Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà (second from left) at the Announcement Ceremony of Bình Thuận Province Master Plan for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050. Photo baochinhphu.vn

BÌNH THUẬN – The central coastal province of Bình Thuận must take advantage of its huge potential in sun and wind to develop renewable energy combined with the pumped-storage hydropower model to create a green, stable and balanced source for the power system.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà made the remark yesterday at the Announcement Ceremony of Bình Thuận Province Master Plan for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050.

This is a breakthrough advantage for the province to attract investors in the global green transformation trend, Hà said.

According to the Deputy PM, Bình Thuận which is located on the North - South economic corridor, connecting the South and Central Coastal sub-region, Southeast and Central Highlands regions, has outstanding advantages in geographical location and geo-strategic position in the era of integration and opening up, in seas and oceans, and in the global green transition trend.

The scale of its economy increased more than 25 times compared to 1992, and gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2023 increases by 8.1 per cent over 2022, ranking 14th among 63 provinces and cities nationwide.

The province's socio-economic infrastructure system continues to be invested and built in the direction of synchronisation, connection and sharing.

Its GRDP per capita is estimated at VNĐ87 million (US$3,565) per year, tending to increase rapidly in recent years.

The Politburo’s Resolution 26-NQ/TW set the goal of making coastal provinces a dynamic, fast and sustainable development region focusing on the marine economy with a synchronous and modern socio-economic infrastructure that is highly resilient to natural disasters and effectively adapts to climate change.

With unique conditions and advantages, Bình Thuận is identified as one of the industrial centres for clean energy, marine and eco-tourism, and one of the destinations of the Central Heritage Road, as well as to become a province with sea-based dynamic, rapid and sustainable development, the Deputy PM said.

By 2030, the province aims to achieve a GRDP per capita of about $7,800 - 8,000 and reach an urbanisation rate of over 50.8 per cent with smart satellite cities.

Its economy will be based on main pillars of industry; tourism services, training and research, science and technology application and innovation; and high-tech agriculture.

The province will complete investment in the infrastructure system framework of airports, seaports, freeways and high-speed railway.

However, the Deputy PM said that this master plan only guides the development space in the connection between provinces in the South-central Coast, the Southeast and Central Highlands regions.

Hà said that the Law on Urban and Rural Planning is being developed and completed to create a legal corridor and methodology for urban and rural planning, but "right now, Bình Thuận should proactively choose reputable consulting organisations to concretise the orientations and goals in the province's master plan into detailed plans and functional sub-divisions with roadmaps and a hundred-year vision."

"Bình Thuận needs to learn lessons and overcome the current problems of urban areas such as surface water and underground water pollution, traffic congestion and population density management," he said.

He also requested the province to pay attention to completing mechanisms and policies for synchronous infrastructure development with smart, multi-target urban areas while preserving and promoting cultural heritages that have become a valuable tourism resource.

Regarding tourism, the province should continue to innovate in designing and building tourism products based on promoting the potential of the sea and islands associated with exploration, sports, health care and entertainment services.

Hà highly appreciated the province’s viewpoint of ‘not placing the interests of minerals above the interests of the environment and culture and nature preservation’.

The Deputy PM noted that the province continues to restructure and develop agriculture towards deep production, and processing areas associated with irrigation infrastructure.

Hà affirmed that the Government and Prime Minister always accompany Bình Thuận Province in implementing the planning, but the province itself proactively prepares on planning, mechanisms and special policies, and economic, social and energy infrastructure. VNS