According to Nguyen Thi Yen, Standing Deputy Secretary of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Party Committee and head of its National Assembly Delegation, Ba Ria-Vung Tau continues to see the economy and society recovering positively with important results. Many targets have been met and even exceeded the plan set out previously for 2022.

Impressive growth augurs well for Ba Ria-Vung Tau, photo Le Toan

The province’s 13th Party Committee Congress, held on December 4 in Vung Tau city, comprehensively assessed the situation of socioeconomic development, national defence, and security achievements in 2022 and the direction and tasks for 2023. The province noted it has achieved positive indicators such as total budget revenues reaching $4.77 billion, industrial gross output excluding oil and gas increasing by 10.47 per cent, and total registered investment capital hit $2.07 billion, up 0.43 per cent. More than 1,900 enterprises were newly registered, an increase of almost 50 per cent over the same period, and nearly 600 enterprises resumed operations.

Tourism has seen strong development, in which international visitors increased by around 124 per cent and revenues from accommodation services increased by almost 128 per cent over 2021.

Social security, job creation, salary payments, unemployment allowance, and settlement of policies for various groups of people were carried out well. Especially, the rate of employees participating in social insurance has reached 38.3 per cent, or 0.3 per cent higher than the initial plan.

In 2023, Ba Ria-Vung Tau determines to complete many different tasks, including proposing that the government promptly solves difficulties raised by enterprises, setting up a retail distribution centre connecting to the under-construction Long Thanh International Airport, and a feasibility study to establish a free trade zone at the Cai Mep area.

The year will also promote the development of seaport and logistics services, completing the adjustment of the construction zoning plan and selecting investors for Cai Mep Ha Logistics Centre, focusing on interconnected transport infrastructure to improve the capacity of the Thi Vai-Cai Mep port system.

Investment promotion focuses on major tourism projects, implementing plans and supporting businesses in free trade agreements, and continuing to structure the agricultural sector associated with the renewal of growth models and new rural construction.

It also will look at restructuring crops in line with advantages, market needs, and adapting to climate change; and implementing a project on changing roles for fishing vessels operating inshore and other occupations that destroy aquatic resources.

At the same time, the province will implement solutions to improve the effectiveness of investment attraction and management of enterprises, focusing on speeding up the implementation of key projects. Solutions will also come to improve the business environment and national competitiveness in order to raise its Provincial Competitiveness Index status. Other objectives are to manage and use the state budget in an open, transparent, timely and effective manner; continue to focus on pandemic prevention and control, continue to review and streamline authorities, and actively take part in inspection activities as well as complaints and petition settlement.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau is also determined to build Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway’s first phase, which comprises the section through the province over 19.5km. The preparation for this project has been promoted and thoroughly implemented by the agencies of the People’s Committee in accordance with the approval process of the relevant agencies.

In June, the National Assembly issued Resolution No.59/2022/QH15 approving the investment policy of this project. The Ba Ria-Vung Tau People’s Council in the following month issued Resolution No.28/NQ-HDND to add $28.45 million to pay for half of the compensation for site clearance for the first phase.

August marked the signing ceremony to coordinate implementation of the project between the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and the provinces of Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

According to the latest report from the province, so far, Ba Ria-Vung Tau has completed basic design documents for 15.8km of the route, with opinions of the Department of Construction and the MoT taken into account. It has also organised a survey that will look to approve two dumping sites for the project’s waste treatment and completed the environmental impact assessment report.

The site inspection of the whole route has been completed, and the clean site will be fully handed over to investors within weeks, with construction expected to commence before the end of June 2023.