CAO BẰNG — Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình presented the Independence Order, first class, to the northern mountainous province of Cao Bằng on Thursday.

The order was presented to the province at a ceremony to celebrate its 520th founding anniversary (1499-2019) and the 50-year implementation of late President Hồ Chí Minh’s Testament.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy PM Bình hailed the achievements that the Party, Government and people of Cao Bằng had made in recent years, particularly average economic growth of over seven per cent per year.

The province had mobilised numerous resources to take advantage of its tourism potential, changed the appearance of rural and urban areas, and improved both the material and spiritual lives of ethnic people, he added.

The province should focus on effectively implementing breakthroughs in tourism, trade and services, hi-tech agriculture and forestry, and the border economy, he said.

It was also crucial to mobilise resources to consolidate and complete transport infrastructure; promote training of human resources; raise public awareness of environmental protection; and enhance sustainable tourism development, said the Deputy PM.

The Politburo member urged the locality to improve the investment-business environment to attract more investors, particularly in tourism development and hi-tech agriculture and forestry.

He emphasised the harmony between economic development and other fields, including education, healthcare, culture, and Party building.

From 2011-19, Cao Bằng’s economy had developed stably with Gross Regional Domestic Product of more than seven per cent per year, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The rate of poor households decreases by four per cent per year.

The province has nearly 300 projects with registered capital of more than VNĐ40 trillion (US$1.7 billion). — VNS