Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the conference. (Photo: VNA) The conference reviewed the PM’s Decision No. 178/2004/QD-TTgapproving a project on Phu Quoc’s development by 2010 with a vision towards 2020.
Stressing the important role, position and potentialof Phu Quoc, the leader said over the past years, many mechanisms and policieshave been rolled out to spur its development.
The locality has drawn more domestic and internationalattention, its reputation and position have been consolidated, and itsinfrastructure has been upgraded, he continued.
Chinh, however, pointed to challenges to Phu Quoc’srapid, sustainable development, green economy, digital economy, knowledge-basedeconomy and sharing economy.
Given its special position in terms of economy,politics, social affairs, tourism, services, trade, and national defence andsecurity, the PM noted that developing Phu Quoc is the task of not only the islanddistrict itself and Kien Giang, but also the entire nation.
He called for stronger determination to turn Phu Quocinto a centre of services, high-quality eco-tourism, and maritime tourism, and alivable place, which is expected to help promote Vietnam on the global tourismmap.
Priorities should be given to green economy, theapplication of scientific-technological advances and innovations, digital transformationand green transition, he said, adding that economic development should go intandem with socio-cultural development, and environmental protection.
He spoke of other tasks for Phu Quoc like strengtheningnational defence and security, stepping up the fight against corruption andother negative phenomena, and enhancing external affairs and internationalintegration.
He laid emphasised on the need to push ahead with institutionand policy perfection, concerted infrastructure development, decentralisation,production and business, cultural development, and support of ministries,agencies and localities for Phu Quoc.
To ensure its sustainable development, it is a must tofocus on environmental protection, he said, urging Phu Quoc to improve itscompetitiveness in the region and the world to attract more foreign directinvestment.
The Government will devise a project and issuesuitable documents and submit them to competent authorities for consideration,which are expected to facilitate Phu Quoc’s rapid, sustainable development.
The provincial People’s Committee reported that afternearly 20 years of implementing the resolution, Phu Quoc’s annual economicgrowth has been maintained at nearly 19.6%. Its state budget collection increasedmore than 113% last year as compared with that in 2004.
Last year, the island district attracted 321 projects worthmore than 412 trillion VND (16.61 billion USD), making up 42.8% of the totalprojects in Kien Giang, the committee said.
The number of tourists to the locality also rose fromonly 130,000 in 2004 to around 5.57 million in 2023, of them more than 560,000international, or 4.48% of foreign holidaymakers to Vietnam./.
VNA
