PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting with Can Tho leaders on May 14. (Photo: VNA)

Can Tho – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with leaders of Can Tho on May 14, requesting the Mekong Delta city be flexible, innovative, and creative to remove difficulties facing people and enterprises.

Can Tho reported that it obtained encouraging results in the first quarter, including year-on-year GRDP growth of 4.02 per cent, and increases of 4.81 per cent in the index of industrial production, 13.42 per cent in total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue, and 7.1 per cent in export earnings. It reached 23.6 per cent of this year’s public investment disbursement target and 31.76 per cent of the State budget collection target.

The city has actively coordinated with other localities to carry out key transport projects, guaranteed social security, enhanced the corruption fight and thrift practice, and firmly maintained defence, security, and social order and safety.

However, it also pointed out certain problems, including declines in exports of some commodities and the shortages of orders and material supply.

Addressing the event, PM Chinh recognised local efforts and achievements, which have helped the country sustain macro-economic stability, control inflation, ensure major balances, boost growth, and improve people’s material and spiritual life.

He asked Can Tho to keep a close watch on the situation; stay calm, proactive, and flexible to effectively perform regular tasks, respond to unexpected issues, and deal with outstanding problems; and strongly and comprehensively implement the resolutions issued by the Party Central Committee, Politburo, Secretariat, National Assembly, Government, and PM, along with recent directions by the Government.

The city needs to actively handle issues within its power; be flexible and creative to remove difficulties facing people and enterprises; increase decentralisation; drastically resolve obstacles related to land, housing environment, and site clearance; quickly complete the municipal planning; and effectively use the country’s aid package worth 120 trillion VND for social housing development, he noted.

The Government leader also told Can Tho to promote the socio-economic recovery and development programme, step up the three national target programmes, stimulate investment and consumption, and bolster the three growth impetuses of consumption, export, and investment, including public - private partnerships in investment projects.

The working session was among Government leaders’ meetings with 63 provinces and cities to review the production, business, and public investment disbursement situation, and address difficulties to facilitate the three growth impetuses.