Hòa Bình is becoming more attractive towards investors. — Photo VNA/VNS

HÀ NỘI — The Party Committee of Hòa Bình, as well as its people, are united for a common goal: ensuring the socio-economic development of the province whilst fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the beginning of 2021, Hòa Bình People’s Committee issued a directive on socio-economic development, public budget planning as well as defence and security measures. The directive focused on 11 missions specifically for each administrative department and 229 missions for local districts and cities’ authorities.

As the pandemic raged on and affected Việt Nam’s development, on March 23, the Hòa Bình People’s Committee established a plan to fight the pandemic and restore socio-economic development in 2021. The efforts of Hòa Bình have yielded notable results.

In pandemic prevention, Hòa Bình has always been in the “green zone,” with only 78 Covid-19 cases across the province. This is due to the rigorous measures implemented by Hòa Bình at the start of the fourth wave.

Although plagued with pandemic woes, the socio-economic situation in Hòa Bình is still developing positively, with a majority of economic fields steadily growing. The Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in the first half of 2021 rose 16.1 per cent compared to the previous year. Agricultural, forestry and fishery products grew 3.57 per cent; industrial and construction increased 32.22 per cent; services grew 5.51 per cent; and product tax rose 8.09 per cent.

The total production value of agricultural, forestry and fishery products is estimated to be VNĐ8,631.7 billion (US$376,8 million), an increase of 7,12 per cent compared to 2020. The yearly crop yield was 64,000 hectares, fully achieving the planned goal.

A total of 451,000 scattered and fruit trees have been planted in preparation for the Tết holiday, with 4,845 hectares of concentrated forest areas. Fisheries are continued across 2,700 hectares of water, which has 4,700 fish cages yielding 3,880 tonnes in output.

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose by 25.89 per cent; the Gross output of Industry is estimated to rise by 24.29 per cent.

Remarkably, Hòa Bình’s import and export turnover is outstanding despite the pandemic. Export value is estimated to reach US$578.88 million, increasing 29.64 per cent compared to 2020, and import value will reach US$506.05 million, rising 25.7 per cent.

A surprising note is that Hoà Bình recorded 690,000 tourists in the first half of 2021, and tourism revenue is estimated to be around VNĐ700 billion (US$30.5 million).

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The efforts must go on and improve

Having the geographical advantage of being close to multiple Red River Delta provinces, as well as benefiting from an advanced network of transportation. Hòa Bình is planned as part of the capital area in the future and is attracting potential investors with ambitious projects.

These advantages are being effectively tapped into by Hòa Bình and brought about profound changes in the lives of its citizens. However, although growth opportunities are present, the challenges are far greater.

Hòa Bình’s background as an underdeveloped highland with a population mostly of ethnic minority Vietnamese, as well as a lack of experience in management, is just one of the obstacles facing the province.

The 17th Hòa Bình Party Congress has identified two steps in problem-solving and boosting economic development: administrative reform and increasing the capacity of public workers and party members. The Hòa Bình People’s Committee has also pointed out 11 difficulties and 18 solutions to better understand and push socio-economic growth.

The goals are planned out for the mountainous province: to become a developed province by 2050, and its people are fully ready for it. — VNS