On November 29, Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, in collaboration with the counterparts of 13 localities in the deta region, held a conference in Can Tho city to review their cooperative agreement on socioeconomic development for 2023-2024 and discuss plans for next year.

The development cooperation agreement encompasses areas including investment-trade promotion, transportation infrastructure, tourism development, climate change adaptation, digital transformation, healthcare and human resource training, and more bilateral cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and each locality in the region.

The province boasts a diverse agricultural ecosystem

Nguyen Van Vinh, Chairman of Tien Giang People’s Committee, highlighted the positive outcomes of cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and Tien Giang in the past two years, particularly regarding three significant projects both sides have expedited.

“These include a ferry lane from Can Gio district in Ho Chi Minh City to Go Cong city in Tien Giang’s east; promoting tourism development at the Thoi Son area in My Tho city and the Tan Phong floating market in Cai Lay district; and engaging technical expertise transfer to the Tien Giang General Hospital,” said Vinh.

He emphasised the importance of continued collaboration to effectively expedite the Ho Chi Minh City-Long An-Tien Giang urban transport axis, and called for enhanced cooperation in human resource training between universities based in Ho Chi Minh City and the Tien Giang University.

In the healthcare sector, the province requested ongoing support from Ho Chi Minh City hospitals to help Tien Giang General Hospital establish new specialised departments, meeting growing healthcare needs.

Additionally, Vinh urged Ho Chi Minh City leaders to study and engage with investors from the delta region, creating opportunities for the region to supply its unique products to Ho Chi Minh City.

Phan Van Mai, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, noted that during 2023-2024, Ho Chi Minh City and the delta region have come up with numerous regional cooperation programmes, helping to foster business development, improve citizens’ quality of life, and beef up growth of the localities.

“This conference aims to gather insights from local leaders, business representatives, and delegates to identify key priorities and effective methods for cooperation, ensuring practical outcomes that significantly contribute to the socioeconomic development of both the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City,” said Mai.

During the 2023-2024 period, diverse supply-demand networking conferences between Ho Chi Minh City and localities enticed over 300 participants, in which all 13 localities in the delta region were represented and showcased distinctive local products.

Tien Giang serves as a crucial link between the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City. The province’s favourable geographic location situated along the northern bank of Tien River, approximately 70km from Ho Chi Minh City and 100km from Can Tho city positions it as a vital connection point between raw material production, consumer markets, and export hubs.

Tien Giang plays a gateway role, benefiting from key transportation and economic corridors such as national highways 1, 30, 50, and 60, as well as the Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong-Can Tho expressway.

The province’s primary development focus lies in agricultural and aquatic product processing industries, high-tech agriculture specialising in fruit cultivation and aquaculture, supporting industries, and port-related industries. It also aims to pull in investments in trade, services, and ecotourism.

Tien Giang boasts a diverse agricultural ecosystem, including 136,000 hectares of rice fields, over 81,000ha of fruit orchards, and 54,000ha of vegetable cultivation. The province’s 32km coastline and thousands of hectares of alluvial coastal areas provide excellent conditions for aquaculture and diverse marine economy development.

Additionally, the province has invested in a raft of agricultural infrastructure such as My Tho and Vam Lang fishing ports, Hoa Khanh and Vinh Kim fruit markets, and rice milling zones in Cai Be district. With its abundant raw materials, Tien Giang accommodates large-scale industrial production capabilities.