Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc makes a fact-finding tour of the Phước An Bridge project. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Saturday asked the southern key economic region to strive to become a powerful and prosperous region by 2035, 10 years ahead of the deadline for the same goal for the whole nation.

He made the remarks while chairing a meeting in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province between Government members and officials of the eight localities in this region, which comprises HCM City and Đồng Nai, Bình Dương, Bình Phước, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Tây Ninh, Long An, and Tiền Giang provinces.

The southern key economic region is the largest foreign direct investment magnet of the country, a leading economic driver, and a gateway for Việt Nam’s trade with the world.

Addressing the event, PM Phúc applauded the eight localities’ work in COVID-19 prevention and control, social security and economic development, which have joined the entire country’s efforts to defeat the pandemic.

He said he highly valued their resolve in economic development and persistence with initial targets set for this year.

Regarding the region’s development goal, he emphasised this is the key among the four key economic regions of Việt Nam, describing it as a “diamond octagon” in Southeast Asia as well as Asia given its economic development and healthy living environment, referring to HCM City and the seven provinces forming the eight-sided octagon.

The PM said the strength and competitiveness of this region outpace others, asking the localities to use their solidarity and work together to innovate and hold responsibility for national development.

Responding proposals submitted at the meeting, PM Phúc assigned agencies to devise special mechanisms for key economic regions, especially the southern one.

He told the Ministry of Planning and Investment to consider an aid package from the Government for localities to invest in urgent infrastructure and transport facilities – a vitally important factor in local socio-economic development.

Meanwhile, the State Bank of Việt Nam and the Ministry of Finance need to work on solutions to facilitate credit institutions’ engagement in infrastructure development projects, particularly private-public partnerships. The Ministry of Transport has to establish projects boosting transport connectivity among industrial parks and economic zones in the region.

The eight localities need to prioritise developing digital economy, e-commerce and the 5G network, which are crucial for high technology development, according to him.

At the session, the PM also asked them to implement the Government’s recently-issued Resolution 84/NQ-CP to tackle production and business difficulties and stimulate consumer demand, an important driving force for GDP growth.

Prior to the meeting, PM Phúc had made a fact-finding tour of Cái Mép-Thị Vải Port in Phú Mỹ Town, Phước An Bridge, the location of the Cái Mép Hạ logistics project, and Hyosung Industrial Park in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu. — VNS