Thua Thien-Hue to become centrally administered city

Thua Thien-Hue, with its vision and innovation reflected in the province's newly-released plans, will soon become a centrally administered city, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Vietnam currently has five centrally administered cities, namely Hanoi, Hai Phong, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho.

"The province will also become a heritage-urban area, a marine economic center, and a major hub for science-technology, education and training," he added.

Chinh made the statement at an event on Saturday to announce the provincial plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050; the provincial urban plan until 2045, with a vision to 2065; and investment promotion initiatives.

Hue used to be the feudal capital of Nguyen dynasty, Vietnam's last royal family (1802-1945) and famed for its royal mausoleums and other historic heritages.

Regarding development orientations and priorities, the PM asked the province to focus on three urban centers, three economic corridors, three growth drivers, and five development breakthroughs.

“Thua Thien-Hue should promote traditional growth drivers such as investment, export, and consumption. It should also create new growth drivers through the green economy, digital economy, circular economy, sharing economy, knowledge-based economy, climate change response, and sustainable development,” he said.

The province needs to strengthen investment in human resource development and connectivity with other regions at home and abroad through connecting transportation links, and production and supply chains, Chinh added.

It must boost the development of strategic infrastructure that includes transportation, climate change response, digital infrastructure, healthcare, and education, while focusing on developing industrial production, applying science-technology, making innovations in production and business, and creating jobs for local people.

“Moving forward, the province needs to coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to complete procedures to become a centrally administered city and submit its proposal to the National Assembly at the year-end session,” the PM noted.

Thua Thien-Hue is also requested to develop marine economy, tourism economy and heritage economy in a green, digital and circular manner; improve the efficiency of the Chan May-Lang Co economic zone, Phu Bai international airport, Chan May deepwater port, Lang Co-Bach Ma area, Tam Giang-Cau Hai lagoon and the Complex of Hue Monuments.

Under the provincial master plan, Thua Thien-Hue will become a centrally administered city in 2025 and a typical heritage city of Vietnam in 2030.

By 2030, the locality's gross regional domestic product is expected to reach 9-10% per year, with industry-construction contributing 33-35%, and services accounting for 56%. Its urbanization rate is forecast to reach about 70%.

At the event, Thua Thien-Hue authorities granted investment licences or in-principle approvals to 11 projects worth nearly VND9 trillion ($360.5 million), and investment research approvals to 10 others totaling VND120 trillion ($4.8 billion).