Yen Bai has already achieved the so-called “dual goal” of effectively controlling the Covid-19 pandemic and boosting socio-economic development. This is an important foundation for the province to carry out objectives and tasks in 2021 and the new term, and especially to materialize the goal of building Yen Bai into a fairly-developed province in the country by 2025 and one of the developed provinces in the northern midland and mountainous region by 2030, said Mr. Tran Huy Tuan, Chairman of the Yen Bai Provincial People's Committee, in an interview granted to Vietnam Business Forum. Ngoc Tung reports.

Could you please briefly introduce the remarkable socio-economic development results of Yen Bai province in 2020?

In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic that has adversely impacted all aspects of social and economic life, with the spirit of solidarity, determination and resolution of the entire political system, the business community and the masses, with innovative, flexible and consistent solutions, in 2020, Yen Bai completed the “dual goal” of effectively controlling the Covid-19 pandemic and boosting socio-economic development, enabling it to maintain its growth momentum, fulfill 24 out of 32 socio-economic development targets (with 13 targets surpassed and 11 completed).

Despite the country’s slowing economic growth, even declines seen in some localities, Yen Bai province still maintained good growth of 5.41%, ranking 4th out of 14 provinces in the northern midland and mountainous region. The economic structure was shifted toward a positive pattern with budget revenue reaching nearly VND3,600 billion, making it one of three provinces with a budgetary surplus.

The new rural development program achieved outstanding and sustainable results, with 11 more communes recognized to meet new rural standards, bringing total certified communes to 75 (50% of all communes in the province). Social and economic infrastructure was invested and urban areas were given a facelift. Social security policies were applied consistently in a timely manner for the right beneficiaries. People's lives continued to be improved. Environmental protection, natural disaster prevention and response to climate change were strengthened. Political security, social order and safety were guaranteed.

Together with socio-economic development, the province focused on enhancing the investment and business environment. In light of the 2020 motto “Further acceleration, discipline, innovation and performance”, Yen Bai province made great efforts to improve the investment and business environment, especially local investment promotion; publicized all administrative procedures in a transparent manner; reduced the time needed to handle construction permit and business establishment procedures; and promptly removed difficulties faced by enterprises.  In 2020, Yen Bai province licensed 71 investment projects with a total registered funding of VND4,600 billion and US$2.08 million.

The above results showed the will and aspirations for further growth, for difficulties and challenges turned into opportunities, for potential and advantages tapped to make Yen Bai a rapidly and sustainably developed province.

In 2021, the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress of Yen Bai province, in order to further boost its achievements, restructure the economic economy and change innovative growth models in line with its development approach for green, harmony, identity and happiness”, Yen Bai province proposed seven groups of tasks and solutions, with a focus on promoting three strategic breakthroughs focused on administrative reform: building e-government together with smart city, digital economy and digital society; creating an open and favorable investment and business environment for people and businesses; and encouraging entrepreneurship and economic sector development.

The province will also prioritize investment resources for synchronous socioeconomic infrastructure, human resource training and recruitment with a focus on high-quality human resources; science, technology and innovations to effectively accelerate the Fourth Industrial Revolution; better material and spiritual life of people and rapid and sustainable poverty reduction; strengthened resource management and environmental protection; and adaptive response to natural disasters and pandemic control.

To carry out strategic development breakthroughs by “Concentrating on administrative reform, strongly improving the investment and business environment" according to the Resolution of the 19th Yen Bai Provincial Party Congress of the 2020 - 2025 term, what specific programs, projects, solutions and actions will Yen Bai be implementing?

In the 2020 - 2025 term, to make Yen Bai a relatively developed province by 2025 in the country and a developed locality in the region by 2030, the Party and government of Yen Bai province will determinedly reform administrative procedures and improve the investment and business environment, one of the breakthrough stages. Then, the province will further enhance local competitiveness, attract more development resources, and create a premise for the next breakthrough: Engaging investment resources to build a modern and synchronous socio-economic infrastructure system.

To achieve this goal, the province is carrying out specific programs and projects like Action Plan 90-CTr/TU dated November 15, 2017 of the Provincial Party Committee to implement Resolution 10-NQ/TW dated June 3, 2017 of the 12th Party Central Committee on private economic development into an important driving force of the socialist-oriented market economy and Resolution 12-NQ/TW June 3, 2017 of the 12th Central Party Committee on continued restructuring, reform and improvement of state-owned enterprises; and Action Plan 183-CTr/TU dated September 18, 2019 of the Provincial Party Committee on implementation of Resolution 23-NQ/TW dated March 22, 2018 of the Politburo on national industrial development to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

At the 5th expanded meeting of the Yen Bai Party Executive Committee, three thematic resolutions were adopted, including a resolution on sustainable, efficient and environment-friendly industry development in 2021-2025; a resolution on service development in 2021-2025; and a resolution on tourism development in 2021-2025 and to 2030.

Administrative reform is key to improve the performance of executive direction and socio-economic development of the province. Clearly defining this key factor, in the coming years, Yen Bai province will further promote its achieved results and is determined to realize the goal of building Yen Bai into a land of beauty, civilization and high growth in the country by 2025 so as to become a developed locality in the northern midland and mountainous region by 2030.

What do you share and pledge to the business community and investors who are, and will, accompanying Yen Bai development?

Without doubt, in the past year, despite facing numerous difficulties and challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses and investors carrying out investment and business activities in Yen Bai province made great efforts to address their hardships; foster their dynamism and creativity in business operations and market access; boldly invest and upgrade equipment, improve production capacity and diversify products; fulfill their obligations to the government and employees. At the same time, the business community also made very important contributions to local social security.

Yen Bai province always recognizes valuable contributions of the business community, domestic and foreign investors to the province's socio-economic development and clearly understands that the business community is a very important factor and greatly contributive to the local development process.

Entering 2021, the first year of implementing the 5-year plan to 2025, according to the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress, the government of Yen Bai province expects businesses and investors to further share their hardships in doing business and making investment with provincial leaders, constantly upgrade their production technology to raise operational efficiency and ensure the environment; and strengthen production connectivity and foster social security.

Yen Bai is always ready to welcome businesses and investors to seek investment, production and business opportunities in the locality and accompany them in the local socio-economic development process. For its part, the province will have appropriate solutions to boost the local investment environment to be more complete and effective. The province directs departments, agencies and localities to support and facilitate businesses and investors to do business, building an open, healthy and positive investment climate; and actively improve the effective support and settlement of difficulties faced by them and cooperate with them to handle emerging matters in investment, production and business activities.