Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính presents gifts to workers of the Hữu Nghị-Chi Lăng Expressway project in Lạng Sơn on Sunday. —VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

LẠNG SƠN — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Sunday afternoon attended a seminar launching the 2024 provincial planning and investment promotion for Lạng Sơn, highlighting the province’s strategic location for trade, logistics, transport and national security.

The provincial plans aim for Lạng Sơn to become a growth pole and an economic centre of the northern midlands and mountainous region by 2030, while also serving as an increasingly important point of connection for trade activities between Việt Nam, ASEAN countries, China and Europe.

Local authorities also set the goal to have an economic scale and GRDP (gross regional domestic product) per capita among the top 5 in the region, along with a stable state of local society, national defence-security and environment.

The sectors of focus have been identified as border gate economy, industries and services, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, particularly in the Đồng Đăng-Lạng Sơn Border Gate Economic Zone.

The four strategies to achieve these goals include digital transformation and improvement of the business environment; socio-economic infrastructure development; border trade, services and economic development; and industrial growth with ensured quality, competitiveness, safety and environmental standards.

Acknowledging Lạng Sơn’s recent socio-economic achievements, PM Chính also pointed out the bottlenecks in business operations, public investment disbursements, land management and people’s livelihoods that the province needs to address.

He also stressed the three key missions of the locality, which include strengthening the relations and cooperation between Việt Nam and China while maintaining sovereignty and territorial integrity through peaceful means and agreements between the two governing parties, especially the joint statement on continuing deepening and elevating the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

The province would need to develop and align its planning for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 with the national master plans, while innovating and optimising resources for growth and enhancing the capacity of its human resources.

“Lạng Sơn should communicate the plans through multiple channels so that people can understand, support, follow and supervise the implementation process,” said PM Chính.

The locality should also accelerate administrative reforms and improve the business and investment environment to attract potential investors, he added.

“The business and investor community and ministries, sectors and local authorities must act on their commitments and deliver concrete results that consolidate the trust and create new momentum for growth,” said the government leader.

Hữu Nghị-Chi Lăng Expressway

PM Chính also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Hữu Nghị-Chi Lăng Expressway, the final project in the strategic eastern North-South Expressway that travels the length of the country from Lạng Sơn to Cà Mau.

Following the BOT (build - operate - transfer) model, the planned section is 59.87km long with a total investment of more than VNĐ11 trillion (US$432.3 million) and is scheduled to be completed in 2026.

Lạng Sơn Party Committee Secretary Nguyễn Quốc Đoàn said that the project was designed in connection with Đồng Đăng-Trà Lĩnh Expressway for a modern and comprehensive transport infrastructure, and was expected to boost the economic competitiveness of Lạng Sơn and neighbouring provinces, as well as the northeastern region.

Acknowledging the efforts of Lạng Sơn authorities, PM Chính said that the Hữu Nghị-Chi Lăng Expressway would open up a new space for development, while also strengthening the economic and transportation connections between the northern mountainous areas and the Red River Delta.

It would also link the two economic corridors of Nam Ninh-Lạng Sơn-Hà Nội-Hải Phòng and Lạng Sơn-Hà Nội-HCM City-Mộc Bài, and serve as a gateway between ASEAN countries and China.

Noting there would be a substantial workload to be done following the groundbreaking ceremony, the government leader required the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Transport and other departments to coordinate with Lạng Sơn to address any bottlenecks that arise and ensure the project progress, quality and safety.

Lạng Sơn Province was also ordered to work with investors during the project implementation to ensure the planned schedule as well as law and contract compliance, optimise resources and reduce impacts on the environment and people’s livelihoods.

Emphasising the importance of land clearance, PM Chính said the province and investors must consider the interests of the people, creating favourable conditions so that resettlements would be equal to or better than their former residences.

Investors, contractors and consulting agencies must demonstrate their responsibility in ensuring project quality and schedule, labour and environmental safety, and avoiding misconduct during construction. — VNS