Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng chairs the working session with Cần Thơ City. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

CẦN THƠ — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng has urged Cần Thơ to accelerate administrative reforms, improve its investment climate and strengthen the private sector as the Mekong Delta city seeks to revive growth and position itself as a regional economic hub.

Speaking at a working session with city authorities on Tuesday morning, the Prime Minister called for stronger support for start-ups, innovation and digital transformation while warning that sluggish growth and weak public investment disbursement were holding the city back.

The meeting reviewed Cần Thơ’s socio-economic performance, its target of achieving double-digit growth, public investment disbursement, operation of the two-tier local government system and Party and political system building.

PM Hưng acknowledged and praised the efforts and achievements of the city’s Party Committee, authorities and residents, saying they had contributed positively to the country’s overall development.

The PM also highlighted several major challenges facing the city, including one of the country’s lowest gross regional domestic product growth rates, underperforming service industries and persistent bottlenecks in public investment disbursement.

He also pointed to limitations in human resource quality, weaknesses in digital and information infrastructure and shortages in both the quantity and quality of commune-level civil servants.

Against that backdrop, the Prime Minister called on Cần Thơ to effectively and synchronously implement the Resolution of the 14th Party Congress along with conclusions and resolutions issued by the Party Central Committee, Politburo, Secretariat, National Assembly and Government.

He stressed the importance of implementing the Politburo’s strategic resolutions to change mindsets, innovate approaches and create development.

The Prime Minister also instructed the city to urgently complete 19 key tasks assigned under Conclusion 18-KL/TW this year, including reviewing the city’s master plan and ensuring alignment with the Mekong Delta regional plan.

Other priorities include preparing detailed future growth scenarios, resolving obstacles affecting infrastructure projects and dealing comprehensively with unused public assets, including land and buildings.

PM Hưng emphasised the need to evaluate the implementation of Politburo Resolution No. 59 on the construction and development of Cần Thơ City and National Assembly Resolution No. 45, with a focus on developing breakthrough mechanisms to drive the city’s long-term growth and pilot investment in emerging sectors.

He also urged the city to attract investment and accelerate nationally and internationally significant projects with strong regional connectivity along the North-South and East-West economic corridors.

To improve public investment disbursement, the Prime Minister instructed the city to proactively reallocate capital from slow-moving projects to those capable of faster implementation and in need of additional funding, while also resolving long-delayed projects.

On industrial and agricultural development, PM Hưng said Cần Thơ should attract investment into processing and manufacturing industries, apply high technology and increase added value in production.

He also called for faster implementation of industrial projects, particularly in industrial parks, export-processing zones and other large-scale developments.

The city should also develop into a major hub for collecting, processing and distributing agricultural and aquatic import-export goods for the Mekong Delta and the Greater Mekong Subregion, while promoting high-tech agriculture linked with tourism development.

Regarding the operation of the two-tier local government system, the Prime Minister stressed the need for smooth administration and greater efficiency, particularly through training and developing commune-level officials in education, healthcare, land management, construction, finance, accounting and information technology.

He also called for wider application of information technology in governance and public services, alongside stronger trade promotion and investment attraction efforts.

On implementing Politburo Resolution 57 on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation, PM Hưng urged the city to focus on developing high-quality human resources through institutions such as Cần Thơ University and other major higher education establishments.

He also encouraged the city to pilot and commission scientific and technological research in sectors where it has strong potential and advantages.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of building a united, transparent and effective administrative system and developing a professional and dedicated public workforce focused on serving residents.

He also highlighted the need to expand regular healthcare check-up programmes and annual free health screenings, strengthen social welfare and ethnic and religious policies, develop social and rental housing and prioritise environmental protection, forest conservation and water resource management while maintaining national security and public order. — VNS