Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, and Chairwoman of National Assembly Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân led a Politburo meeting with Thanh Hoá leadership in Hà Nội on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

HÀ NỘI — The Politburo had a meeting with Thanh Hoá's leadership in Hà Nội on Friday to discuss the central province's master plan on development towards 2030 with a vision to 2045.

With a population of 3.7 million, Thanh Hoá is the third most populous locality in Việt Nam, trailing only Hà Nội and HCM City.

"When President Hồ Chí Minh visited Thanh Hoá, he said if the province wanted to it could become an 'exemplary province' for the entire country to follow, given its population and resources advantage, but well-co-ordinated planning and organisation is still missing," Party General Secretary Trọng said at the meeting.

After 10 years of implementing the resolutions of the 11th and 12th National Party Congress, the local economy has developed fast and sustainably, putting Thanh Hoá among the top performers in north-central provinces as well as the country, according to Thanh Hoá's report.

Thanh Hoá's economy this year is expected to expand by 4.5 times compared to 2010 and GRDP is slated to reach US$2,670. Some 60,000 jobs are added each year, while ethnic minority and religious policies are carried out well.

However, the province still suffers from limitations including low labour productivity compared to the national average, the presence of inefficient and polluting industrial projects and tardy agriculture restructuring, while high value-added services and tourism have not reached a level commensurate to their potential.

The Party chief said the Politburo agreed that Thanh Hoá is a locality with a strategic position in terms of socio-economic development, foreign affairs, defence and security, which plays an important role in linking Việt Nam's prosperous Hồng (Red) River delta, the mountainous northwest, and the north-central regions with neighbouring Laos.

"Thanh Hoá needs to fully unleash its potential and existing advantages to further step up its robust and sustainable development and make serious breakthroughs, as per President Hồ's words before," Trọng remarked.

The province must be determined to rid itself of poverty and "should not be putting up with being at a place inferior to others", Trọng said, adding that the development master plan should be able to build up "hometown pride" in its people to contribute efforts to local development.

Thanh Hoá needed to work harder to become a new "development centre" of the region, the Party chief added.

Concluding the meeting, General Secretary Trọng said the Politburo was unanimous in the need for the issuance of a resolution detailing the Party's instruction and guidance on Thanh Hoá's development toward 2030 with a vision towards 2045.

All Government and parliamentary organs would consider the proposals by Thanh Hoá Province, he added. — VNS