Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc visits waste treatment, biogas and organic fertiliser factories in Quảng Bình Province yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

QUẢNG BÌNH — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has stressed the importance of tourism in the central province of Quảng Bình, saying it should be the number one target of sustainable socio-economic development in the province.

The Prime Minister made his statement during a working visit to Quảng Bình yesterday where he praised achievements the province has made in the past year.

He urged the province to focus more on tourism development to create more jobs and increase local budget revenue, pay attention to the preservation of local culture and mobilise more efforts to eradicating poverty and improving living conditions.

Prime Minister Phúc said in just one year, the province had confirmed its determination to attract investment, innovate in the way of thinking and apply new measures to boost development.

Along with such achievements, according to Phúc, security, social order and living conditions have been improved.

As reported at the meeting yesterday, Quảng Bình Province’s authority said in the first half of this year, the socio-economic development continued to change for the better in all fields with some of which improved on last year.

The report revealed the province’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) reached 6.29 per cent.

Production value of agriculture, forestry and fishery increased by 4.3 per cent while industry increased by 6.9 per cent and services raised by 6.8 per cent.

The report also said agricultural and fishery production continued to recover after the Formosa-related environmental incident, with capacity reaching about 34,145 tonnes, an increase by 12 per cent over the same period last year.

Tourism improved with the total visitors reaching 1.83 million, an increase by 16.3 per cent over the same period last year.

Speaking at the working session with the provincial authority, Prime Minister Phúc praised all efforts by local people and authorities in overcoming damage by natural disasters and environmental impacts including floods and sea environmental pollution last year.

He congratulated the province with success in attracting more investment as well as in environmental protection.

The PM also visited waste treatment, biogas and organic fertiliser factories in the two communes of Nam Trạch and Lý Trạch in Bố Trạch District.

Today, he will chair the Quảng Bình’s investment promotion conference in Đồng Hới City.

At the event, which is expected to draw more than 500 delegates, the province plans to grant investment licences and documents to 66 projects with total capital of VNĐ162.25 trillion (about US$7.05 billion).
The projects are mainly in tourism-resort, industry, agriculture, and infrastructure development.
The province hopes to continue receiving support from media agencies to promote the province’s activities.
Earlier, Quảng Bình held a number of sideline activities such as investment promotion conferences in the Philippines and Singapore, and a meeting with promising investors in Hà Nội. — VNS