Plan for the implementation of the Planning for the central highlands region for the period 2021-2030, with vision to 2050 in Vietnam

Plan for the implementation of the Planning for the central highlands region for the period 2021-2030, with vision to 2050 in Vietnam​ (Image from the internet)

On November 6, 2024, the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam issued Decision 1337/QD-TTg regarding the Plan for the implementation of the Planning for the central highlands region for the period 2021-2030, with vision to 2050 in Vietnam​.

Plan for the implementation of the Planning for the central highlands region for the period 2021-2030, with vision to 2050 in Vietnam​

The plan clearly outlines key task groups in the Planning for the central highlands region for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 as follows:

(1) Restructure and develop the regional economy towards focusing on investing in advantageous industries; improve competitiveness and effectively implement the region's development coordination mechanism.

- Agriculture, forestry, fishery sectors

+ Develop high-efficiency agricultural economy, ecological, organic, large-scale linked to concentrated agricultural production areas applying high technology, suitable to the region's and sub-regions' natural conditions; focus on developing key crops.

+ Establish agricultural hubs linked to regional high-tech agricultural zones and economic corridors; connect agricultural product value chains among localities.

+ Develop forestry economy, encourage industrial forest planting in areas with suitable land conditions to create raw material areas for wood processing plants; develop medicinal plants and non-wood forest products under the forest canopy; continuously develop sustainable raw material areas ensuring economic efficiency tied to environmental protection in exploiting and processing timber and non-timber forest products; increase revenue from forest environmental services and carbon credits sales.

- Industrial sector

+ Prioritize development and accelerate restructuring towards increasing the share of processing and manufacturing industries, industries with high value addition, high-tech content that are environmentally friendly; connect with regional raw material advantages, strengthen effective linkage with Central Coastal, South Central Coastal, and Southeast regions, and the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Development Triangle area to expand the supply of raw materials and product consumption; enhance industrial enterprise investment in Laos and Cambodia.

+ Develop industrial parks in a sustainable manner, specializing particularly in agricultural and forestry product processing areas associated with central urban areas and economic corridors; sustainable development of bauxite, alumina, and aluminum industries (Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces); develop mechanical, textile, chemical, pharmaceutical industries, and production of fertilizers and biological fertilizers in regional provinces.

+ Develop renewable energy industry (wind, solar, rooftop energy) in line with the national electricity development plan and natural conditions; prioritize development in Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces.

- Service sector

+ Develop the service sector in relation to agriculture and industry; focus on developing supply and consumption markets within and outside the region along regional corridors and large seaports to international markets; promote cross-border trade activities based on enhancing infrastructure investment at several international border gates: Bo Y (Kon Tum province), Le Thanh (Gia Lai province), Dak Peur (Dak Nong province) to encourage commerce with Laos and Cambodia.

+ Develop logistics services linked with regional centers and economic corridors connecting internal, interregional commerce activities, supporting the development of productive industries associated with domestic and international markets; build commercial centers, commercial-service zones, exhibition centers in major cities, regional, sub-regional centers.

+ Develop eco-tourism, resorts, cultural tourism associated with conserving and promoting the cultural values and identities of the Central Highlands ethnic groups; strengthen connectivity and improve service quality in unique tourism product value chains in key areas, linked to the cultural space of gongs, traditional festivals; enhance interconnection with Central Coastal, South Central Coastal regions and integrate tourism among the five provinces of the Central Highlands comprehensively and uniformly.

- Enhance competitive capacity and effectively implement the region's development coordination mechanism, promote regional cooperation and linkage

+ Focus on researching, building, and implementing specific mechanisms and policies for development interconnection to coordinate effectively interregional and intraregional activities; research to develop mechanisms and policies to attract investment resources into prioritized development areas: agriculture, tourism, agriculture and forestry product processing industry.

+ Focus on improving the business investment environment, administrative procedure reform, attracting investment resources; prioritize improving land access; develop incentive mechanisms and policies for key sectors and fields: agriculture, tourism, agri-forestry product processing industry.

+ Focus on training and attracting high-quality human resources in key areas like high-tech agriculture, smart tourism, high-tech processing industry, digital economy, renewable energy, logistics, finance-banking, pharmaceuticals. Establish and invest in science and technology organizations, innovation, and startup; focus vocational training for rural, ethnic minority workers to address employment and increase income for rural residents.

(2) Develop modern, synchronized regional infrastructure gradually, focusing on transportation, energy, digital, science-technology infrastructure; social infrastructure, irrigation infrastructure, disaster prevention and climate change adaptation.

- Focus on completing the transportation network based on approved transportation sector planning (scale, investment schedule) and leverage the advantages of transportation modes, ensuring regional and interregional connectivity in a synchronized, modern manner, connecting the region conveniently to seaports, domestic, and international airports, reducing transportation costs; thereby:

+ Delegate authority to localities to invest in infrastructure managed by central government authorities in provincial areas, especially transportation projects to leverage local initiative and maximize all resources for transportation infrastructure development in the region.

+ Research investment, open new and accelerate the investment of some expressway, national highways, and improve provincial roads connecting Central Coastal, South Central Coastal, and Southeast regions when conditions permit, such as the Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot expressway (CT.24); Dau Giay (Dong Nai province) - Lien Khuong (Lam Dong province) (CT.27); Gia Nghia (Dak Nong province) - Chon Thanh (Binh Phuoc province); section Ngoc Hoi (Kon Tum province) - Pleiku (Gia Lai province) - Buon Ma Thuot (Dak Lak province) - Gia Nghia (Dak Nong province); Quy Nhon - Pleiku - Le Thanh expressway (CT.20) connecting with Bo Y international border gate (Kon Tum province) and additional investment for Quang Ngai - Kon Tum route before 2030 when requirements and conditions are met by regulations; plan, invest, upgrade airports (Lien Khuong, Pleiku, Buon Ma Thuot) and plan potential airport projects (when needed) in Kon Tum, Dak Nong; restore the Thap Cham - Da Lat railway route for tourism and gradually research investment to build railway routes connecting Central Highlands provinces (Da Nang - Kon Tum - Gia Lai - Dak Lak - Dak Nong - Binh Phuoc (Chon Thanh), develop the inland port system in the region as per approved planning.

- Develop a modern irrigation network, proactively provide, drain water for agricultural production, residential life; complete, upgrade irrigation works, large reservoirs, dams to ensure water security for production, and people's livelihood suitable to the Disaster Prevention and Irrigation Plan for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050.

- Develop energy infrastructure in accordance with the National Energy Master Plan for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050; complete the regional electricity network in a synchronized, modern manner as per the National Electricity Development Plan for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050; develop infrastructure for storage, supply of gasoline, electricity, gas according to the National Reserve, Supply Infrastructure Plan for gasoline, oil, gas for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050.

- Focus on implementing 3 pillars of digital transformation, including digital government, digital economy, digital society ensuring synchronization, modernization suitable to the Information and Communication Infrastructure Master Plan for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050.

- Develop a synchronized social infrastructure network in the region including education and training facilities, vocational and social assistance infrastructure, healthcare network, cultural and sports facilities, science, technology, innovation infrastructure, logistics, commerce, journalism, publishing, broadcasting, ground, and external information infrastructure, where national infrastructure will be implemented as per national sector planning, national planning implementation plans approved.

(3) Develop economic corridors connecting Central Highlands - Southeast and South Central Coastal, Central Coastal regions under Decision 377/QD-TTg dated May 5, 2024, including these economic corridors:

(i) Along the western North-South expressway (Kon Tum - Gia Lai - Dak Lak - Dak Nong - Binh Phuoc - Binh Duong) and Ho Chi Minh road;

(ii) East-West economic corridor (Bo Y - Pleiku - Quy Nhon economic corridor);

(iii) Buon Ma Thuot - Khanh Hoa economic corridor;

(iv) Dau Giay - Lien Khuong - Nha Trang corridor;

(v) Bu Prang - Gia Nghia - Bao Loc - Binh Thuan - Ninh Thuan corridor.

(4) Develop urban dynamic areas and rural zones

- Develop urban, rural systems ensuring suitability with the Urban and Rural Planning for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050 and Decision 377/QD-TTg dated May 4, 2024; whereby; Buon Ma Thuot city is the growth pole of the Central Central Highlands sub-region; Pleiku city is the growth pole of the Northern Central Highlands sub-region (including Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces); Da Lat city is the growth pole of the Southern Central Highlands sub-region (including Lam Dong and Dak Nong provinces).

- Restructure rural residential areas associated with intensive agricultural production regions, suitable to the natural conditions of each ecological sub-region, ensuring long-term safety, and climate change adaptation. Preserve traditional villages, ethnic minority communities; pilot the formation of ethnic minority resettlement zones associated with tourism development activities, creating sustainable livelihoods for ethnic minorities.

(5) Effective management of resources, environmental protection, and climate change response; conservation, restoration, enrichment of natural resources, especially water resources, forest resources.

- Strengthen international cooperation and rational, effective management, exploitation, and use of natural resources; conservation, restoration, enrichment of natural resources, especially water and forest resources ensuring suitability with approved national sector planning.

- Strengthen water resource management according to river basin as per the Water Resource Planning and Integrated River Basin Planning for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050 approved.

- Focus on restoration, protection, and forest development; strictly protect existing natural forest areas, especially protection forests, special-use forests; harmoniously combine economic development with environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation; implement forest protection and development under the National Forestry Plan for the period 2021-2030, vision to 2050.

(6) On national defense and security.

Implement comprehensive solutions combining socio-economic development with strengthening, enhancing military position in the defense area; manage, use defense land, security land; manage, protect defense works, military zones in the region, based on Defense Land Use Planning; Defense Project Planning, Military Zones, Ammunition Depot, Defense Industry use; security land use for the period 2021 - 2030, vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam; Decision 2256/QD-BQP dated May 30, 2023, by the Minister of Defense approving priority military and geographical maps for defense tasks in the region.

More details can be found in Decision 1337/QD-TTg issued on November 6, 2024.

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