Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang at the meeting on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Dũng

ĐÀ LẠT — Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang has identified three main tasks for the development of the Central Highlands (Tây Nguyên) region and required provinces in the region to prioritise those tasks.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang set the tasked while , while addressing the first conference of the Tây Nguyên coordinating council held in Đà Lạt City, Lâm Đồng Province, on Wednesday.

Quang emphasised three main missions: one, complete the regional transportation network and link with regions and provinces bordering the Central Highlands; two, establish mechanisms to attract and promote investments for the greater good of the region; and three, develop agriculture as a supply chain system, from building sourcing regions to creating production factories to capitalise on the region's advantages.

According to Quang, the legal framework is set and the three aforementioned missions will soon commence. The implementation will be sped up within the next two years to meet the deadline. Issues such as climate change and forest protection in the area must also be addressed.

Delegates at the meeting included leaders of related authorities and chairpersons of people's committees from all five provinces of the Central Highlands area.

At the conference, representatives from the Ministry of Planning and Investment reported on specific mechanisms and policies for the development of the Central Highlands region and their action plan for the final months of 2023, seeking input from various ministries and localities.

According to the report, the ministry proposes prioritising the early implementation of several special mechanisms and policies, including investing in infrastructure, particularly transportation infrastructure; policies related to the development of the forestry economy, effective land use solutions for residents, environmental management and protection, support for agricultural development, tourism, and human resource development.

Among the tasks that need to be implemented, the foremost is to study mechanisms and policies that encourage and effectively mobilise resources from all economic sectors for investment in the construction of technical infrastructure, particularly transportation infrastructure.

The leaders of the people's committees of the five provinces in the Central Highlands region have proposed various opinions on mechanisms and policies for the socio-economic development of the Central Highlands.

Most of the localities have highlighted the need for mechanisms to expedite the construction and improvement of transportation infrastructure (including roads and aviation) to forge robust regional connectivity among the provinces.

This would establish a comprehensive transportation and logistics network to bolster the economic development of the Central Highlands, especially in sectors such as eco-tourism and sustainable agriculture.

Trần Văn Hiệp, chairman of the Lâm Đồng People's Committee, recommended the repair of National Highway 27, which connects Lâm Đồng, Đắk Lắk, and Ninh Thuận. The road has been deteriorating for many years and has been neglected due to bureaucratic issues.

This situation has posed significant challenges and inconveniences for the local people when travelling on this crucial route.

According to Hiệp, local authorities aim to overcome these challenges by addressing bureaucratic obstacles and revising policies to allow them to invest their own funds in repairs whilst awaiting financial support from the Ministry of Transport.

The Central Highlands Coordination Council was established on July 11, 2023, by the Prime Minister, with Deputy Prime Minister Quang serving as the Chairman.

The Central Highlands Coordination Council is an interagency coordination organisation set up by the Prime Minister to execute functions that assist the Prime Minister in studying, directing, coordinating, and resolving pivotal inter-sectoral tasks related to regional connectivity and sustainable development in the Central Highlands region.

In his concluding statement, Deputy PM Quang said that the meeting gave the regional Coordination Council the initiative to form a special mechanism to develop the region. — VNS