The scene of the working session

The meeting was attended by Mr. Kim Ngoc Thai, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Mr. Le Van Dau, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with other leaders from provincial departments and agencies.

During the session, Chairman Le Van Han presented a report on the province's socio-economic development, highlighting specific projects, challenges, and obstacles affecting business production, public investment, and import-export infrastructure construction.

In the first four months of 2023, Tra Vinh province witnessed stable production and business activities, public investment, and infrastructure construction. The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in the first quarter reached 3.18%, showing a significant improvement compared to the negative growth of 5.65% during the same period last year.

Agricultural production achieved positive results, with progress in planting reaching 40.81% of the plan, exceeding the same period of the previous year by 8.73%. The province had sufficient fresh water sources for production and people's needs, favorable weather conditions for agricultural development, and effective control of crop and aquaculture diseases. The average rice yield reached 6.68 tons/ha, an increase of 0.27 tons/ha compared to the same period last year. Seafood output reached 48,135 tons, accounting for 19.68% of the plan.

Industrial production remained stable, particularly in the manufacturing sector, which showed signs of positive growth. However, the overall industrial production index (IIP) decreased by 32.30% compared to the same period last year, primarily due to the influence of the electricity production and distribution industry, which accounted for 46.53% of the province's industrial production value. The total value of industrial production was estimated at 9,097.35 billion VND, down 16.01% compared to the same period last year.

Retail sales of goods and services in the first four months of the year reached 18,642.24 billion VND, accounting for 35.53% of the plan, and reflecting a 43.41% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

Regarding public investment, the province focused on accelerating the disbursement of allocated capital. By May 4, 19.8% of the planned capital (932,885 billion VND) had been disbursed out of the total planned capital of 4,714.336 billion VND. The province prioritized investment in key projects to contribute to socio-economic development.

Furthermore, Tra Vinh actively mobilized investment resources to develop socio-economic infrastructure. The total investment capital from the entire society reached 10,822 billion VND, accounting for 33.82% of the plan (32 trillion dong), representing an 11.4% increase compared to the same period last year.

In terms of import and export, the province had 35 import-export enterprises. The total import-export value in the first three months of 2023 was 60,814,978 USD, with imports accounting for 41,762,116 USD.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Van Han spoke at the meeting

Despite these achievements, the province still faced challenges, such as difficulties in site clearance and the recovery of advances. The progress of implementing provincial planning was slower than planned due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, high lending interest rates and the need for support policies were identified as areas requiring attention.

Chairman Le Van Dau proposed that the competent authorities provide guidance on cases where advance payments need to be recovered, but the enterprises have been dissolved, bankrupted, or terminated their operations, or the business owners are no longer residing in Vietnam.

He also suggested that the Ministry of Industry and Trade facilitate power generation for thermal power plants in the Duyen Hai power center to contribute to the province's industrial production growth in 2023. The Ministry of Construction and the Bank of Social Policies were urged to consider guiding and supporting self-employed workers with permanent residence in rural areas of Tra Vinh province who work freely in urban areas, particularly in terms of preferential loans for social housing.

Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Kim Ngoc Thai spoke at the meeting

At the sessioin, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Kim Ngoc Thai, expressed gratitude to the Government and central ministries for their support to the province. He also provided updates on coastal economic investment, plans to utilize freshwater lakes for irrigation, production, and tourism development, as well as the investment and implementation of wind power projects.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son delivered a concluding speech

Concluding the meeting, Minister Nguyen Kim Son expressed his acknowledgement and appreciation for the results achieved by the province. He emphasized the importance of focusing on the disbursement of public investment. Although the disbursement rate of 20% in the first four months of the year was higher than that of some ministries, branches, and localities, it still fell short of the required target. Therefore, the province needs to intensify its efforts in this area. The Minister also highlighted the significance of implementing the Government's directives, particularly in supporting businesses, addressing challenges in the real estate market, and promoting the development of various economic sectors.

Furthermore, Minister Nguyen Kim Son expressed his hope that the province would continue to prioritize and maintain a balanced approach between economic and transportation infrastructure on one hand, and cultural, educational, and social infrastructure on the other. He emphasized the importance of investing in the improvement and strengthening of schools and classrooms, especially at the primary school level.

Based on the province's recommendations, proposals, and the discussions held during the working session, the Minister proposed that the delegation collect and synthesize reports to be submitted to the Government and the Prime Minister, in accordance with their respective competencies and regulations.

   Truc Phuong

Hoang Khiem (Translator)