Chairman of Dong Thap: Removing systematic bottlenecks allows for agricultural investment

Initially, Dong Thap was a purely agricultural locality “hidden from the traffic.” However, adversity brings wisdom, and the enthusiasm, solidarity, and high consensus of the Party Committee, the government and the people have given us the potential to develop. Especially in the agricultural sector, Dong Thap province has risen to the top of the region.

Mr. Pham Thien Nghia, Chairman of Dong Thap People’s Committee gives Vietnam Agriculture News some insights. The interview focuses on the results in previous years as well as the development orientation of the locality in the coming time.

It is known that in the first six months of this year, Dong Thap province is at the top of the Mekong Delta region in terms of economic, cultural and social development. Can you please share more about this good news?

According to the numbers announced by the General Statistics Office, the growth of gross domestic product (GRDP) in the first six months of 2023 Dong Thap is estimated at 5.89%, up 2.06% higher than last year, ranking second. 6 areas of the Mekong Delta. The agriculture, forestry and fishery sector increased by 5.38%, higher than the same period by 5.83%; the industry-construction sector increased by 5.53%, 1.56% lower than the same period last year. The trade and service sector (including product tax) increased by 6.48%, 1.03% higher than the same period last year.

The local economy in June also changed positively. The agricultural sector develops well thanks to the favorable production and consumption of rice, crops and short-term industrial plants. In terms of output, harvested area increases, selling prices are high, generating more profits.

In the seafood industry, selling prices continue to increase and make good profits in almost all categories. The industry continues to recover and develop well over the same period. Commercial and service activities continue to prosper. Disbursement of public investment capital has seen many positive changes compared to the same period in 2022.

Dong Thap is a purely agricultural province since the added value in the agricultural sector is often lower than in other fields. However, Dong Thap is still among the top localities with high growth, ensuring people’s livelihood. From a governor’s perspective, can you explain how the province succeeds?

After the pandemic, most manufacturing and export industries faced difficulties. In particular, the agricultural industry faced inadequacies when the export market and selling price decreased while the input materials increased continuously. Seafood exports accounted for a large proportion (more than 50% of the province’s export turnover) but decreased by more than 40%, in return, rice exports increased by more than 70%. Generally, in the first six months of 2023, export turnover was estimated at nearly 770 million USD, down 16.45% compared to the same period last year.

With a growth rate of 5.38%, the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector has achieved the highest growth rate in the first half of the year in the past five years. However, this is not the highest increase in the past ten years.

Regarding the economic structure in the first six months of 2023, the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector accounted for 33.4%, the industry-construction sector accounted for 20.38%, and the service sector accounted for 40.03%, product tax minus product subsidies accounted for 6.2%.

The aforementioned structure shows that Dong Thap’s economic structure has shifted from agriculture to industry - construction, trade and services, mainly linking agricultural production with processing and output solutions for agricultural products.

Particularly in agricultural production, the locality has also implemented many chain models from production to consumption, restructuring agriculture towards green and digital transformation. We have actively mobilized farmers to change their thinking from agricultural production to the agricultural economy.

With the campaign to change production thinking in the agricultural sector, to shift labor from the agricultural sector to non-agricultural sectors, people’s incomes have continuously increased. The poverty rate has decreased to 1.7. % and 99% of communes meet the new rural commune standards, and many meet the improved new rural commune standards.

Dong Thap, in the memory of many people, is an “acidic land” of the Dong Thap Muoi region and difficult to approach. But the province has painted a new facade, becoming equal to other localities and famous for the symbol “lotus of gratitude.” With 15 years leading the region in private capital investment (PCI), would you like to share your experience in local management over the past years?

Dong Thap used to be a province with many limitations in terms of transport infrastructure that we often say is “out of reach”. However, the locality is highly appreciated by businesses and investors for the business investment environment, which has been proven. Over the past 15 years, the PCI of Dong Thap province has always been at the top of the country and the region.

To achieve the above results, the locality has developed a project and concretized it with directives, resolutions and action plans. In particular, local leaders are determined to change the thinking of cadres and civil servants from administrative to serving the government, in which people and businesses are the main subjects to serve.

Local leaders always identify themselves as the “head of the ship” pulling the whole ship forward. Each cadre and civil servant must establish a friendly image to the people through dress, manners, words, gestures and actions. Their words must go hand in hand with actions to gain people’s trust.

The promulgation of administrative documents must also use local words that are easy to understand, so that people can quickly grasp and remember them. Every week, cadres and civil servants must have at least one activity to interact with the people, such as listening to the people on Fridays.

On the side of provincial leaders, in addition to regular citizen receptions, the locality also organizes other meetings at local café, assembly halls, production models, enterprises, etc. These activities have always been maintained and increasingly expanded the organizational space down to industrial zones, clusters, districts, and towns.

Occasionally, every week and month, the locality also has internal working meetings to self-examine and reflect, to see which departments and branches have not performed well the assigned work. This activity aims to promptly improve the mistakes and avoid indifference between officials and the people.

Dong Thap still maintains its solid growth despite the general difficulty of the domestic and world economy. With that situation, what are your expectations for local development in the last months of 2023?

Although the growth in the first six months of 2023 is higher than the same period last year, it is still much lower than the planned level for the whole year of 2023 (up 7.5%), so the remaining tasks of the last months of the year are very heavy.

Specifically, to achieve a growth rate of 7.5% in 2023, the last half of the year must achieve an increase of 8.88%, in which the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector must increase by 2.52%, the industry-construction sector by 13.21%, the trade and service sector by 12.46%.

To achieve the goals set out in 2023, local leaders suggest that departments, districts and towns carry out their tasks with great determination and depth. In that spirit, the offices focus on analyzing the advantages and disadvantages more clearly to develop growth plans for each region in the last months of the year.

The leaders will also continue to improve the investment and business environment in all fields. Policy development will help overcome weaknesses and soon implement solutions to improve PCI, PAR INDEX, Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) 2023.

Simultaneously, Dong Thap will promote digital transformation in agriculture, health, education, etc. We focus on synchronous and effective implementation of solutions to restructuring the agricultural sector, primarily focusing on digital transformation in agriculture, new rural construction, OCOP program, etc. We identify these as crucial projects which will create jobs for the people.

Traffic congestion and lack of skilled labor have been the two systematic bottlenecks of the locality in recent years. However, in 2023, there has been an improvement when over 40% of workers have been trained and the locality also aims to increase this ratio to 79% by 2025. In addition, the locality has over 10,000 workers abroad. Businesses can recruit this source of skilled labor immediately once the workers return home.

Regarding traffic congestion, recently, the locality has started construction of Cao Lanh - An Huu expressway, connecting with the My Thuan - Ho Chi Minh City highway. When this route is implemented, it will connect the province’s center to Ho Chi Minh City. The route to Ho Chi Minh City will only take about two hours, making it more convenient.

Thus, two systematic bottlenecks have been gradually removed. Along with the advantages of being a critical province in agricultural production, with leading regional products such as rice, pangasius, mango, tangerine, longan, lotus and Sa Dec flower village, Dong Thap will be an ideal destination for investors in the agricultural sector.

Thank you, sir!