Decision No. 99/2008/QĐ-TTg Approving the Overall Socio-Economic Development Plan for Phú Thọ Province until 2020

Pursuant to …;

Approving the Master Plan for Socio-Economic Development of Phu Tho Province until 2020

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PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Considering the proposal of the People's Committee of Phu Tho Province at Document No. 2940/TTr-UBND dated December 19, 2007, Document No. 251/UBND-TH dated January 24, 2008, and the opinion of the Ministry of Planning and Investment at Document No. 898/BKH-TĐ&GSĐT dated February 12, 2008 on the Master Plan for Socio-Economic Development of Phu Tho Province until 2020.

DECISION:

Article 1. Approving the Master Plan for Socio-Economic Development of Phu Tho Province until 2020, with the main contents as follows:

I. GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND IDEAS

1. Ensuring the principle of consistency with the national socio-economic development strategy and master plan, with the socio-economic development strategy and master plan of the midland and mountainous region of Northern Vietnam, and adapting to the context of international economic integration. Ensuring the relationship between economic growth and the resolution of social issues, especially employment, poverty reduction, and hunger eradication, while combining economic development with national defense and security, consolidation of political systems, and a strong administrative system.

2. Accelerating the pace of economic growth, transforming the economic structure towards industrialization and modernization based on leveraging the advantages of the province and developing markets. Maximizing internal resources, linking with the attraction of external resources, particularly investment capital and science and technology, and encouraging the development of all forms of economy.

3. Developing the economy in conjunction with environmental protection and cultural heritage preservation, ensuring sustainable development, maintaining natural landscapes, and cultural heritage.

4. Promoting urbanization speed, coupled with improving the quality of urban life. Combining urban and rural development, taking cities as the center and driving force for agricultural and rural development, and gradually reducing disparities among regions within the province.

5. Emphasizing human resource development strategies, enhancing public awareness and the quality of human resources, continuously improving and raising the living standards of the people, especially ethnic minorities in highland areas and policy beneficiaries.

II. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

Building Phu Tho into a Regional Economic Center: one of the key centers for science and technology; education and training, healthcare, culture, sports, and tourism in the midland and mountainous region of Northern Vietnam; an important transportation hub within the region and a city of origin festivals for the Vietnamese nation; simultaneously, a strategic area for national defense and security in the region as well as nationwide.

Striving to exit the list of poor provinces by 2010, and achieving the criteria of an industrial province and being one of the leading developed provinces in the midland and mountainous region of Northern Vietnam by 2020.

Main socio-economic targets until 2020 as follows:

1. Economic Indicators

- Accelerate economic growth to narrow the gap and reach parity and exceed the national average GDP per capita, with the overall economic growth rate from now until 2020 being 1.3 to 1.5 times higher than the national average and the midland and mountainous region of Northern Vietnam. In guidance and management, efforts should be made to achieve even higher levels.

- The economic structure will shift towards increasing the share of industry and services. By 2010, the proportion of the industry and construction sector will be 45-46%, services 35-36%, agriculture and forestry 19-20%; by 2010, the proportion of the industry and construction sector will be 50-51%, services 40-41%, agriculture and forestry 9-10%;

- State budget revenue will account for 11.5-12% of GDP by 2010 and reach 17-18% of GDP by 2020; export turnover will reach 300-320 million USD by 2010 and 500-520 million USD by 2020;

- Total social investment capital mobilized during the period from now until 2020 will reach 124-125 trillion VND, including 28-29 trillion VND from now until 2010; 35-36 trillion VND during the period 2011-2015; and 60-61 trillion VND during the period 2016-2020.

2. Social Indicators

- Maintaining the results of universal secondary education; completing universal upper-secondary education by 2015; improving the quality of education, training, culture, sports, and spiritual cultural values of the people;

- By 2010, 100% of communes will meet the national health standards; there will be 7 doctors and 22.3 hospital beds per 10,000 people; by 2015, there will be 9 doctors and 28 hospital beds per 10,000 people; and by 2020, there will be 11 doctors and 30 hospital beds per 10,000 people;

- Building civilized cultural lifestyles, preserving national cultural identity, and preventing social evils; building and perfecting grassroots cultural information institutions from the provincial level down to communes, wards, villages, and hamlets to address disparities in cultural consumption levels and gradually improve the spiritual lives of the people;

- The labor force with vocational training will reach 40% by 2010 and 70-75% by 2020; reducing the poverty rate to 10% by 2010 and below 5% by 2020.

3. Environmental Indicators

- Forest coverage ratio reaching 50% by 2010 and over 55% by 2020;

- From now until 2010, 100% of new production facilities will apply clean technologies or equipment to reduce pollution and treat waste; the rate of technological renewal in enterprises will average about 20% per year; over 50% of districts, cities, and towns will process and treat waste; 100% of hospitals will handle hazardous waste; the percentage of households using clean water will reach 85%;

- By 2020, the percentage of households using clean water will exceed 90%; 100% of rural households will use hygienic sanitation facilities.

III. ORIENTATIONS FOR KEY DEVELOPMENT SECTORS AND INDUSTRIES

1. Main Key Development Areas

- First Priority: Accelerating the pace of transformation and improving the quality of the industrial structure through the development of core industries such as those with resource advantages; rapidly developing mechanical, electronic, and auxiliary industries linked to industrial zones, consumer goods industries, accelerating the construction of concentrated industrial zones, forming new industrial zones, medium and small industrial clusters, developing small-scale industries, and traditional craft villages;

- Second priority: developing services and tourism to become important economic sectors; among which, tourism will become a leading economic sector of the Province, focusing on developing high-quality service industries such as finance, banking, telecommunications, information technology, and large tourism and service centers;

- Third priority: synchronously developing economic and social infrastructure, prioritizing the development of the Viet Tri - Lam Thao - Phu Nhinh - Phu Tho city economic zone and industrial clusters. Completing the implementation of key transportation projects (Hanoi - Viet Tri - Lao Cai expressway, Highway 14, Duc Bac bridge, Chi Chu bridge, Ngoc Thap bridge, Dong Luan bridge, etc.);

- Fourth priority: improving the quality of human resource training and building scientific and technological potential. Developing higher education, college, and vocational training institutions of the Province to reach national and international standards.

2. Orientation for industry and sector development

a) Developing industry and small-scale handicrafts

- Accelerating investment in industrial zones to attract projects in sectors with competitive advantages and breakthrough roles in the Province's economic development;

- Implementing technological innovation, management reform, enhancing production and business efficiency, striving to have many branded products ensuring survival and development in international competition. Focusing on developing small-scale handicrafts linked with agricultural industrialization in rural areas. Developing and reviving traditional craft villages and fine arts.

b) Developing service sectors

- Synchronously developing and improving the quality of service activities to meet the requirements of international economic integration such as transport, tourism, postal and telecommunications, finance, banking, insurance, securities, real estate market, technology transfer consulting, management consulting, tax consulting, accounting, auditing, legal consulting, notarization, appraisal, auction of assets, job placement services, etc.; new services with high intellectual content and services serving agricultural, forestry, and people's livelihood production;

- Exploiting tourism potential based on leveraging geographical location advantages, natural and cultural tourism resources to diversify tourism product types, developing tourism into a leading economic sector of the Province;

- Promoting trade, tourism, and import-export activities, enhancing and modernizing the ICD port (Thu Van); developing large commercial centers, trading floors, auction centers, exhibition and fair centers in Viet Tri city, Phu Tho city, and some key districts; rapidly developing wholesale markets and rural markets;

- Expanding business cooperation activities with domestic and foreign localities. Focusing on developing export products with strengths of the Province such as tea, paper, construction materials, textile products, handicrafts, etc.;

c) Developing agriculture, forestry, and fisheries

- Accelerating the restructuring of the agricultural structure and rural economy towards commodity production, suitable with the Province's potential and comparative advantages. Rapidly developing concentrated raw material production areas to ensure sufficient raw materials for processing industries and exports, creating sustainable linkages between raw material production areas and processing industries and consumption markets;

- Effectively implementing key agricultural economic programs, especially the tea development program, raw material tree planting program, aquaculture, beef cattle breeding, large tree planting, fruit tree planting, and ensuring food safety;

- Accelerating the process of agricultural and rural industrialization towards concentrating on developing trades and services, restructuring labor, increasing the proportion of industry in the rural economy's structure, and strengthening state budget investment, diversifying capital sources to complete the agricultural and rural infrastructure system;

d) Developing the main infrastructure system

- Regarding transportation: investing in synchronous expressways, national roads, provincial roads, inland waterways, rural roads, and urban traffic systems; roads to industrial parks, urban areas, tourist areas, and connecting routes with the Asian Highway, Highway 14. Improving, dredging, and clearing the Lo River, Hong River, Da River transport routes, increasing the capacity of Viet Tri port, Bai Bang port; constructing a comprehensive port in Phu Tho city and some specialized ports for production and business; renovating and upgrading railway station systems, relocating the railway line out of the center of Viet Tri city; constructing and upgrading some stations to meet the needs of tourists such as Viet Tri station, Phu Tho station, and Am Thuong station;

- Investing in irrigation capacity enhancement of water conservancy works; reinforcing canals, mountainous area water conservancy projects; reservoir, dam, self-flowing sluice systems, embankments, river dike systems to meet production requirements and mitigate disasters;

- Regarding power grid development: expanding and increasing the capacity of 220KV, 110KV substations and transmission systems; ensuring 100% households have access to electricity, meeting the demand for electricity for production and business. Developing Phu Tho into a power center in the Sixth Power Development Plan and investing in building thermal power plants in Phu Tho;

- Regarding communication infrastructure: investing in information technology and telecommunications infrastructure to ensure 100% communes have public internet access points and cultural and postal service points; 100% provincial and district hospitals and schools in the education system are connected to the Internet;

- Regarding urban infrastructure: expanding and developing urban road systems, recreational areas, squares, and new urban areas in Viet Tri city and Phu Tho city; expanding central towns, market towns, and townships in districts in line with the overall urban development plan and population distribution of the Province until 2020.

- Regarding industrial infrastructure in industrial zones and clusters: concentrate on attracting investment capital, gradually improving the system of industrial zones and clusters within the territory, with a focus on rapidly developing industrial zones and clusters in Viet Tri city, Phu Tho township, and along the corridors of national highways, the Trans-Asia highway, and the Ho Chi Minh highway according to the planning for the development of industrial zones and clusters until 2020 of the Province;

- Regarding commerce and services: concentrate on investing in tourism and service infrastructure to form key tourist routes such as: Hung Temple Tourist Area, Ao Chau Tourist Area, Thanh Thuy Hot Spring Water, Xuan Son National Park, Au Co Mother Temple. Constructing international-standard conference centers and hotels, developing supermarket systems, and building wholesale markets and commercial markets. Building some entertainment areas to serve foreigners.

d) Regarding social sectors

- Regarding education, training, and vocational training: concentrate resources on building Hung Vuong University, upgrading some colleges to universities and some specialized high schools to colleges, establishing additional training and vocational training facilities, and enhancing the physical infrastructure of schools under the educational system. Maintain and improve the quality of universal primary education at the appropriate age, universal lower secondary education, and complete the goal of universal upper secondary education by 2015. Develop the network of schools towards expansion and diversification of various forms of education and training. Strengthen the construction of standardized teaching and learning facilities and equipment. Focus on training and improving the quality of teachers and educational management staff to meet standard and above-standard requirements. Enhance the socialization of education, building a learning society. Promote vocational guidance and vocational education activities to meet the demand for human resource development;

- Regarding health and population: build and modernize multi-disciplinary and specialized hospitals meeting regional standards, provincial and district preventive healthcare centers, and regional multi-disciplinary clinics; communal and ward health stations reaching national standards. Improve the quality and effectiveness of national health programs. Develop community health and high-quality medical services. Strengthen medical examination and treatment, focusing on district and commune levels; proactively prevent and control diseases, basically eliminating infectious diseases; effectively implement population and family planning work and children's affairs; improve population quality, enhance genetic improvement and life expectancy, and sustainably improve living environments in urban and rural areas;

- Regarding culture, information, sports, and physical training: invest in cultural and sports facilities, building Phu Tho province into one of the leading cultural and sports centers in the midland and northern mountainous region. Vigorously promote the socialization of cultural development to mobilize social resources for investment and upgrading of cultural infrastructure, preservation, and enhancement of cultural heritage. Restore, preserve, and promote the value of cultural heritage in the homeland land. Invest in restoring historical sites from the Hung Kings era, cultural and sports facilities to meet the requirements of a cultural, medical, and sports center for the midland and northern mountainous region. Improve the quality of press, publishing, literature, and art activities, etc.;

- Other social sectors: effectively implement poverty reduction programs, reduce unemployment rates in urban areas, increase labor utilization time in rural areas; promote labor export. Implement social policies; ensure basic needs and significant improvements for all strata of the population regarding food, housing, clothing, transportation, education, healthcare, and cultural enjoyment, properly addressing the relationship between economic growth and social progress and equity;

e) Science and technology development.

- Regarding science and technology development: develop strongly, closely combining scientific and technological activities with education and training, creating impetus to accelerate industrialization, modernization, and the development of a knowledge-based economy. Vigorously implement key tasks in science and technology, prioritizing the development of research institutions in the province linked to training and developing a scientific cadre; strengthen the absorption and application of scientific and technological achievements in sectors where the province has advantages. Develop Phu Tho into a biotechnology agricultural and forestry center in the midland and northern mountainous region. Study the construction and operation of a technology city (including technology zones, high-tech agriculture zones, training facilities, technical infrastructure, social infrastructure, etc.);

Encourage and support businesses in implementing scientific and technological research and application activities. Complete advanced management models according to ISO 9000: 2001 international standards in state management agencies and enterprises. Properly implement regulations on registering intellectual property rights protection.

g) Regarding security and defense

Strengthen and consolidate defense potential tied to the defense strategy of provinces in the midland and northern mountainous region, maintaining political stability and social order and safety in the area. Link economic development with strengthening security and defense, building and consolidating the people's defense and public security. Increase investment and modernize material infrastructure for combat bases, rear bases in the defensive area, and military and defense training facilities in the area; ensuring mobility, readiness for combat, and proactive response to all situations.

Leverage the combined strength of the political system and the strength of the masses to curb and reduce crime, maintaining social security in the area. Proactively struggle, prevent, and block any peaceful evolution plots and violent overthrow schemes by hostile forces. Concentrate forces to address social evils effectively. Build a mass movement to protect social order in the area; strengthen grassroots security cadres; public security.

IV. GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TERRITORIAL SPACE

1. Guidelines for urban spatial development

Focus on comprehensive investment and development of Viet Tri city, with emphasis on urban infrastructure construction, high-tech industry development, tourism and services, education and training, and synchronous and modern cultural and sports facilities, gradually becoming one of the economic and cultural centers, educational centers of the midland and mountainous northern region. Strive to build Viet Tri city into a festival city about the origin of the nation and achieve a Class I city status by 2015;

Invest in upgrading and constructing urban infrastructure, renovating the urban landscape of Phu Tho town, expanding scale and population, developing industries and services, striving to become a Class III city by 2010;

For other cities, expand and upgrade some towns to become towns according to the urban development plan and population points until 2015.

2. Spatial orientation for economic and social development by region

a) The left bank of the Red River area (Ha Hoa, Thanh Ba, Doan Hung, Viet Tri - Lam Thao - Phu Ninh - Phu Tho town)

Develop diverse agricultural products; produce food grains, foodstuffs, long-term industrial crops (tea), fruit trees (seedless tangerine, etc...), especially peri-urban agriculture; develop aquaculture; raise livestock and poultry; develop services, trade, and tourism festivals about the origin of the nation, and develop key industrial products in industrial zones and clusters.

The economic driving sub-region of Viet Tri - Lam Thao - Phu Ninh - Phu Tho town continues to play a leading role in promoting rapid growth, attracting investment projects to construct industrial zones, urban areas, commercial centers, tourism, services, and high-quality housing, entertainment areas, contributing significantly to the provincial GDP, pulling and supporting the development of other regions.

b) The right bank of the Red River area (Thanh Son, Tan Son, Yen Lap, Cam Ke, Tam Nong, Thanh Thuy)

Leverage the advantages of the region to focus on exploiting potential and strengths in land and forests to develop large-scale industrial and service areas, and planting areas for raw materials and timber trees; raise livestock and poultry under farm models. Develop mining and processing industries, production bases for building materials, restore and develop craft villages and small-scale industries (bamboo, rattan, wood, etc.). Attract capital investment to develop industrial and service bases, tourism to exploit land funds, connection points of the Asian Highway and Ho Chi Minh Road with attractive eco-tourism sites in the provincial tourism system.

V. MAJOR SOLUTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN

1. Capital mobilization solutions

- For budgetary sources: effectively mobilize and utilize local budget funds and central government support to invest in developing economic and social infrastructure systems within the territory; implement appropriate policies to maximize land fund resources for urban, industrial development, and essential infrastructure projects;

- For external sources; along with doing well in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), take advantage of ODA funds to concentrate on transportation, irrigation, provincial and district health projects; drinking water; wastewater treatment, environmental sanitation; rural power grid, urban infrastructure;

- For mobilized capital from the people and businesses: establish mechanisms and policies to encourage all economic sectors to invest in production and business development. Promote socialization policies, encouraging the public to participate in economic and cultural-social infrastructure projects through joint efforts between the state and the people;

2. Training and human resource development

Focus on developing the scale and network of training, enhancing the capacity of multi-disciplinary universities, colleges, secondary vocational schools, and vocational training institutions. Strengthen the combination of training and scientific research, linking training with labor export usage, emphasizing vocational training for agricultural workers and ethnic minorities in remote areas;

Develop training plans to gradually improve the quality of cadres, civil servants, and employees, train teaching staff and educational management personnel, and vocational trainers. Promote socialization and international cooperation in human resource training to align with industry and business development directions, creating incentives for workers to enhance their physical and intellectual capabilities, thereby improving labor productivity. Implement policies to attract high-quality labor from other regions to work in the province.

3. Scientific and technological development and environmental protection

Link scientific and technological development with production, intensify the application of new scientific and technological progress in production and services. Increase funding for scientific research and the widespread application of scientific progress in production;

Vigorously develop human resources for science and technology; effectively utilize the scientific and technical cadre team and implement policies to attract excellent scientific, business, and artisanal talents to work in the province, providing preferential policies for enterprises investing in applying new and advanced technologies in production;

Intensify measures to control environmental pollution, mobilize community participation, and business contributions, and implement preferential policies in environmental protection investment mobilization; at the same time, enhance responsibility and strengthen coordination among levels, sectors, production and business units, and service providers in protecting and reducing environmental pollution, ensuring ecological balance, and sustainable economic and social development.

4. Enhance state management capacity, accelerate administrative reform, serving as a breakthrough for the period from now to 2020

Continue to improve and enhance the quality of building institutions related to the economy, organizational structure, and activities of the administrative state system in accordance with the conditions of the Province and to meet the requirements for development and integration into the international economy. Continue to implement the one-stop mechanism in handling administrative procedures towards simplifying procedures, making files, procedures, fees, and charges public and transparent, shortening deadlines, saving money and effort in handling matters for organizations and citizens. Strengthen judicial reform, build a network of legal service organizations within the territory to create favorable conditions for organizations and individuals to easily access the law and use it to protect their rights and interests.

Strengthen the delegation of management of organizational structures and cadres and civil servants in conjunction with the reorganization, improvement, and enhancement of the operational capacity of local authorities at all levels, building a clean and strong political system. Enhance the initiative, creativity, and self-responsibility of each organization and individual in performing tasks. Invest in improving the working premises of administrative agencies at all levels in conjunction with promoting the application of information technology according to the e-Government model and organizing the implementation of the quality management system based on ISO 9001 - 2001 standards.

5. Promote and enhance the effectiveness of cooperation and expand markets.

Strengthen economic, trade, investment, tourism, cultural, and human resource training cooperation with provinces located along the economic corridor from Hanoi - Haiphong - Lao Cai - Kunming (China), provinces sharing borders with Phu Tho, and other regions nationwide. Study and propose special mechanisms to the Government for implementation to enhance the effectiveness of attracting domestic and foreign investment.

Pay attention to expanding markets both domestically and internationally. Improve product quality, innovate designs, increase competitiveness, and develop markets sustainably, paying more attention to promoting the brand of products with advantages of the Province.

VI. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN

1. Organize the announcement and dissemination of the Plan

- Organize the announcement and dissemination of the Provincial Socio-Economic Development Plan until 2020 to all levels of Party committees and governments, sectors, mass organizations, domestic and foreign enterprises, and people in the Province;

- Introduce and promote priority projects during investment invitation and promotion events so that investors outside the Province can find and invest.

2. Develop action programs and investment promotion

- After the Plan is approved by the Prime Minister, based on the objectives of the Plan, develop action programs and gradually achieve the Plan's goals. In the short term, develop specific plans to achieve the targets set out in the Resolution of the 16th Provincial Party Congress;

- Vigorously promote investment activities, focusing on key projects with core products that are decisive for the success in implementing the Plan's objectives;

- Develop some core product programs of the Province and organize their implementation carefully, creating new impetus for the production and business development of the people. At the same time, have real policies to encourage and provide preferential treatment for the development of core products in terms of market, capital, and land funds;

- Gradually concretize planning work and incorporate it into five-year and annual plans for implementation. Depending on changes in socio-economic development conditions in each period, review, adjust, and supplement the Plan in a timely manner to suit the development process.

- All levels, sectors, and ethnic groups in the Province have the responsibility to inspect and supervise the implementation of the Plan.

VII. LIST OF PRIORITY PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND INVESTED (Annex attached)

Article 2. The People's Committee of Phu Tho Province, based on the socio-economic development goals and tasks of the Province stated in the Plan after its approval, shall coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to direct the preparation, approval, and implementation of the following contents in accordance with regulations:

1. Comprehensive planning for socio-economic development at the district level; planning for the development of urban systems and residential areas; construction planning; land use planning; planning for the development of industries and fields to ensure overall and synchronized development.

2. Prepare five-year and annual plans; key socio-economic development programs; specific projects to focus on investment and prioritize rational allocation of investment.

3. Research and formulate or submit to competent state agencies for promulgation (if beyond authority) certain mechanisms and policies suitable for the development requirements of the Province in each stage, aimed at attracting and mobilizing resources to implement the Plan.

Article 3. Assign relevant central ministries and sectors to support the People's Committee of Phu Tho Province in researching and formulating the above-mentioned plans; research and formulate and submit to competent state agencies for promulgation certain mechanisms and policies suitable for the socio-economic development requirements of Phu Tho Province in each stage, aimed at effectively mobilizing and utilizing resources, encouraging and attracting investment to ensure the good achievement of socio-economic development goals and tasks stated in the Plan. Accelerate investment and implementation of large-scale and important projects for the development of Phu Tho Province that have been decided upon. Study and consider adjusting and supplementing industry development plans and investment plans for related projects proposed to be invested in the Plan.

Article 4. This Decision takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 5. The Chairman of the People's Committee of Phu Tho Province, Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, and Heads of government-affiliated agencies are responsible for implementing this Decision./.