Farmers in the southern province of Tra Vinh’s Tieu Can District harvest rice. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked the province to focus on multiplying large-scale rice fields to boost output. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vu
TRA VINH (VNS) — Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung urged officials in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh to pay more attention to building infrastructure, especially in the transport sector.
Working with key provincial leaders on January 3, Dung noted that many local households still suffered from poverty while the infrastructure system remained weak.
He asked them to use the province’s potential advantages, especially in aquaculture, to boost its socio-economic development.
Tra Vinh should focus on multiplying large-scale rice fields and applying scientific and technological advances to boost productivity and quality, thus improving the competitiveness of local agricultural products, he said. The locality should also encourage enterprises to invest in rural areas.
The PM asked TraVinh officials to work harder to reduce poverty and improve the spiritual lives of locals while ensuring safety and social order during the upcoming Tet holiday.
Covering an area of 222,515 hectares, TraVinh is home to over 1 million people and has a large Khmer population.
A report by the TraVinh People’s Committee states that the province recorded a number of socio-economic achievements in 2013.
Last year, its GDP growth reached 10.53 percent. The ratio of poor households decreased by 2.64 percent, while a programme of building new-style rural areas was implemented in all 85 communes, according to the report.
In 2014, the province targets a GDP growth rate of at least 11 per cent and a 3 per cent decrease in poor households. The locality will also strive to create 22,000 additional jobs.
Tra Vinh will focus on economic restructuring for the 2013-20 period, especially in aquaculture. The province will also strengthen trade promotion and enhance the quality of human resources, while improving policies on ethnic minority groups and religions, the report said.
The same day, PM Dung inspected a project of constructing a passage for large-capacity vessels to enter the Hau River. By 2020, the region aims to handle 21-22 million tonnes of goods and 450,000-500,000 TEU containers each year.
The 46.5-km passage has a total investment of nearly VND9,800 billion (US$460.6 million).
The PM also inspected the progress of the Duyen Hai power centre project, which includes four power plants with a total capacity of 4,288 MW.
Also yesterday, PM Dung visited and presented New Year gifts to dignitaries of the TraVinh Buddhist Executive Committee at Angarra Japuri (Ang) pagoda
VIETNAM SHIPBUILDING NEWS 