HCM CITY — The nation’s economic hub, HCM City, should ensure that its development leaves no one behind, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said yesterday.

This is one its key tasks, the others being the generation of jobs with higher incomes and creating sustainable revenue sources for the State Budget by creating a favourable start-up environment, he said.

At a working session with city leaders yesterday, Phúc said it is imperative that the city builds an innovative economy, generates momentum for sustainable development and drive the country’s intensive international integration process. 

While the city focuses on smart urban infrastructure, smart management and a competent technocracy, its core values should be inclusive growth and equal development opportunities for all, he said. 

Phúc urged the city to review its land use plan and report results to his office by August. 

HCM City should take the lead in terms of administrative reform, strive to be part of the top five competitive localities and create new breakthroughs in private investment. 

To this end, HCM City and the capital city of Hà Nội should be pioneers in start-ups and innovation and become international centres in education and healthcare, he said. 

Phúc asked the municipal Party Organisation and administration to focus efforts on removing bottlenecks hindering the city’s socio-economic development, especially in transport infrastructure. The Government will foster and encourage the city’s innovations, he said. 

The PM also praised the city’s contributions to the country’s GDP and State Mudget collection. 

In the first half of this year, HCM City’s economy grew 7.76 per cent, compared to 7.47 per cent in the same period last year, with the best performers being services, industry, construction, and agriculture sectors. It will be a touch task for the city to achieve a growth rate of 8.5 per cent in the last six months and the following years, the PM said. 
He also pointed out a range of limitations including a relatively low position on the competitiveness index, unequal competition and insufficiently strong legal institutions. 

The city also has to tackle the serious problems of flooding, traffic jams and pollution, he said. 
On the expansion of Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, Phúc urged relevant agencies and units to promptly locate and appoint experts and organisations to make scientific assessments so that the project can be implemented soon. Haste was needed because the Long Thành International Airport, which aims to reduce the overload of Tân Sơn Nhất airport, is only scheduled for completion in 2025-27, he noted. 

Representatives from ministries and agencies said at the meeting that HCM City has become an attractive destination for investors. However, the city should select suitable projects and prioritise urgent programmes in order to create a momentum for its growth. 

They also suggested that the City further decentralises management at different levels. 

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee, Nguyễn Thiện Nhân, said HCM City will spare no effort in trying to meet its socio-economic targets and exceed its State budget collection target. It will also persist with administrative reforms and try to launch the granting of investment licences under the one-stop model in September. — VNS