HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has asked central Bình Thuận Province to further improve its investment environment, remove difficulties for enterprises, and boost the growth of both industry and agriculture.

The province should prioritise implementing these specific solutions, said the leader at his working session with key provincial leaders in Hà Nội on May 31.

The meeting aimed to tackle difficulties and speed up a number of key socio-economic and infrastructure projects for faster growth in the locality. 

He highlighted the potential of Bình Thuận Province in the fields of tourism, natural resources and energy. He also commended the province on its recent positive socio-economic performance and budget collection efforts, saying it has shown strong performance in planning, forest protection and improving the investment environment. 

However, the province is still a poor locality that needs support from the central budget, he pointed out. 

The PM suggested that the province review its socio-economic tasks to make sure these are relevant to its development goals. The locality should stick to the Party and State policies and laws on natural resources and land management, avoiding losses and waste of land, he requested. 

The province needs to efficiently deal with prolonged complaints and denunciations and protect the environment during its socio-economic development process, he added. 

At the working session, the PM and leaders of relevant ministries also responded to the province’s proposals and requests regarding some transport infrastructure, including airports and tourism projects.

Working with Quảng Ngãi

Later that same day, the PM held a working session with leaders of Quảng Ngãi Province to deal with obstacles in implementing key socio-economic projects, including ensuring stability and improving efficiency in the operation of Dung Quất Oil Refinery.

The PM urged the province to focus on upgrading infrastructure, particularly airports and seaports to encourage production development.

He encouraged the province to call for Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) investment in development in order to have a wide range of capital sources. He also asked the province to continue improving the business and investment environment to draw more investors, paying more attention to developing the private economy, and speeding up equitisation of State-owned enterprises.

During the development process, the province should pay attention to poor communes, particularly those in mountainous areas, PM Phúc said.

The province needs to protect and develop Lý Sơn Island to make it an attractive bet for investors.

At the working session, PM Phúc agreed to turn the Dung Quất Oil Refinery into a national refinery, making it a qualified and safe plant, thus contributing more to the development of the province and the country.

He also agreed with the proposal to develop the Dung Quất Economic Zone into a national oil refinery and energy centre. — VNS