NATIONAL Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam chairwoman
Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has urged the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum –
which borders Cambodia and Laos – to restructure its economy to tap
tourism potential.
At a working session with provincial authorities on Monday, Ngan also
asked the province to increase information technology use in developing
agriculture and to form specialised production zones to develop key
agricultural products.
Stressing that the Central Highlands was one among key strategic
regions of the country, she instructed the province to continue
implementing plans to ensure national defence and security and social
order.
The NA leader applauded recent achievements by the province,
including a Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) growth of 9.28 per
cent last year, surpassing the yearly target.
Apart from rubber and coffee production zones, the province has
developed other specialised areas for the cultivation of many kinds of
fruits and herbal medicines, which have helped attract investors.
Kon Tum province has devised resolutions defining its three key
economic zones which attracted 39 investment projects last year with
total registered capital in excess of 508 billion dong ($22 million).
However, she noted the province still had difficulties, including human
resources quality failing to meet development demand and low
competitiveness.
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Chairwoman Ngan agreed with the province’s proposal to prioritise
funds for poor localities along border areas to help them enhance ties
with localities of other countries, particularly of Laos and Cambodia.
The top lawmaker stressed it was the state’s policy to encourage
cooperation in economic development in border areas and support
disadvantaged provinces in carrying out socio-economic development
tasks, contributing to improving the living conditions of residents in
border areas.
She also agreed with the need to implement key projects to prevent
landslides and flood for ethnic minority people living along Kon Tum
province’s Dak Bla River.
Kon Tum province is a mountainous border province with a total
population of 520,000 from 30 ethnic groups. Ethnic minority people make
up more than 53 per cent of the population. VIET NAM NEWS/ANN
Source - PhnomPenhPost
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