AN GIANG — President Trần Đại Quang has urged authorities in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang to focus on improving the quality of infrastructure planning for socio-economic and urban development, and effectively mobilise and utilise resources to promote rapid and sustainable economic development. 

During a working session with provincial leaders on August 19, President Quang asked the province to pay more attention to training human resources, speeding up administrative reform, improving the investment environment and enhancing scientific and technological applications in the agriculture and processing industries. 

He also asked for An Giang to invest more in developing transport and industrial park infrastructure, form regional connectivity and accelerate the building of new-style rural areas. 

The State leader stressed the need for An Giang to reform its agricultural growth model, change the structure of agricultural production, promote the development of hi-tech agriculture, and devise policies to encourage enterprises to invest in the field of preserving and processing towards creating high-value agricultural products. 

The province also needed to tackle landslides, minimise the impacts caused by saline intrusion and water shortages, and control diseases in cattle and poultry, he noted. 

Quang asked An Giang to implement the Politburo’s resolution on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector by calling for investment in infrastructure development for tourism and efforts to promote the province’s tourism potential and landscape.

He emphasised that An Giang must focus on building strong and comprehensive armed forces; while implementing a co-ordination mechanism among forces in safeguarding national sovereignty, border security and security in the fields of ethnicity and religion; as well as enhancing the efficiency of foreign affairs with neighbouring countries, thus helping to build a boundary of peace and friendship. 

The President also requested An Giang authorities to strengthen Party building, promote the campaign of studying and following the thought, morality and lifestyle of President Hồ Chí Minh; build a transparent and professional public administration; and foster administrative reforms to make it easy for investors.

Sharing nearly 100km of border with the Cambodian provinces of Kandal and Takeo, An Giang has a strategic position in terms of defence-security in the southwestern region and is also one of the four provinces lying in the Mekong Delta region’s key economic zone. 

In 2017, An Giang’s GRDP growth reached 5.11 per cent with GRDP per capita hitting over VNĐ34.3 million (US$1,500) per year. The province’s budget revenue posted a year-on-year increase of 13 per cent and its export turnover reached $820 million. 

In the first half of 2018, GRDP growth stood at 6.1 per cent, and its investment attraction also recorded positive results. 

So far, 33 out of 119 communes in An Giang have met the criteria of the National Target Programme on New Rural Development, and the rate of poor households has fallen to only 5.24 per cent. 

Along with efforts to promote economic and infrastructure development, local authorities are also looking at implementing social welfare policies to improve local living conditions. — VNS