DECISION

APPROVING THE MASTER PLAN ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF BAC GIANG PROVINCE THROUGH 2020, WITH A VISION TOWARD 2030

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 92/2006/ND-CP of September 7, 2006, on formulation, approval and management of socio-economic development master plans; and the Government’s Decree No. 04/2008/ND-CP of January 11, 2008, amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 92/2006/ND-CP of September 7, 2006;

At the proposal of the People s Committee of Bac Giang province,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the master plan on socio-economic development of Bac Giang province through 2020, with a vision toward 2030 (below referred to as the master plan), with the following principal contents:

I. DEVELOPMENT VIEWPOINTS

1. The master plan must be in line with the national socio-economic development strategy for the 2011-2020 period, the master plan on socio-economic development in the northern midland and mountainous regions and the master plan on the capital region, and compatible with sectoral master plans.

2. To bring into full play all provincial potential, advantages and resources and mobilize and effectively utilize external resources for rapid and sustainable development; to step up the economic restructuring and growth model renewal, regarding quality, productivity, efficiency and competitiveness as top priorities; to concentrate on depth-first growth, creating a driving force for development in order to narrow the gap between the province and other provinces in the region and the whole country. To harmoniously combine economic development with social progress and equality; to constantly improve the people’s living standards.

3. To promote the human factor, attaching importance to the development of high- quality human resources; to combine economic development with social issue settlement and environmental protection. To combine the development of the driving-force zone with the development of the midland and mountainous region, striving for the target that the development gap among areas in the province is narrowed.

4. To develop the production with higher and higher scientific and technological level; to step up the application of scientific and technological advances and clean technology. To mobilize and effectively utilize all resources for development. To create favorable conditions for all types of enterprises to develop rapidly and harmoniously; to encourage the foreign-invested economic sector to develop under the master plan; to create an equal and transparent competitive environment.

5. To closely combine socio-economic development with maintaining national defense and security, building the all-people defense posture in association with the people’s security posture, ensuring social order and safety based on consolidation of material facilities and forces, and building a solid defensive zone which ensure active defense in any circumstances. To enhance the association in development with other provinces in the region and the whole country as well as international integration.

II. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES BY 2020

1. General objectives:

- To maintain an economic growth rate higher than the growth rates of the northern midland and mountainous regions and the whole country while the economic structure will be moved in a positive direction; to build the infrastructure system with strategic points and focuses, better meeting the socio-economic development requirements; to rationally exploit and utilize all potential and advantages to develop the industry, services and agriculture. To comprehensively develop cultural-social sectors along with improving the quality of human resources, properly implementing social security policies and improving the people’s living standards. To minimize environmental pollution along with ensuring political security and social order and safety and consolidating local defense and military forces.

- To develop Bac Giang into a province with leading per-capita GDP in the northern midland and mountainous regions, equal to 90-95% of the national average rate.

2. Specific targets:

a/ Economically:

- During 2016-2020, the average growth rate will reach 10%-10.5%/year; the average labor productivity growth rate will reach 8.5%-9%/year;

- Per-capita GDP will reach USD 2,700-2,800; its economic structure: industry and construction will account for 42%-42.3%; services, 38%-38.3%; and agriculture, forestry and fishery, 20%-19.4%; respectively; the total export turnover will reach USD 2.5 billion-3 billion.

b/ Socio-cultural affairs, education and training and health:

- The average population growth rate will be 0.76%/year; urban population rate, 22.3%; sickbed; 25 patient beds/10,000 persons; and malnutrition rate among under-5 children, below 12%; respectively. The rate of preschools satisfying national standards will be 88.5%; primary schools, 97.7%; lower secondary schools, 88.8%; and upper secondary schools; 75.5%; respectively. The rates of trained laborers and poverty alleviation will be 70% and 1.5%-2%/year by 2020. To annually create jobs for 29,000-30,000 persons, reducing the urban unemployment rate to 3.5%.

c/ Use of natural resources and eco-environmental protection

- To effectively and sustainably exploit and utilize natural resources, especially land, water sources, minerals and forests in accordance with law.

- To strive that all operating industrial parks and clusters will have centralized wastewater treatment systems; around 60% of household wastewater will be treated up to standards; all rural households will have access to clean water; 70% of solid waste will be collected with a treatment rate of 98%; the forest coverage rate will be 38%; and biodiversity will be protected and adaptation to climate change will be ensured.

d/ Space and infrastructure:

- The urbanization rate will reach 22.3%, prioritizing the building of Bac Giang city and Chu and Thang towns to regulate the development of sub-regions; to develop the production space, especially the agricultural, mechanical and electronic product clusters in the Hanoi region and hi-quality agricultural zone.

- To strive that 35-40% of communes will satisfy the new-countryside criteria,

dd/ Security and national defense and social order and safety

To enhance the state management of security and national defense along with proactively grasping the practical situation; to prevent the hostile forces’ abuse of the national and religious affairs policies and false propaganda and communication, especially in key areas. To fully prepare plans and essential material conditions for proactive response to any circumstances.

III. VISION TOWARD 2030

1. General objectives

- To build Bac Giang into an industrialized province at a development level higher than the national average level. The province’s economy will develop based on its modem industry and services, green industry, clean agriculture, modem urban centers and cultural tourism. To organize space scientifically by developing the urban system in harmony with rural areas and organizing the production with industrial parks and clusters, developed services or high-quality agricultural zones; and building synchronous infrastructure systems. To preserve and develop the national cultural identity and improve the people’s living standards. To ensure political security, defense and social order and safety.

- The average growth rate will reach 9.5-10%/year during 2021-2030; per-capita GDP, USD 9,300-9,500; the economy will be restructured in the positive direction; the industry and services sector will account for 88.5-89%; and the export turnover will reach over USD 6.5 billion.

2. Development orientations:

a/ Industry, services and agriculture:

To build Bac Giang into an industrial, services and hi-tech agricultural province. Its key products will effectively and competitively participate in the global value chain and production network in the context of globalization and international integration. To develop services, especially logistics and tourist services, aiming to turn the province into a tourist hub in the region.

b/ Social affairs:

- To strive that all preschools and primary schools at all levels satisfy national standards; the system of vocational training institutions and universities will be completed with a fairly good quality; the system of health establishments will be modem, meeting the people’s need for medical examination and treatment; and all local inhabitants will get equal access to convenient health services.

- To quickly shift the labor structure from agriculture to industry and services; the urban population rate will be 36.7%; the cultural and historical values will continue to be preserved and promoted; the system of cultural, physical training and sports institutions will be better built.

c/ Space and infrastructure development:

- To develop urban centers in harmony with rural areas, reaching the urbanization rate of 36.7%; to develop the space and build a synchronous infrastructure system connecting urban centers and rural and mountainous regions and among sectors, especially urban centers, production zones and services zones; and key infrastructure facilities will be complete and modem.

d/ Land use and environmental protection:

- Unused land or agricultural production land with low efficiency will be converted into land for growing new plants or husbandry with higher economic value.

- Industrial, agricultural and household wastes will be basically treated up to national standards; all industrial parks and complexes and craft villages will have wastewater treatment systems; natural resources will be used effectively and economically while the environment is properly protected; the forest coverage rate will be 38%; and plans and solutions to respond to climate change will be worked out.

IV. BREAKTHROUGHS

- Firstly, to complete mechanisms, policies and administrative reform. To study and propose the promulgation of mechanisms and policies to develop driving force zones, key products, infrastructure, investment attraction, production of supporting industries, and labor restructuring, etc. To renew the macro-administration work in line with administrative reform and improvement of competitiveness index and public administration performance index.

- Secondly, to shift, develop and attract human resources, especially high-quality ones in order to transfer agricultural laborers to industrial and service sectors; to train high-quality laborers to meet the requirements on development of key products and services and supply laborers for provinces in the region and send guest workers abroad.

- Thirdly, to concentrate on space development and key infrastructure construction from Bac Giang city and Chu and Thang towns to coordinate and develop the province and sub- regions to transport, electricity and water supply and drainage, irrigation and development of key products to join in the global value chain and production network in the context of globalization and international integration.

V. SECTORAL DEVELOPMENT ORIENTATIONS

1. Industrial and construction development:

To strive for the average growth rate of 14-14.5%/year during 2016-2020.

a/ Development of key products to join in the global value chain and production network in the context of globalization, including:

- Electronic appliances of all types and components and mechanical engineering to serve the manufacture of automobiles and motorcycles and join in electronic and mechanical product clusters in the Hanoi region;

- Garment and textile industry to bring into full play labor advantages as well as development potential; at the same time, to attract enterprises to supply materials and auxiliary materials in the context of entry into new agreements;

- Agricultural and forest products such as litchi, naturally farmed chickens, organic vegetables, and wood products, etc. To step by step build the tropical fruit cluster in Chu town; to develop the processing industry combined with the sustainable development of material zones.

b/ Development of other industries:

- Chemical industry and power generation: To further make the fullest use of the existing power plants and material sources; to maintain the output of Son Dong thermal power plant.

- Handicraft and cottage industry: To develop agricultural product processing or craft villages in association with preservation and tourism development and environmental protection.

- Construction materials (tunnel brick, sand, gravel and cement): To further exploit sand and gravel under master plans to partly meet the province’s market demands; to renovate brick or cement production technologies to increase product output and quality and mitigate environmental pollution.

- To urgently complete the expansion of nitrogenous fertilizer and chemical plants, increasing the urea fertilizer output to 500 thousand tons/year and mixed fertilizers, industrial explosives, methanol, and liquid CO₂ in line with the consolidation of distribution systems from grades I, II and III.

c/ Development of industrial parks and clusters:

To further complete infrastructure facilities inside and outside industrial parks and clusters. By 2020, the province will have 5 industrial parks on a total area of about 1,322 hectares and 36 industrial clusters with a total area of 682.99 hectares.

2. Services and tourism:

To develop the services sector to create a breakthrough for the post-2020 period, focusing on key services and products; to strive for the growth rate of 8.5% - 9%/year in the 2016 - 2020 period.

a/ To develop key services and products:

- High-quality and popular wholesale and retail services: To build service zones and wholesale markets in central urban centers and distribution systems in other areas.

- Logistics services: To make the best use of the province’s position as a transitional zone on the Vietnam-China economic corridor and regional “double gateway” with the attraction of investment in building dry ports in Dong Son commune, Bac Giang city and Tan Dinh general service complex.

- Tourism services: To develop cultural, historical, spiritual, and ecological tours and tourist routes in association with sale of local typical products.

- Export activities: To form chains of export commodities including electronic appliances, garment, processed agricultural products, handicrafts, etc. To maintain traditional markets and develop some new markets in America, Africa, etc.

b/ To develop other services and products: To develop other types of services including finance, banking, post and telecommunications, consultancy, science and technology, cargo and passenger transportation, so as to diversify services and products.

3. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries:

To strive for the growth rate of 3% - 3.5%/year during 2016 - 2020

a/ To develop key products, including:

- Litchi (mainly in Luc Ngan district) and fruit trees (mainly citrus trees): To strive to achieve export quality standards of potential markets; to gradually form the tropical fruit cluster in Chu township.

- Husbandry products, mainly chicken and pork: To gradually form the Yen The chicken cluster with a flock of 6 - 8 million, striving to achieve export quality standards; to develop a pig herd of more than 1 million in association with the industry of animal feed processing and production.

- Processed vegetables and mushrooms: To focus on developing and forming intensive farming areas to supply products in Bac Giang city, Yen Dung, Lang Giang, Tan Yen and Luc Nam districts, up to hi-tech food safety and hygiene standards.

- Wood products and sustainable forest development: To develop them mainly in Luc Ngan, Son Dong, Yen The and Luc Nam districts; to shift from planting economic forest to planting large timber trees in association with medicinal plants, and developing the processing industry.

b/ Other agricultural products: To develop such crops as rice and short-term industrial crops (peanut, soybean); and rearing cattle, poultry and aquatic animals (mainly fish), meeting local demands and partially supplying products for regional markets.

4. Cultural and social sectors:

a/ Education - training:

- To fundamentally and comprehensively renew the educational system under the Resolution of the 8^th plenum of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (the XI^th Congress) to make changes in quality and efficiency, building an advanced educational and training system. To boost educational socialization on the basis of promulgating and implementing appropriate mechanisms and policies and reforming the management work.

- To develop the scale and improve the quality and efficiency of vocational training at 3 levels, to train rural laborers, send guest workers abroad and build the new countryside. To socialize training activities, and prioritize the training of high-quality labor.

b/ Health care:

- To further improve and raise the quality of medical examination and treatment and healthcare for people, and minimize social diseases; to properly prevent and control epidemics and diseases and promptly respond to outbreaks; to further reinforce the physical foundation system, purchase medical equipment, and improve qualification and medical ethics of the contingent of specialized medical workers.

- To step up the socialization of health care; to broaden the cooperation and joint venture between general hospitals and specialized ones; to improve the quality of health care activities, especially in specialized hospitals for cardiology, endocrinology, obstetrics, psychiatry, etc.; to renovate and upgrade provincial hospitals; to further well implement preventive medicine programs.

c/ Culture, physical training and sports

- To conserve and promote fine customs and tradition, cultural identity and create conditions for people to participate in culture, physical training and sports activities. To attract investment from various sources to build cultural institutions.

To restore, embellish and advertise cultural and historical relics, namely: the Yen The insurrection site, Hiep Hoa safety zone II, Vinh Nghiem pagoda, Bo Da pagoda, Xuong Giang victory relic, etc. To develop various traditional arts, including Quart ho singing, Ca tru, folk music of ethnic minorities, and traditional festivals.

- To step up the mobilization of lawful capital sources from all social strata for investment in a number of physical training and sports facilities, including gymnasiums, stadiums, provincial sports complexes, and train high-achievement athletes.

d/ Information and communications

- To improve the quality of press, publication, radio and television broadcasting, ensuring adequate and timely information. To maintain the existing 3-level post-office network, providing press publications to meet people’s needs. To improve the quality of press and publication services in association with the accelerated application of information technology.

- To complete the provincial radio and television broadcasting center, develop radio and television broadcasting services, shift to digitalized television according to the roadmap; to consolidate the system of district-level radio stations and commune-level public addressing systems.

dd/ Science - technology

- To step up the research, development and application of science and technology with the cooperation of research institutes and universities to create key products; to apply information technology, and computerize operations of state administrative agencies; to build a database to serve administration activities.

e/ Poverty reduction, human resource development, employment and settlement of social problems

- To concentrate resources on sustainable poverty reduction; to study mechanisms and policies to encourage households and communes to escape from poverty; to propagandize and improve awareness and responsibilities of poor households to sustainably escape from poverty.

- To develop human resources and attract high-quality labor so as to increase labor productivity and improve product quality. To develop labor market information and well organize the network of labor supply services. To generate jobs for rural laborers so as to reduce the pressure of employment, and to implement agricultural and rural credit policies.

- To focus on effectively settling imperative social problems, such as environmental pollution, land recovery, supply of production land, land-related complaints and denunciation, etc.

g/ Use of natural resources and ecological environment protection

To exploit and use natural resources efficiently and sustainably, properly resolve issues of water and air environments, land, waste, etc.; to take the initiative in responding to climate change so as to speed up sustainable socio-economic development.

5. To develop infrastructure

a/ Transport system:

- Roads: To build a synchronous transport system with hubs, closely connecting the provincial and national transport systems; to prioritize the building of provincial roads and create driving forces for growth, focusing on the following major routes:

+ National highways: Hanoi-Lang Son expressway, national highways 31 and 37, belt road 5 of Hanoi capital, linking road 293 with national highway 37, and the system of other roads connecting with other provinces in the region;

+ Provincial roads: To complete the renovation and upgrading of provincial road 293 to grade-III road standards; to further study for investment and upgrading of new roads so as to increase the connection with other provinces in the region; to study the upgrading of some district roads and building of some new roads and bridges to meet the transport need.

- Waterways: To further upgrade and improve the waterway network of Thuong, Cau and Luc Nam rivers and their linked infrastructure facilities to promote the transport efficiency.

b/ Irrigation, dike and water supply and drainage systems:

- Irrigation works and dikes: To continue upgrading the irrigation and dike systems in a synchronous manner, prioritizing major works to effectively serve agricultural production; to develop the irrigation system in 5 major zones, including Cau river, Soi river, Cau Son - Cam Son irrigation system, Luc Nam river and southern Yen Dung.

- Water supply and drainage system: To plan and operate the water supply and drainage system, ensuring all inhabitants’ access to clean and safe water. Urban and rural water supply infrastructure facilities include water plants in urban centers and centralized household water supply works in rural areas. To build the urban water drainage system, particularly in Bac Giang city, Thang and Chu townships.

c/ Power supply infrastructure:

- To build the power supply system and low-voltage transformer stations under the master plan, satisfying the power supply need to serve people’s production, business and daily life.

- To further invest in the upgrading of the power grid and the renewal of the management to ensure power supply for production, business and life.

d/ Post and telecommunications, information technology infrastructure:

To develop post toward computerization, build and develop telecommunications infrastructure with modem technology, specifically as follows:

- To build the fiber-optic cable network in all commune centers; to build telecommunications infrastructure to serve as a basis for the application of information technology in the administrative reform; to build the fiber-optic cable transmission system in all districts in 2015.

- To lay underground infrastructure facilities of the peripheral area network, improve the service quality and ensure urban landscape beauty. To develop information technology infrastructure facilities in state agencies, and complete the building of an e-government by 2020.

VI. SPATIAL ORGANIZATION ORIENTATIONS

To ensure the harmony between urban and rural areas, and among areas in the province on the basis of identification of a driving force zone and development sub-zones. To create a socioeconomic space with hubs in the urban system, clusters, industrial parks, service zones, tourist resorts and hi-tech agricultural zones with products up to national and international standards.

1. Urban spatial development:

- By 2020, the province will have 21 urban centers, including 1 grade-II urban center, 2 grade-IV urban centers and 17 grade-V urban centers. Specifically, to build Bac Giang city into a grade-II urban center, and Chu and Thang townships into grade-IV urban centers.

- After 2020, to develop Bac Giang city into grade-I urban center as the provincial central urban center, focusing on building Chu township into grade-III urban center (ecological urban center) as a coordination and development center in the northeastern area; to build Thang township into a grade-III urban center (industrial urban center) as a coordination and development center in the western area.

2. Orientations for spatial development of economic sub-zones

- Driving force sub-zones, including Bac Giang city and some communes of districts adjacent to the city: To develop industry, commerce, service, tourism and training.

- Western area, including Hiep Hoa district (the sub-zone’s center), and Viet Yen, Yen Dung, Tan Yen, Lang Giang and Yen The districts: To develop industry, production and processing of agricultural products, handicrafts, commerce, service and tourism.

- Eastern area, including Luc Ngan district (the sub-zone’s center), and Luc Nam and Son Dong districts: To develop production and processing of agricultural and forest products; spiritual and cultural tourism, resorts; and production of handicrafts.

3. Orientations for spatial development of sectors and fields:

a/ Industry: To concentrate in the driving force zone linked with the provincial major transport routes; to attract enterprises engaged in production and trading of electronic appliances and mechanical manufacturing machines to participate in Dien Cu cluster and mechanical manufacturing machines in the Hanoi region.

- To develop electronic and mechanical engineering industries and processing of agricultural and forest products and textile and garment in the system of industrial parks and clusters along national highways 1, 31 and 37 and provincial roads 292, 295 and 296.

- To develop handicrafts and processing of agricultural and forest products in the system of industrial parks and clusters along national highways 31 and 37 and provincial roads 293, 294 and 295B.

b/ Agriculture, forestry and fisheries:

- Fruit tree zone: Mainly in Luc Ngan district and partly in Son Dong and Luc Nam districts to gradually form the Chu tropical fruit cluster in association with the development of raw materials.

- Husbandry zone: To create product of the Yen The chicken (with the participation of Tan Yen, Lang Giang and Luc Nam districts); to develop pig farming in farms and households in delta and midland districts.

- Hi-tech intensive fanning zone with processed vegetables, potatoes and mushrooms; to focus on the development in zones adjacent to Bac Giang city, including Lang Giang and Yen Dung districts and on the banks of Cau river in Viet Yen district; to build high-quality plant variety and animal breed centers with peanut, rice, potato, mushroom varieties and aquatic animal breeds in Tan Yen, Yen Dung and Lang Giang districts.

- Forestry production zone: To intensively plant economic forests and medicinal plants in mountainous districts in association with the development of the processing industry and sustainable management and use of protective and special-use forests, particularly in the western Yen Tu area.

- Intensive aquaculture zone in Viet Yen, Tan Yen, Hiep Hoa, Yen Dung and Lang Giang districts; aquaculture combined with low-field crops in Hiep Hoa, Yen Dung, Lang Giang, Tan Yen and Luc Nam districts, aquaculture in large water surface areas in Luc Ngan, Luc Nam, Son Dong, Yen The and Lang Giang districts.

c/ Trade and tourism services

- To develop logistics services in Bac Giang city and Lang Giang district; and financial, hotel and banking services in Bac Giang city.

- To develop trade, wholesale and retail, which are concentrated in Bac Giang city, Thang and Chu townships, and other townships; to develop people-founded markets in rural areas, and the system of markets and supermarkets in association with industrial parks and clusters.

- To develop tourist routes in association with various relics and beauty spots such as the western Yen Tu relic, Vinh Nghiem pagoda, True Lam Phuong Hoang zen monastery, Yen The insurrection site, Yen Dung golf course, Cam Son lake, etc.

VII. LIST OF PROJECTS PRIORITIZED FOR INVESTMENT STUDY

(see the enclosed Appendix)

VIII. SOLUTIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN

1. Mobilization and effective use of investment capital

- The total investment capital demand of the entire society through 2020 is estimated at VND 230 trillion. To attract enough capital sources to meet this demand, the planning and elaboration of the list of projects calling for investment must be properly implemented; and at the same time, there must be specific solutions to mobilize capital sources as well as orientations for use of such capital sources to raise the effectiveness of the use of investment capital.

- State budget funds: To prioritize investment in infrastructure facilities of which socialized resources cannot be mobilized. To increase the growth quality to increase the proportion of accumulation within the economy, creating sources for development investment. Based on the annual budget balancing capacity, to take the initiative in elaborating plans and phasing out investment to ensure capital for major works and projects, and concurrently create grounds for making the best use of central budget funds through development programs and incentive policies and mechanisms.

- Foreign direct investment (FDI) capital: To reform the investment promotion work and improve the investment environment to attract capital for projects to develop electronic industry, supporting industries; services; and agricultural and forest products processing.

- To diversify capital mobilization forms; create favorable conditions for attracting investors to the province; to study and promulgate policies to support local small- and medium-sized enterprises in production and business development; and to step up the socialization of non-business activities such as healthcare, education, sports, etc.

2. Mechanisms, policies, administrative reform and building of provincial competitiveness

- To study and promulgate driving force zone policies, invest in infrastructure facilities in industrial zones and clusters, develop key products, attract big investors, promote the development of supporting industries, and attract providers of input materials for production.

- To step up administrative reforms, focusing on administrative procedure reform, creating a clear environment to attract investment and boost the provincial socio-economic development; in the immediate future, to concentrate on improving the competitive capacity index, administration performance index and public administration index.

- To reform enterprise-related administrative procedures; to simplify tax and customs procedures and improve the enterprises’ access to land. To formulate a regulation on coordination in enterprise management upon business registration.

3. Science and technology

- To increase investment capital sources for science and technology; formulate programs on coordination and cooperation among universities and research institutions; and intensify research and development activities, focusing on key products.

- To support credit access, technology renewal and application of new technologies, and develop human resources for small- and medium-sized enterprises for research and development of key products.

4. Human resource development

- To build the contingent of cadres and civil servants with qualities and high qualifications to meet the socio-economic reform and development requirements, focusing on training of owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises.

- To improve the physical strength and stature of human resources, and comprehensive education quality in the primary school system; to train and improve laborers’ level, knowledge and skills, attaching importance to business lines which develop key products.

- To build the labor market information system nationwide so that laborers and enterprises can access information on job demand, labor and employment in the country and abroad.

- To concentrate on effectively handling imperative social problems such as social infrastructure outside industrial parks, social welfare and employment policies, poverty reduction, and prevention and control of drug, crimes and social diseases.

5. Environmental protection and response and adaptation to climate change

- To enhance the state management of environmental protection, mobilize financial resources and speed up the socialization of environmental protection activities. To further step up the propaganda, education, raising awareness and self-awareness about environmental protection.

- To step up the research and application of scientific and technological advances; pollution prevention, control and remedying activities; improvement of environmental quality, and to effectively respond to climate change.

6. Regional connection and international cooperation

- To continue to effectively implement cooperation programs which have been concluded between Bac Giang and other provinces to effectively bring into play existing advantages. To step up the development cooperation between Bac Giang and other provinces in a number of fields such as construction of inter-regional or regional works, programs on investment mobilization or promotion, trading and tourism development, market creation, and exchange of management experiences, etc.

To expand international cooperation; to step up the production of exports; intensify cooperation with international organizations in Vietnam; and promote the establishment of friendly relations with foreign partners and localities. To take the initiative in promoting local investment, trading, tourism and other external activities.

IX. ORGANIZATION AND SUPERVISION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN

1. After this master plan is approved, the province should promulgate and disseminate it to Party Committees and local authorities at all levels, sectors, mass organizations, enterprises and people in the province. Based on the contents of this master plan, the province shall formulate specific action programs to achieve desired results.

2. To concretize the masterplan’s objectives into 5-year and annual plans for implementation and assess their results. On that basis, to review the master plan and submit to competent authorities for prompt adjustment and supplementation to suit local socio-economic development tasks in each period. To study and implement sectoral development master plans and detailed master plans; to draw up plans for effective and fruitful implementation of this master plan. All levels, sectors, socio-political organizations and people in the province shall examine and supervise the implementation of the master plan.

Article 2. This master plan serves as a basis for the formulation, submission for approval and implementation of specialized plans (construction planning, land use planning and plans and other specialized plannings) and investment projects in the province.

Article 3. To assign Bac Giang province People’s Committee to, based on the approved masterplan’s contents, direct according to regulations the formulation of, approve, and organize the implementation of:

1. Master plans on development of main sectors, fields and products; master plans on development of systems of urban centers and residential quarters; land use plannings and plans; and master plans on socio-economic development of districts, towns and Bac Giang city.

2. Formulation of 5-year and annual plans; key programs on economic, cultural and social development; and specific projects for the master plan’s implementation.

3. Study, formulation, and promulgation or submitting to competent state authorities for promulgation of a number of mechanisms and policies in response to the province’s development requirements and in accordance with the state’s law in each period, with a view to attracting and mobilizing resources for the implementation of the master plan.

Article 4. Related ministries and sectors, within the scope of their functions, tasks and powers, shall:

1. Guide and assist Bac Giang province People’s Committee in the course of the mater plan’s implementation; when necessary, coordinate with the province in studying and formulating or submitting to competent authorities for promulgating a number of appropriate mechanisms and policies to effectively utilize resources; promote and attract investment according to the socio-economic development targets and tasks stated in this master plan.

2. Study, review, adjust and add approved sectoral development master plans and investment plans with projected relevant works or projects stated in the master plan; support the province in arrangement and mobilization of domestic and foreign investment capital sources for implementation of this master plan.

Article 5. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing and replaces the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 05/2009/QD-TTg of January 13, 2009, approving the master plan on socio-economic development of Bac Giang province through 2020.

Article 6. The chairperson of Bac Giang People’s Committee, ministers, heads of ministerial- level agencies and heads of government-attached agencies shall implement this Decision.

APPENDIX

LIST OF PROJECTS PRIORITIZED FOR INVESTMENT STUDY THROUGH 2020 IN BAC GIANG PROVINCE
(To the Prime Minister s Decision No. 269/QD-TTg of March 2, 2015)

Note: The locations, sizes and total investment of the above-said projects will be calculated, selected and specified in the period of project formulation and submission for approval, depending on the province’s demands and capacity of balancing and mobilizing resources.-