HẢI PHÒNG — National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân yesterday asked the northern port city of Hải Phòng to build on its achievements by upgrading transport infrastructure, stepping up new rural development and restructuring agriculture.

During a working session with municipal authorities, Ngân urged the city to continue conducting social welfare policies for people with disabilities, veterans, poor households, and former revolutionaries, as well as focus on science-technology, healthcare, education, and training, national defence and social order.

Hải Phòng’s room for development remains huge, she said, adding that the city needs to follow resolutions issued by the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly and the Government to develop along lines that match up to its advantages.

Regarding the city authorities’ suggestion to build a high-speed railway connecting Ha Noi and Lào Cai directly with the Hải Phòng international port, Ngân said it should follow the master plan for the north-south railway.

The city should pay attention to Party-building in non-State enterprises, co-operatives and non-public administrative units to realise the resolution adopted by the fourth plenum of the 12th National Party Congress, said Ngân.

Resolution No.18-NQ/TW on renewing and streamlining political apparatus looks to strengthen party-building and rectification; prevent and drive back degradations in political thought, moral virtues, and lifestyle; and monitor the behaviour of ‘self-evolution’ and ‘self-transformation’ in internal affairs.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Council Lê Văn Thanh said after two and a half years of implementing the resolution, Hải Phòng has achieved comprehensive progress.

Public investment has proved effective and socio-economic infrastructure has been upgraded, while State budget collection has grown. Improving the business climate has turned Hải Phòng into an attractive locality for domestic and foreign investors.

Since 2016, total foreign direct investment in the city has topped US$5 billion, including $3 billion in 2016, nearly $1 billion in 2017 and more than $1.25 billion USD in the first half of this year.

The rate of poor households has been brought down to 2.06 per cent and is expected to be reduced to 1.41 per cent this year.

The municipal Party Committee suggested that the top legislator back the Politburo’s issuance of a new resolution on building and developing Hải Phòng city between now and 2030.

In the afternoon of the same day, the NA Chairwoman offered incense at Bạch Đằng Giang relic site in Thủy Nguyên District.

Earlier in the morning, she attended a ceremony to inaugurate Vingroup’s Vinmec Hải Phòng international general hospital, the seventh of its kind in the Vinmec healthcare system.

She also visited VinGroup’s VinFast electric motorbikes and automobiles manufacturing plant in Đình Vũ – Cát Hải industrial park. — VNS