Thai Binh in needs of clarification for the proposed coastal expansion area

Setting the objective towards achieving 13.4% economic growth per year

During the "Planning Appraisal Conference of Thai Binh Province for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050", Minister of Planning and Investment, Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung - Chairman of the Planning Appraisal Council, emphasized that the province's planning document should highlight new development drivers and new spatial development to propel Thai Binh Province towards significant progress.

In the planning document submitted for feedback from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Thai Binh People's Committee stated that there are still several obstacles in the local development process.

Specifically, Thai Binh is situated in the Northern Coastal region. Despite achieving commendable results over the past decade, the socio-economic development has not yet matched the locality's potential and strengths.

Limitations in the development process have been identified, including slow mechanism and policy reforms in comparison to the demands of new development, especially the limited encouragement and support policies for industrial and service sectors compared to agriculture. Contrarily, contributions from the agriculture sector to the overall economic growth have been steadily decreasing.

The economic scale remains small, the level of development is not high, competitiveness is low, and economic growth still heavily relies on capital and labor-intensive industries. Dominant and leading industries have yet to emerge. The efficiency of agricultural and aquatic economic development is still low. The contributions of agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture to overall growth are considerably lower compared to the scale.

The export value of agricultural products has not improved, despite the province having a significant agricultural structure. The proportion of agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture in the economic structure remains high, particularly in comparison to other provinces and cities in the Red River Delta. The province's average GRDP per capita has not reached the national average, and its growth rate has shown signs of slowing down in recent years.

Thai Binh presents three development scenarios and rationales: (1) rapid and sustainable growth, focusing on achieving an annual growth rate of 13.0% from 2021 to 2030; (2) moderate growth with an annual growth rate of 12.2% from 2021 to 2030; (3) high growth and breakthrough development with an annual growth rate of 13.4% from 2021 to 2030. Thai Binh picks out scenario 3 and sets ambitious goals for themselves.

Regarding the three development scenarios, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung emphasizes the need for clearer justifications and reasoning. The Minister also requests Thai Binh Province to clarify the proposed coastal expansion area: it is a trend and requirement, but how to determine a feasible proposed area that ensures minimal environmental impact needs to be established. Impact assessments are needed to find suitable solutions. Additionally, attention should be given to evaluating the impact of offshore wind projects, coastal expansion activities, and a thorough examination of sand mining activities.

Thai Binh plans to expand its development space towards the sea

Reporting at the conference, Chairman of Thai Binh People's Committee Nguyen Khac Than stated that the provincial development plan is constructed with a determined spirit and the aspiration to elevate the province to be on par with other provinces in the region.

To achieve the set objectives, Thai Binh Province identifies 3 breakthrough stages, 4 growth pillars, 5 foundations, 6 development perspectives, and 7 groups of implementation solutions. Among these, there are new strategic and innovative directions, such as: Establishing specialized industrial zones; constructing seaports; developing energy (gas and wind power); fostering new, high-quality service sectors (entertainment, ecotourism, resorts, golf, etc.); and preparing the necessary conditions for coastal expansion plans, broadening the economic and social development space of the province.

According to the Chairman Nguyen Khac Than, the locality possesses untapped potential as a new center to attract industrial and new service activities, supporting and connecting common activities throughout the region, with a strong focus on maritime economic activities.

Thai Binh also updates and supplements the provincial plan with new content and directions to enhance the quality and ensure that the plan possesses a strategic vision in line with both short-term and long-term development requirements, as well as aligning with new central directives and the practical circumstances of the local area.

The provincial leadership of Thai Binh reveals that as a region with limited land and a dense population, it holds a relatively small land area (accounting for 0.48% of the country's total), ranking 54th out of 63 provinces and cities. However, in terms of population, Thai Binh ranks 11th out of 63 provinces and cities, representing 1.9% of the national population, with a population density four times higher than the national average.

Hence, creating new development opportunities for Thai Binh through "coastal expansion" activities is a proposed solution within the draft of the Thai Binh Province Development Plan for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050.

Currently, Thai Binh Province has approximately 16,637 hectares of coastal land. Given the geographical and geological characteristics of the coastal area of Thai Binh, this portion of land is highly favorable for coastal expansion, enabling the extension of development space to implement urban, tourism, commercial, and industrial projects.

During the planning period from 2021 to 2030, with a vision towards 2050, it is expected that approximately 2,550 hectares of coastal land will be utilized for building projects within the Thai Binh coastal economic zone. These projects include the Thai Thuong Industrial Zone, Hoang Long Industrial Zone, Con Den Tourism Area, Con Vanh - Con Thu Ecotourism Area, and others.

The draft plan sets the objective for the industrial sector in the region to complete its transition from a labor-intensive model to one that emphasizes high scientific and technological content. The Thai Binh coastal economic zone aims to become an industrial hub in the region, with a comprehensive system of industrial zones and clusters that possess well-developed infrastructure, attracting significant investment from world-leading industrial players.

The plan also pays attention to environmental considerations, outlining targets for industrial zones and urban areas to develop in an ecological and green manner, effectively responding to climate change.

The Planning Appraisal Council recommends that Thai Binh Province promptly amend, supplement, and refine the planning documents to submit to the Prime Minister for approval.

To expedite the completion of the draft plan, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung suggests that the Provincial People's Committee guide the planning agencies to further incorporate the opinions of experts and the Planning Appraisal Council. This will lead to a more rapid and sustainable development trajectory for Thai Binh in the upcoming period.

Members of the Planning Appraisal Council have voted to unanimously approve the Thai Binh Province Development Plan with 2 out of 30 votes indicating no need for adjustments or additions, and 28 out of 30 votes indicating the need for adjustments and additions. The strategic environmental assessment report of the Thai Binh Province Development Plan was approved with all 30 out of 30 votes indicating the need for adjustments and additions. The draft appraisal report of the provincial plan was also approved with 14 out of 30 votes indicating no need for adjustments or additions, and 16 out of 30 votes indicating the need for adjustments and additions.