Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc urged Cà Mau Province to approve and begin work on the Cần Thơ-Cà Mau expressway. –VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

CÀ MAU — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has urged the provincial government of Cà Mau to approve and start the construction of the Cần Thơ-Cà Mau expressway. 

The PM met with provincial leaders on Wednesday and emphasized that the expressway project would play an important role in provincial development.

The expressway is part of a plan to build seven highways that the Ministry of Transport has submitted to the government.

The expressway project in Cà Mau is expected to be completed by 2030.

The PM also asked the Ministry of Transport to plan more investment in the Cà Mau airport, which would support tourism and service growth.

The provincial leaders said they needed government support to expand the airport runway from the current 1,500 metres to 2,400 metres to meet future flight needs.

The PM agreed that Cà Mau should build the Hòn Khoai port project with private funds. "Without ports and airports, areas like Cà Mau will face difficulty in developing," he said.

He noted that the labour force in the province has yet met the requirements for international integration, and that the province must address impacts created by climate change and natural disasters.

Hii-tech business models, especially in tourism, should be developed, he said.

With a 254km coastline, the province has advantages in eco-tourism and sea-based tourism. — VNS