Chairman Phan Ngoc Tho

Although the desired results have not been achieved due to natural disasters and the pandemic, the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) in 2020 reached nearly 2.1%, with the local budget revenues exceeding the assigned estimate 11.2 %, an increase of 0.7% compared to those in 2019. This is a high increase in the Central region as a whole. The average economic growth in the period 2016-2020 of the Province is estimated at nearly 6.1% per year.

Basically, the Province managed to implement the dual goal of containing the pandemic and maintaining economic development, ensuring factors of production and business activities, socio-cultural aspects and political security, as well as guaranteeing social safety and order. There is no case of COVID-19 infection in the community in 2020. These figures show the great efforts of the People of the whole Province in the process of production and business after the pandemic as well as the floods and storms.

Administrative reform and E-government construction have made many progresses. The Province continues to innovate its directing modalities, improving the quality of administration by taking specific actions towards the goal of building a friendly, serviceable, modern and effective administration, promoting the construction of E-government.

The year 2021 is the first year of the 5-year plan 2021-2025, how will the Province innovate its development mindset, creating resources to mobilize the power of the People to better the implementation of key movements and programs?

The year 2021 is the starting year of the tenure with many difficulties. It is necessary to allocate resources to invest in the recovery and development of production, developing the economy in association with preventing and containing the pandemic. The Province has just implemented the important contents of the Politburo's Resolution No. 54 on the development orientation of Thua Thien Hue until 2030, with a vision to 2045 with the cross-cutting goal of making the Province soon become a city directly under the central government.

Therefore, it requires that all levels and branches to be dynamic, creative and ready for the "new state" in leadership, direction, administration and implementation to strive for the highest efficiency of the goals that have been set.

In addition to allocating major resources to restoring infrastructure, the Province also takes advantage of the central resources to invest in industrial zones; the infrastructure of Phu Bai airport includes stations and parking lots. Afterwards, strategic projects in the coming time which include the coastal road oriented by the Government and being implemented by the provincial authority will receive investment.

Many coastal resort complex projects have also been initiated in Phu Vang district, Phu Loc district, Chan May - Lang Co economic zone, etc., which will create a new driving force for the development of marine economy, developing marine tourism with brands of high caliber to welcome world large cruise ships to Hue.

Sir, when implementing the Resolution of the Sixteenth Provincial Party Congress, in which the cross-cutting goal is to turn Thua Thien Hue into a city directly under the central government with its own characteristics, what issues will the province prioritize?

Thua Thien Hue will focus on investing and making Tourism as a economic spearhead; Health as an important economic sector; Education and Training as a basis; and Information Technology as a breakthrough. Thus, it is clear that the goals and roadmap for the Province’s development in the next 5 years and 10 years are very clear, specifically shown in Resolution No. 54.

What should be concentratedly implemented is the scheme to modify and expand Hue city, ensuring that Hue will be a central and nuclear city for the future Thua Thien Hue city. At the same time, it is essential to build specific criteria and mechanisms for urban development in Thua Thien Hue, guaranteeing to overcome barriers and difficulties caused by policies and mechanisms that have prevented the deployment of the scheme from being successful over the past 10 years.

In addition, it is important to form and bring into play the four major centers that have been shaped: the national center of Culture and Tourism; of Science and Technology; of in-depth Healthcare as well as of high-quality and multi-disciplinary Education and Training. Having its own policies and making separate investments will create strength, improve the quality of life for the People, and step-by-step turn Thua Thien Hue into a city directly under the central government.

As the head of the Provincial authority, what worries you the most?

In the process of building and developing Thua Thien Hue as a heritage city and cultural city, the viewpoint of cultural development in harmony with the economy is a cross-cutting point in the process of building and developing Thua Thien Hue.

To achieve this requires the consensus of the People, together with an appropriate development strategy and resource mobilization, especially the synchronous investment of the Central Government in the process of development, conservation and promotion of the inherent values ​​of Hue, so that Hue achieves what this city deserves. Besides preserving and conserving, we have a dynamic and innovative Hue, which can integrate into the modern society.

What is your desire in this New Year and your wish to all the People of Thua Thien Hue?

I would like to send a lot of wishes to the People of Thua Thien Hue, and those who live far away from their hometown as well as those that are no longer in Hue. My desire is that everyone always looks towards Hue with their longings to make contribution to the City. Together we can build and develop Thua Thien Hue so that every time we think about Hue, each of us has the right to be proud of the society in which everyone has a prosperous life, a peaceful society and a friendly authority system in people’s hearts.

Story and photo: Thai Binh