A transportation system connecting eight provinces to the Southern economic hub of HCM City remains underinvested, hindering the development goals of the region that has contributed over 60 percent of the country’s State budget during the past ten years. — Photo baocantho.vn

HCM CITY — A transportation system connecting eight provinces to the Southern economic hub of HCM City remains underinvested, hindering the development goals of the region that has contributed over 60 percent of the country’s State budget during the past ten years.

Leaders of HCM City, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Bình Dương, Bình Phước, Tây Ninh, Long An, and Tiền Giang, raised the issue during a meeting of the Southern Focal Economic Zone on Friday in HCM City, urging transportation connectivity within the region should be enhanced.

With serious congestion at the gateways to HCM City as the amount of traffic moving to the city increases, Nguyễn Thành Lâm, deputy chairman of Bà Rịa- Vũng Tàu Province’s People’s Committee, suggested the government extend HCM City’s metro to Long Thành in Đồng Nai Province, Vũng Tàu and Bình Dương for better tourism and economic development in the provinces.

Supporting opinion from other localities’ leaders, Nguyễn Thành Phong, chairman of HCM City’s People’s Committee, said development demand put provinces and the city under pressure to improve connectivity.

In the future, HCM City would boost economic connectivity between provinces in the zone, especially transportation connectivity, Phong said, adding that connectivity is not good in the region.

Advantages of each province, such as industrial development in Đồng Nai and tourism in Bà Rịa-Vùng Tàu, would be hindered if transportation systems between Hồ Chí Minh City and other provinces in the zone were not well invested.

Trần Văn Vĩnh, deputy chairman of Đồng Nai Province’s People’s Committee, said with congested traffic, enterprises had to wait for their cargo to be transported to the port.

Leaders of the localities plan to suggest to the prime minister, ministries and sectors better policies in budget transferring and land use planning for developing future transportation projects.

During the past 10 years, the Southern Focal Economic Zone has enjoyed a stable growth rate, which is 1.5 times higher than nationwide average growth. The area has eight percent and 17 percent of the country’s area and population, respectively, produces 40 percent of the country’s GDP and contributes 40 percent of the country’s export value.

The area contributes 60 percent of the country’s State budget intake and atrracts more than 50 percent of the country’s FDI capital.

According to the government’s target, betweeen 2021 and 2030, the area will have annual GDP growth 8 per cent to 8.5 percent and annual per capita GDP is expected at US$12,200. — VNS