Politburo member, Secretary of the Hà Nội's Party Committee Nguyễn Duy Ngọc. — VNA/VNS Photo

Politburo member, Secretary of the Hà Nội's Party Committee Nguyễn Duy Ngọc speaks to Vietnam News Agency about the capital city’s outstanding achievements in the past tenure and determination to fully play its role as the nation’s central hub and driving force.

Looking back on the 13th National Party Congress’ term and 40 years of Đổi mới (Renewal), how do you assess Hà Nội’s key contributions to the country’s overall achievements?

The term of the 13th National Party Congress and the 40-year journey of Đổi mới have marked an important, comprehensive and breakthrough phase in the country’s development, affirming Việt Nam’s political mettle, intellect and aspiration.

As the capital city and the heart of the country, Hà Nội has always been deeply aware of its pioneering and exemplary responsibility in implementing the Party Central Committee’s guidelines and resolutions, particularly the strategic decisions of the Politburo, the Secretariat and the General Secretary, generating spillover momentum nationwide.

Building on its potential and strengths, with a tradition of solidarity, resilience and creativity, the Party organisation, authorities and people of Hà Nội have made every effort to overcome challenges, successfully implementing the Resolution of the 17th Hà Nội Party Congress for the 2020–25 term.

2025 marked a breakthrough year. Hà Nội took the lead in reorganising the administrative apparatus and implementing the two-tier local government model, consolidating 526 wards, communes and townships into 126 units.

The political system under this model has come into operation, gradually removing bottlenecks and taking the lead in decentralisation, administrative reform and digital transformation.

This has ushered in new thinking and action in development governance, improving the quality and efficiency of services for citizens and businesses.

Despite simultaneously undertaking many unprecedented tasks, the city ensured smooth operations, fulfilled major development goals and targets and safeguarded the three pillars of high economic growth, national defence and security and social welfare.

For the first time in many years, Hà Nội exceeded all 24 out of 24 key socio-economic indicators. GRDP growth reached 8.16 per cent, surpassing the 8 per cent target and significantly higher than in 2024 (6.52 per cent).

The city’s economic scale reached approximately US$63.5 billion. Per capita income stood at $7,200. State budget revenue totalled VNĐ711 trillion, equivalent to 138.4 per cent of the estimate, the highest level in many years, while public investment disbursement reached nearly VNĐ90 trillion or 106.8 per cent of the plan assigned by the Prime Minister.

The 14th National Party Congress is regarded as a milestone opening a new era of national rise. How has Hà Nội prepared itself to be worthy of this historic starting point?

These days, Hà Nội is immersed in a particularly significant political atmosphere as the entire Party, people and armed forces turn their attention to the 14th National Party Congress, an event of great historical significance that will shape the strategic vision and action platform for the country’s new development stage.

This is not only an honour for Hà Nội to host the congress, but also the highest political responsibility before the entire Party and people.

We clearly recognise that after 40 years Đổi mới, Việt Nam has accumulated sufficient strength and momentum to enter a new phase of robust development, a new era of national rise.

As the 'heart of the country', Hà Nội must be the place where the spirit, vision and demands for reform set forth by the 14th Party Congress are most clearly and promptly manifested.

The shared mindset of the entire political system and the people of the capital can be summed up in two words: readiness and pioneering spirit.

Readiness in all aspects to ensure the Congress is organised safely, thoughtfully and solemnly while pioneering in promptly and effectively translating the congress’s resolutions into reality.

From the very first weeks and months of 2026, the city has proactively and resolutely implemented key political tasks, concretising the Party Central Committee’s guiding ideas into the city’s action programmes.

Thoroughly embracing General Secretary Tô Lâm’s directive 'Hà Nội delivers on its word - fast, right, effective, and all the way through', the city’s Party Committee and the entire political system have affirmed a high level of political determination, promoting a proactive and pioneering spirit, daring to think, to act and to take responsibility, leading the way in realising the Party’s strategic vision and transforming the nation’s aspiration for prosperity into tangible outcomes that Hanoians and the whole country can see, feel and benefit from.

The Opera House in the historical centre of Hà Nội, with the Red River in the background. — VNA/VNS Photo

The Hà Nội Party Committee has focused on a trilogy of institutions, a 100-year vision master plan, and a development model. Is this a systematic preparation for Hà Nội to pioneer in the new era?

Yes it is. To truly rise in the new era, alongside other key political tasks, the city’s Party Committee has identified and focused on three strategic, long-term issues: proposing a new Politburo resolution to replace Resolution No. 15, revising the Capital Law and formulating a master plan for the capital with a 100-year vision.

This "three pillars" establishes a synchronised institutional foundation, opens new development space and shapes a modern growth model, creating momentum and room for Hà Nội’s future breakthroughs.

The 100-year master plan not only designs urban and rural development space, but more importantly defines the capital’s stature, identity and socio-economic structure in the long term, placing Hà Nội in close linkage with the capital region, the nation and the international community.

On that basis, institutional frameworks, centred on the Politburo resolution and the Capital Law, serve as the political foundation and legal pillars to fundamentally remove institutional bottlenecks while creating superior mechanisms and tools to translate strategic orientations into concrete, sustainable and far-reaching development drivers.

The development model is oriented toward a strong shift from growth based on resource exploitation and extensive investment to growth driven by science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and high-quality human resources.

With the motto “Breakthrough action, ripple effect,” the city is developing scenarios to strive for double-digit growth (11 per cent or higher in 2026) and maintain stability over many years, requiring a very large volume of social investment capital estimated at around VNĐ730 trillion in 2026 alone.

The city is accelerating digital infrastructure projects, smart urban areas, urban railway systems and green, digital and circular economic models, while issuing an action plan to implement Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW in 2026.

This systematic preparation enables the city not only to develop itself but also to fully assume its role as a leading locomotive for the capital region and the nation in the new era.

To turn these strategic orientations into reality, how decisive are human factors including officials and public consensus?

Any long-term plan or special mechanism, no matter how well designed, will remain on paper without a cadre contingent of sufficient integrity and capability and without the support and accompaniment of the people.

Hà Nội consistently regards personnel matters as the key, striving to build a team that is politically steadfast, morally upright, professionally competent, innovative and courageous enough to think, act and take responsibility for the common good amid deep digital transformation and integration.

Practice in 2025 provided vivid evidence that many tasks were new and extremely challenging, initially even raising doubts about feasibility.

Yet when the entire Party Committee demonstrated strong resolve and political determination, when the whole political system acted in unison and the people placed their trust and joined hands, Hà Nội achieved results beyond expectations. These figures reflect not only economic development but, more profoundly, the strength of great national unity and the unity of will and action across society.

Entering 2026, the first year of implementing the resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, Hà Nội has clearly defined its guiding principle: 'Discipline and professionalism – Breakthroughs and innovation – Effectiveness and sustainability'.

All levels and sectors are required to operate in a synchronised manner along four axes: the Party, the People’s Council, the People’s Committee and the Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations, particularly in handling difficult issues, with task assignment based on the principle of 'six clarities and one overarching focus', accompanied by regular supervision and evaluation to ensure substance and motivation.

With the strong political will of the entire political system and the consensus and joint efforts of the people, I firmly believe that Hà Nội will gradually realise the goal of building a cultured, civilized, modern and happy capital city, achieving sustainable and comprehensive development, becoming a liveable, globally connected city worthy of its role as the nation’s centre and driving force, meeting the expectations of the Party Central Committee and the trust of people nationwide. — VNS