DECISION

RATIFYING THE 1996-2010 OVERALL PLANNING FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH-WESTERN REGION

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government of September 30, 1992;
At the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Presentation No.1708/NN-KH/CV of May 23, 1997, and the proposal of the Chairman of the State Council for Evaluation of Investment Projects in Official Dispatch No.4544/HDTD of July 25, 1997,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To ratify the 1996-2010 overall planning for the socio-economic development of the north-western region with the following principal contents:

I. GENERAL ORIENTATION:

The socio-economic development of the north-western region shall be carried out along the following directions:

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- Developing a multi-sector commodity economy under the State management and ensuring a rational economic structure in order to create local markets in various localities in the region which are closely linked to the domestic market and export market;

- Preserving and promoting the cultural tradition and identity of the ethnic minorities and raise the capabilities and intellectual level of the people of ethnic minorities;

- Linking socio-economic development with the protection of ecological environment in order to protect and preserve the surrounding environment, protect and develop forests and re-green unused land and bare hills so as to diminish the damage caused by floods;

- Ensuring the political security, social order and safety and strengthening the security and national defense in the region.

II. PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES:

1. Economically:

To attain an average economic growth rate of 9% for the period from now to the year 2000 and up to 11% for the period of 2001-2010.

To strive to achieve an average per-capita GDP of about 230 USD by the year 2000 and about 518 USD by the year 2010 and achieve a development structure of 35.4% for industry, 23.9% for service, 29.9% for agriculture and 10.8% for construction by the year 2000, then 40.7%, 31.2%, 18% and 10.1% respectively for industry, service, agriculture-forestry and construction by the year 2010.

To achieve an average per-capita export value of 11 USD in the 1996-2000 period and 64 USD in the 2001-2010 period.

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2. Socially: To initially re-distribute and stabilize the population, reduce the population growth rate to below 2.5% by the year 2000 and below 2.2% by the year 2010; to strive to supply clean water for 70-80% of the population by the year 2010 and reduce the malnutrition rate from 42 % at present to 8% by the year 2010; to broadcast the national radio to 80% and the national television to 45% of the population by the year 2000, which will rise to 100% and 80% respectively by the year 2010; to eliminate the illiteracy and universalize primary education, then proceed to universalize junior-high school education to laborers of under 35 years old in provincial capitals and industrial zones; and senior-high school education to a portion of such people; to provide vocational training to laborers in order to develop human resources; to ensure stable employment and incomes for laborers; to eradicate such diseases as goiter and malaria and social evils.

3. Environmentally:

To build the system of preventive forests; to raise the total foliage coverage to 40% by the year 2010; to combat the land erosion, floods and drought; to protect the forest, land and water environment.

4. On the national defense and security:

To establish the border corridors and link the consolidation and enhancement of the national defense and security with the socio-economic development.

III. THE BRANCH DEVELOPMENT TASKS:

1. On the infrastructure development:

To upgrade the national highway No. 6, first of all, the section from Hoa Binh provincial capital to Dien Bien provincial capital, Lai Chau province and national highways No. 37, 4D, 279 and 12. To upgrade provincial roads and lifeline routes. With regard to the rural communication development, to strive to build by the year 2010 motorcar roads to the centers of 100% of communes and roads for horse-drawn carts and pack-bikes in communes meeting with extra difficult conditions.

To improve waterways, upgrade such specialized river ports as Van Yen, Ta Hoc and Son La.

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With regard to the postal services: This sector will be developed in a rapid and modern manner. From now to the year 2000, to upgrade the existing communication network into a digital circuit system capable of ensuring the convenient and accurate communication inside and outside the region.

With regard to the electricity grid: To expand, by the year 2010, the national electricity grid to 100% of communes, to combine the development of the national electricity grid with the development of hydroelectric power stations of medium-size, small-size and micro-size on hamlet and family scales, to ensure that 70% of the population will be supplied with electricity by the year 2010.

With regard to the irrigation and water supply: To quickly restore the headwaters forests, protect water sources in lakes, ponds, pools, rivers and streams. To renovate and construct new irrigation dams to sufficiently supply water for rice fields, industrial plants and fruit trees, and supply clean water to 100% of urban people and 70% of rural people.

2. Regarding industry: To strongly develop key industries, such as power generation, (large-, medium- and small-size hydroelectric power stations); forest product processing; mining, construction materials production, consumer goods production, as well as small industry and handicrafts in urban centers and rural areas. To upgrade and renovate the existing enterprises and gradually establish new enterprises along the direction of modernization in order to raise the competitiveness of products and create a stable consumption market.

3. Regarding agriculture and forestry:

To combine the intensive cultivation and crop-multiplation with the expansion of cultivated land area. To focus on the intensive cultivation of wet rice, new maize varieties, gradually reduce the area of slash-and-burn fields; focus on such industrial plants as soya bean, tea, coffee, cotton and mulberry and focus on the husbandry of such domestic animals as buffalos, milk cows and pigs. In forestry: to preserve and protect the existing and newly planted forests. To make full use of water surface areas to develop the aquaculture and create jobs for laborers.

4. On trade and tourism.

To develop border-gate trade centers, develop rural markets at the commune clusters, consolidate the State trade service and encourage other economic sectors in trade activities. To develop financial, banking and social insurance services to mobilize the investment capital for socio-economic development. To bring into full play the existing tourist potentials of each locality, renovate and broaden historical sites to attract more tourists.

5. On education and training: To consolidate and build more boarding schools so as to attract children of ethnic minorities, to study the establishment of a polytechnic university in Son La, set up in-service colleges and vocational training schools in provinces.

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7. On culture and sports: To maintain and preserve the traditional cultures of ethnic minorities, to promote fine community-based culture in villages, hamlets and communes. To organize traditional games and sport activities among the people, select and develop a typical sport of each region.

IV. THE MAIN SOLUTIONS:

To implement this planning, there should be a system of coordinated measures to mobilize all resources inside and outside the country, the Northwestern provinces shall express and specify the principal socio-economic development orientations of their regional and provincial planning in their five-year and annual plans by drawing up specific programs and projects. Priority should be given to infrastructure development (especially communications), investment in education to raise the people�s intellectual level, training of human resources and the solution of urgent social issues.

The solutions to matters relating to capital, human resources, science and technology and environment, etc., shall be realized through mechanisms and policies suitable to each province in order to achieve the socio-economic development objectives set forth in the plans.

Article 2.- The ministries, branches and People�s Committees of the Northwestern provinces shall devise specific five-year and annual plans and measures for organizing and directing the implementation of development objectives in the territorial area of each province.

The Presidents of the People�s Committees of the Northwestern provinces shall closely coordinate with the ministries and central branches in drawing up and organizing the implementation of such programs and projects.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall direct the plan-making body to coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and other concerned ministries and branches in regularly reviewing the situation, monitoring and readjusting the contents of this planning to make it suitable to the annual reality.

Article 3.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing. The Ministers, the Heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the Heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the Presidents of the People�s Committees of Hoa Binh, Son La and Lai Chau provinces shall implement this Decision.

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THE PRIME MINISTER




Vo Van Kiet