ĐẮK LẮK — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc advised the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk to focus on developing green and high-tech agriculture while meeting with leaders in the locality on Saturday.

He requested the province to bring into full play its strengths, particularly the production and export of coffee.

According to him, Việt Nam’s position as the world’s second largest coffee exporter gives the country and Đắk Lắk the power to hold and regulate the supply to a market of nearly 2 billion coffee users each day.

He asked the locality to step up development in combination with ensuring defence security and pay more attention to afforestation and wood processing.

Underlining the important role of enterprises in the province’s growth, the Government leader urged Đắk Lắk to improve its business and investment climate, attract investment and boost economic development to soon balance its budget on its own.

Among Central Highlands provinces, Đắk Lắk must lead in the mission of balancing the budget, PM Phúc stressed.

To that end, the province should focus on building new models in poverty reduction, such as clean and smart agriculture, together with investing in deep processing, tourism and services, he suggested.

The Prime Minister also asked ministries and sectors to map out plans to develop the Central Highlands region, especially in transport.

At the working session, senior officials from several ministries and sectors proposed the province attract investments in renewable energy and farm produce processing and pay more attention to the forest economy.

Đắk Lắk is projected to enjoy economic growth of 7.82 per cent this year. Thanks to trade promotion and communications improvement, the province has attracted 60 projects worth a total VNĐ9.3 trillion (US$399.1 million) this year.

The locality is also set to enjoy a year-on-year rise of 15.5 per cent in the number of tourists. Budget collection is estimated at VNĐ5.5 trillion ($236 million), up 6.3 per cent year-on-year, and the poverty rate down 2.55 per cent. It has also planted 2,261 hectares of forests, 215 per cent of the yearly target. — VNS