Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng holds a working session with the Standing Committee of Điện Biên Phủ Province's Party Committee on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photos Dương Giang

ĐIỆN BIÊN — Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng urged the northern mountainous province of Điện Biên to hit its development goals and harness the enduring spirit of the historic Điện Biên Phủ victory to deliver 'new miracles'.

The Government leader made the remarks during a working session with the Standing Committee of the provincial Party Committee on Saturday.

Strong first-half growth

According to a report presented by the provincial Party Committee, Điện Biên's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) expanded by 8.67 per cent in the first half, outpacing the national average of 8.18 per cent.

Its economic structure continued to tilt toward services, which accounted for 62.35 per cent of output and remained the primary growth engine.

Industrial production rose by 16.03 per cent year-on-year, while total retail sales and consumer service revenue climbed 14.86 per cent, and trade turnover jumped 26.68 per cent.

Tourism revenue exceeded VNĐ1.7 trillion (US$64.59 million) as the province drew nearly one million visitors, a 20 per cent rise from a year earlier.

Điện Biên led the nation in public investment disbursement, hitting 54.3 per cent of its annual plan.

Operations under a two-tier local administration model stayed stable, and an administrative restructuring cut the number of villages and residential groups by 558, or 38.6 per cent.

Gains were recorded in education, health care, sustainable poverty reduction and employment, while authorities pressed on with the 500-day national campaign to search for, recover and identify fallen soldiers’ remains.

National defence-security held firm, social order was preserved and cooperation with neighbouring border localities kept expanding.

PM Hưng stressed the need to fully and effectively follow the 14th National Party Congress’s resolution and subsequent Party resolutions and conclusions.

"Điện Biên has ample potential and competitive advantages, including the fact that it was spared administrative merger, but has yet to engineer a major breakthrough because long-identified internal bottlenecks haven’t been fully cleared," he said.

Leaders of the province attend the meeting.

Unlocking border, aviation, heritage advantages

The PM urged Điện Biên to make services its principal growth driver, build modern border-gate economic zones at Tây Trang and A Pa Chải, and establish itself as a cross-border trade and logistics hub for Việt Nam's northwest and a gateway to neighbouring countries.

He also called for leveraging the local unique assets, including Điện Biên Airport, Điện Biên Phủ special national historic site, wartime legacy, Mường Thanh rice field and Ban Flower Festival, to craft distinctive tourism products anchored in history, culture and experiential travel.

The province should accelerate processing and manufacturing while modernising the energy sector, Hưng said, urging the province to maximise its 23 hydropower plants and proactively seek to include wind and solar projects in the revised national power development plan.

The province was told to pilot the low-altitude economy effectively to generate new growth momentum and push concentrated, high-value agriculture with deeper processing, sustainability and clear traceability.

The PM pressed Điện Biên to retain its leading position in public investment disbursement, targeting 100 per cent by late 2026. "Resources should be concentrated on critical infrastructure, with funds reallocated from slow-moving projects to those capable of faster rollout," he said.

The province’s revised master plan must mesh with national and regional planning frameworks, and the 'four growth poles' model must be activated, with the Điện Biên Phủ–Mường Thanh–Mường Phăng cluster serving as the central economic nucleus.

Authorities were also directed to settle long-delayed projects during 2026 and prioritise transport links that maximise Điện Biên airport’s strategic advantages and deepen regional connectivity.

On digital transformation, he ordered a vigorous 100-day campaign to clear bottlenecks across the political system, eliminate mobile and internet black spots in remote villages, and invest in integrated digital infrastructure built on the national digital architecture.

"Institutional reform must become a competitive edge by improving the business climate, with fewer administrative procedures, business conditions and compliance costs, and faster decentralisation and delegation of authority," the PM said.

Private sector development, social welfare, health care, education, culture and sustainable poverty reduction, especially in ethnic minority and border areas, were also spotlighted.

He underscored the need to safeguard political stability, national defence-security and border sovereignty while expanding economic cooperation and cultural exchanges with northern Lao provinces and China’s Yunnan Province to facilitate border trade and build a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

Earlier the same day, ahead of the 79th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27), the PM laid wreaths and offered incense in tribute to President Hồ Chí Minh and fallen soldiers at the Hồ Chí Minh memorial house on E2 hill, the Điện Biên Phủ martyrs' temple and A1 martyrs' cemetery.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng offers incense at the graves of fallen martyrs at the A1 martyrs' cemetery in Điện Biên Phủ Province.

He also visited and presented gifts to Phí Hương Dũng, a war veteran with a 42 per cent disability rating, at his residence in Điện Biên Phủ ward. — VNA/VNS

The Government leader visits the family of Phí Hương Dũng, a war veteran with a 42 per cent disability rating, at his residence in Điện Biên Phủ Ward.