Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh in a meeting with the Mekong Delta Coordinating Council on November 3 (Photo: VNA) The discussion is part of the process to complete the Mekong Delta Planning forthe 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 - one of the six regional plans ofthe country.
One of the biggest obstacles to the region is transport infrastructure,reported the Secretary of Long An Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Duoc,and thus investment for inter-provincial transport must be made a priority.
Sharing the same opinion, Chairman of the Tien Giang Provincial People’sCommittee Nguyen Van Vinh agreed that industrial and services clusters must belinked and central hubs must be developed.
Localities in the Mekong Delta have created multiple initiatives to formconnections, however, these initial plans remain small and scattered, saidSecretary of Can Tho city's Party Committee Le Quang Manh.
The regional plan thus will develop a framework and a joint coordinationcentre. A master plan integrating both the industries and 13 Mekong Deltaprovinces and cities will end the situation where each locality works individually.
As part of a region heavily affected by climate change and saline intrusion,local leaders proposed to invest in the construction of freshwater reservoirs.The funding should not only come from the State budget but also social sources.
Localities also proposed to mobilise loans for the Mekong Delta’s development,with 90 percent ODA (official development assistance) capital coming from theGovernment.
Addressing concerns from the local leaders, Minister of Transport Nguyen VanThe said special priority has been given to several transport projects,including highways and national routes, alongside maritime and aviation.
“If done well, by 2025 we will have 300km of highways in the region, whichshows the Government’s commitment on this matter,” said the minister.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is also developing plans witheach province to build major, quality agricultural production areas fordomestic consumption and export, alongside other freshwater reservoir projects.
“Transport infrastructure plays an incredibly important role in the region’sdevelopment,” Deputy PM Le Van Thanh concluded the meeting. “If we want todevelop the Mekong Delta, the number one priority for localities is thedevelopment of transport infrastructure. This will help enhance connections andutilise the strengths of the regions.”
The development space in the region needs to be connected to industrialcentres. The focus should be placed on developing marine space and marineeconomic development, with the infrastructure system of coastal routes,seaports, and the logistics system, as seven out of 13 localities in the regionare coastal provinces.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) needs to coordinate closely withministries, departments, and research experts, said the Deputy PM, while theinvestment process must be prepared and implemented as fast as possible.
Affirming that water resources are the core characteristic of the Mekong Deltaregion, Deputy PM Thanh required comprehensive management of these resourcesbased on the evaluation of their impact and capacity, while ensuringsustainable development.
The MPI will speed up the process to complete the reports and documents tosubmit to the Council in November, with approval expected to be granted inDecember./.
VNA
