRDP, 65 per cent of budget revenue and employs around 98,000 workers, reinforcing its role as a key driver of the province’s economic growth. — VNS