(VOVWORLD) - A conference was held in Dak Lak province last week to review the implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution 10 and Conclusion 12 on socio-economic development, defense, and security in the Central Highlands. Major orientations aim to rapidly and sustainably develop the Central Highlands.
 The conference reviews the implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution 10 and Conclusion 12 on socio-economic development, defense, and security in the Central Highlands. (photo: VNA) |
The Central Highlands has 53 ethnic groups, of which 52 have over 2 million people and account for 37% of the regional population. The Central Highlands has the most ethnic groups in Vietnam.
Advantages for development
The region has a lot of natural advantages, including 3.2 million ha of forest (accounting for 21% of the nation’s forests), and millions of ha of red basalt soil and red-yellow soil. It has great potential for power generation, is rich in minerals, and is a center of bauxite production. The region has a diverse ecosystem and a moderate climate. The Central Highlands is a major producer of industrial crops as rubber, coffee, pepper, tea, and cashews. There are several valuable herbal plants like Ngoc Linh ginseng.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told the conference that after 20 years of implementing Resolution 10 and 10 years of implementing Conclusion 12, the Central Highlands’ economy scaled up 14 times from 2002-2020 and annual GRDP growth was 7.98%, the highest rate among Vietnam’s regions.
Agriculture’s proportion of the economy is decreasing and the proportion of services and industry is growing rapidly.
Large agricultural production areas have been formed for crops that account for a high proportion of Vietnam’s exports, such as coffee, rubber, pepper, and fruit trees. The percentage of poor households has decreased significantly. Localities have paid special attention to forest protection and management and effective use of water resources, which is an urgent issue for local people’s livelihoods.
 PM Pham Minh Chinh addresses the conference. (Photo: VOV) |
Master plan to develop the Central Highlands
Prime Minister Chinh said that in the past, Vietnam decided the Central Highlands needed "stability for development". Now priority is given to development, which is an important requirement for socio-political stability, national defense and security, foreign affairs, and flexibly adapting to all developments.
Mr. Chinh said: “The Central Highlands’s development should serve politics, ideology, economics, society, the environment, national defense, security, and external affairs. It’s an overall task. Economic development should be associated with improving social, ethnic, and religious policies, rekindling national pride, and turning historical, cultural, and revolutionary traditions into a desire to rise with a confident and self-reliant will. It’s necessary to have specific mechanisms to attract social resources and foreign investment.”
Prime Minister Chinh said the Central Highlands should combine the green economy, the circular economy, and cultural identity; change the mindset from agricultural production to industry; develop global trademarks for agricultural products; protect the eco-system and water resources; improve people’s material and cultural life; and firmly protect national security and defense.
Mr. Chinh said urban development and residential allocation should match local conditions, ecosystems, and cultures. The Central Highlands should develop regional hubs to drive development in adjacent areas.
“It’s necessary to develop infrastructure for transportation, irrigation, and water supply. Highways and airports should be upgraded for regional and international flights. IT infrastructure needs to be upgraded to keep pace with the national digital transformation. Trade infrastructure should be modernized and expanded to connect domestic and international markets, and e-commerce and logistics should be further promoted.”
The Prime Minister asked the Central Highlands to anchor agro-forestry on specific products of high quality and value. Tourism is a breakthrough sector to be associated with cultural preservation and national tourist destinations.
Land resources should be exploited for socio-economic development. It’s important to make production land available to immigrants. Socio-economic development should be tied to national defense and security, and political security, social order and safety should be ensured. Cooperation in the Mekong Sub-region and the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Development Triangle should be strengthened.
The Central Highlands is one of Vietnam’s 3 strategic security regions and one of 6 key economic hubs.