Despite challenges, Hau Giang saw impressive economic growth in 2024. What are your thoughts? What are the province’s goals for 2025?

In 2024, Hau Giang completed all 18 main socioeconomic development, national defense and security targets, of which 13 achieved better than expected results. Notably, the economic growth was 8.76%, ranking 2nd in the Mekong Delta and a high level in the country. GRDP per capita was VND90.04 million (higher than the target of VND88.84 million), 12.09% higher than in 2023. The economic pattern was restructured, with a decreasing share of agriculture (down 0.55% to 21.4%). The total social investment capital rose 13.66% to VND25,800 billion, 3.32% more than the plan. Budget revenue climbed 23.52% to VND7,520 billion, 0.27% higher than the plan.

The province also accelerated administrative reform, improved the business environment, attracted investment capital and solved difficulties faced by enterprises.

In 2025, Hau Giang aims to effectively implement the Provincial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050; rapidly accelerate and achieve the best outcomes according to the 5-year Socioeconomic Development Plan (2021 - 2025). The province advocates developing industry, agriculture, urbanization and tourism; boosting production and business, import and export, and infrastructure construction; improving education and training quality and developing high-quality human resources; and fostering scientific and technological application and transfer, innovations, cultural activities and social security. The province will further perfect and reorganize the streamlined apparatus to make it work effectively and efficiently, reform public administration, strengthen foreign affairs, and maintain political security and social order and safety.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man works with Hau Giang leaders during a voter meeting in Hau Giang province, July 2024

Key indicators include GRDP economic growth of 8.8%, GRDP per capita of VND106.44 million (US$4,174, up 11.27% over 2024), total social investment fund of VND26,900 billion (up 4.26% over 2024), total state budget revenue of VND8,300 billion (up 10.37%) and 4,818 tax-declaring operational companies (up 1.01%).

The Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2023 of Hau Giang province advanced three places from 2022 and 29 places from 2021. What do you think about this progress? What are the bottlenecks that need to be removed to maintain the reform momentum?

With its quick site clearance, quick completion of investment procedures, good opportunities, good policies and good infrastructure, Hau Giang is creating a safe, friendly and attractive business environment for investors, with a consistent viewpoint: "The success of enterprises is the achievement of the province". However, currently, the province still faces certain difficulties like limited high-quality labor, asynchronized technical infrastructure and difficult site clearance.

Actively supporting small and medium enterprises

The province will focus on increasing resources, promoting the effective leading role of public investment and creating new development space. The locality will invest in digital technology parks and train human resources. The provincial government will also continue to strive to provide the best conditions for the people.

In particular, Hau Giang will step up administrative reform, raise PCI, SIPAS and PAPI rankings, create a favorable, healthy and fair investment and business environment, and boost investment promotion and business support.

After more than 10 years of enforcing Resolution 09-NQ/TW dated December 9, 2011 of the Politburo, how has the Hau Giang business community developed? Based on its achievements, how is the province applying Resolution 41-NQ/TW, dated October 10, 2023 of the Politburo?

In the past 20 years, the Hau Giang business community has continuously grown in both size and quality. To date, the province has 4,499 tax-declaring operational enterprises and the business sector accounts 77% of the province's GRDP, with 18% from foreign-invested businesses. The individual economy has strongly developed with nearly 54,000 business households with a registered capital of over VND7,000 billion. Many product brands have affirmed their reputation, competitive position and consumer trust.

Hau Giang aims to develop a strong force of visionary, intelligent, ethical, dynamic and creative entrepreneurs who uphold entrepreneurial spirit, aspire to get legitimate riches, have advanced management capacity, comply with the law, business ethics and business culture with national identity, have social responsibility and environmental awareness, and have worthy contributions to the province's development goals. By 2030, enterprises will contribute 60-70% of the province's GRDP and establish 6,000 new corporate entities. 65-70% of business owners hold a university degree or higher and 25-30% of businesses are women-owned.

To achieve the above goals, Hau Giang will enhance awareness of the position and role of the business community in delivering the province's and the country's development goals; perfect policies and laws, create a favorable, safe and equal investment and business environment for entrepreneurs and enterprises to expand their operations and contributions; develop a strong business community on par with national development goals and tasks in the new period; adopt business ethics and business culture, foster national spirit, and arouse aspirations to develop a prosperous and happy country; and strengthen solidarity and cooperation, promote the role of the Hau Giang Business Association, the Hau Giang Young Entrepreneurs Association, reinforce Party and State leadership in building and fostering the role of the business community.

Like other localities, Hau Giang held a review conference on Resolution 18 of the 12th Party Central Committee and approved an action plan to streamline and enhance the political system. Could you share more about the province's determination and efforts in this process?

Relevant agencies in the province have made great efforts in developing a draft project on apparatus reorganization to ensure compliance with the Central Party's direction, the Government's regulations and their own situations and characteristics.

To date, advisory and support agencies of Provincial and District Party Committees of Hau Giang have cut 12 departments since the enforcement of the Resolution. The Provincial Party Committee has reduced one unit, the Party Committees of provincial agencies have slashed five units. Specialized agencies of the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations at provincial and district levels have not made any changes. Agencies under the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations at provincial level reduced 16 units. Provincial agencies have cut 56 departments (from 155 to 99), 49 deputy department directors and 10 sub-departments (from 16 to 6), 14 deputy sub-department directors, and 57 specialized units under sub-departments. District-level agencies cut off 13 departments (from 101 to 88).

Regarding public service units, 60 units have been brought to an end, leaving 395 units in place. The province has also reduced one commune-level administrative unit and 14 hamlets. Based on the arrangement of part-time positions at commune, hamlet and grassroots levels, Hau Giang has terminated 462 part-time positions at the commune level and 3,911 positions at the hamlet and grassroots levels. As many as 17.95% of public employees have been cut, or more than 3,400 positions.

The province also studied and developed the Project on terminating the Party Committee of Provincial Agencies and Enterprises, Party designated representative boards, and established Party committees of Party agencies, unions, People's Councils and judiciary bodies at the provincial level. Hau Giang studied and developed the Project on termination of Party designated representative boards of the Provincial People's Committee and formed the Party Committee of the provincial government. It also drafted a scheme on merging the Propaganda Department and Mass Mobilization Department, both currently under the Provincial Party Committee.

Hau Giang requested agencies, units and organizations from provincial to grassroots levels to make sure that, after being reorganized, they can immediately operate smoothly, effectively and efficiently, leave no vacant areas or fields, and have no impact on normal operations of agencies, units and socio-political organizations. The province must have effective communications, good public opinions, high unity within the Party and the entire political system, and high consensus among the people in the apparatus reorganization and streamlining policy.

Thank you very much!