The meeting is part of the Government's working program with 63 provinces and cities to review the implementation of Resolution No. 01 of the Government; production and business situation; public investment implementation; handling difficulties and obstacles, creating conditions, promoting production and business; focusing on the three growth drivers: consumption, export and investment.

Attending the meeting were Can Tho City Party Secretary Le Quang Manh; representatives of leaders of ministries and branches: National Defense, Public Security, Government Office, Planning and Investment, Finance, Agriculture and Rural Development; Industry and Trade, Construction, Natural Resources and Environment, Health, Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, Information and Communications, State Bank of Vietnam.

In the context of general difficulties, the production and business situation in Can Tho city in the first quarter of 2023 achieved positive results. GRDP increased by 4.02% over the same period, higher than the national average; IIP index increased by about 4.81% over the same period; total retail sales of goods and consumer services revenue increased by 13.42%; export turnover increased by 7.1% over the same period. Can Tho's public investment disbursement reached 23.6% of the plan, higher than the national average; total state budget revenue reached 31.76% of the central government's estimate; export turnover of goods and service revenue is estimated at nearly 732.5 million USD, up 7.1% over the same period.

Notably, the city actively presided over and coordinated the implementation of key projects, enhancing intra-regional and inter-regional connectivity such as: My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway and My Thuan 2 Bridge; the North-South Expressway project in the East, the Can Tho - Hau Giang component project; upgrading Cho Gao Canal (phase 2); upgrading Can Tho International Airport; Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway project, the section through Can Tho city... Social security work continued to receive attention. The work of preventing and combating corruption, negativity, practicing thrift, fighting waste, administrative reform, and digital transformation was promoted. National defense, security, and social order and safety in the area were maintained. Information and communication were strengthened.

In addition to the achieved results, currently, the economic development situation in Can Tho has some difficulties and limitations such as: Many export products have decreased compared to the same period; some enterprises have not signed new contracts; the source of raw materials for processing has decreased, because people have reduced or changed crops due to unstable prices...

Can Tho City also reflected a number of difficulties and problems that the Government, the Prime Minister and ministries and branches should consider and resolve related to the provisions of the Land Law and the Law on Public Investment; legal procedures related to land, planning, investment and construction; the scarcity of construction materials; difficulties in using loan capital for some projects such as the Lot B Power - Gas Project Chain, Oncology Hospital; implementation of preferential policies on credit, taxes, fees and charges is still slow; site clearance for some projects related to national defense and security land is slow...

Leaders of ministries and branches discussed, analyzed and evaluated the socio-economic development situation of Can Tho in recent times; answered recommendations and proposals of Can Tho city, aiming to clear obstacles for the city's development.

Concluding the working session, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged and commended the efforts and achievements of the Party Committee, government, army and people of Can Tho city, contributing positively and effectively with the whole country to stabilize the macro-economy, control inflation, ensure major balances, promote growth, and improve the material and spiritual life of the people.

Regarding the tasks in the coming time, the Prime Minister requested Can Tho city to continue to monitor and grasp the situation; be calm, confident, proactive, timely, flexible and effective in handling regular tasks, unexpected tasks and outstanding issues; resolutely and synchronously implement the Resolutions of the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, the National Assembly, the Government, the Prime Minister and the recent directions and administrations of the Government.

The Prime Minister emphasized that we are currently controlling inflation, so we are prioritizing growth. The State Bank continues to direct commercial banks to reduce input costs, increase the application of technology, digital transformation, reduce administrative costs and unnecessary spending, continue to reduce interest rates for people and businesses, promote production and business, create jobs and livelihoods for people.

Can Tho City must proactively and actively resolve issues according to its functions, tasks, and powers, and be flexible, innovative, and creative, in the spirit of "resources come from thinking, motivation comes from innovation, and strength comes from the people"; focus on removing difficulties and obstacles for people and businesses; continue to strengthen decentralization and delegation of authority; resolutely handle problems related to land, housing, environment, site clearance, etc. under its authority; urgently complete the city planning, including updating the construction of social housing and housing for workers in the city planning; effectively use the VND 120,000 billion package for social housing and housing for workers.

The Prime Minister noted that Can Tho must effectively promote the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Program; 3 National Target Programs; stimulate investment and consumption, promote the movement of Vietnamese people using Vietnamese goods; effectively focus on the 3 growth drivers: consumption, export, investment, in which public-private cooperation in implementing investment projects must be strengthened.

“Can Tho must assign tasks to each city leader to direct, monitor and urge each project; at the same time, consider which mechanisms and policies are not subject to Party regulations, the Constitution and laws, then pilot implementation and gradually expand,” the Prime Minister directed.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to guide the city in carrying out procedures and removing obstacles related to investment. The Ministry of Industry and Trade coordinates with provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta to promote the expansion of export markets; amend the Decree on petroleum trading and regulations on market management in the third quarter of 2023. The Ministry of Construction coordinates and guides Can Tho city in handling and resolving issues related to real estate. The Ministry of Finance amends regulations related to ODA capital to handle obstacles, including obstacles in projects in Can Tho. The Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to amend regulations on public asset management, including the issue of using and converting defense and security land.

Regarding the proposals and recommendations of Can Tho city, the Prime Minister said that most of them have been and are being handled and resolved; for issues that do not have a solution, the Prime Minister specifically assigned ministries, branches and cities to coordinate and provide immediate implementation guidance, on the principle that issues that are not prohibited by law are allowed to be creatively applied for implementation.

In particular, regarding the investment project to complete the Dinh An estuary channel on the Hau River, the Prime Minister assigned the People's Committee of Can Tho City as the competent state agency to implement the project in the form of public-private partnership, dredging combined with recovering the products of the maritime channel to clear the waterway, exploit the maximum capacity of Cai Cui port, serving the transport of goods for Can Tho City and the entire Mekong Delta region.

Regarding the Block B Power-Gas Project Chain, the Government leaders had working sessions with the Vietnam Electricity Group and the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, had an implementation plan, and requested the Ministry of Industry and Trade to urge and direct the implementation.

Regarding the 450-hectare Mekong Delta Agricultural Products Linkage, Production, Processing and Consumption Center in Can Tho, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to draft and submit a resolution to the Government for promulgation.

Regarding the investment project to build the Can Tho City Oncology Hospital, with a scale of 500 beds, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Finance to coordinate with Can Tho City and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to negotiate with Hungary to agree on or extend the funding agreement or re-sign the agreement to continue implementing the project.

The Prime Minister assigns Deputy Prime Ministers to direct specific areas; the Government Office must be responsible for monitoring, urging, inspecting, and reporting back to the Prime Minister on issues assigned by the Prime Minister at this meeting.

VNA