DECISION

APPROVING THE MASTER PLAN ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHERN KEY ECONOMIC REGION IN THE 1996-2010 PERIOD

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government of September 30, 1992;
At the proposal of the Chairman of the State Council for Evaluation of Investment Projects in Official Dispatch No. 5177/BKH-HDTD of August 22, 1997,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To approve the master plan on the socio-economic development of the northern key economic region comprised of 5 provinces and cities directly under the Central Government, namely Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh in the 1996-2010 period with the following contents:

I. MAJOR DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES:

1. To develop the northern key economic region into one of the regions with fast economic development at a economic growth rate higher than that of other regions across the country.

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3. The total export value to increase at a rate of 28-30% in the 1995-2000 period and approximately 20% in the 2001-2010 period, representing around 30% of the country�s total export value.

4. To basically settle the question of employment people in the working-age bracket who need jobs. To reduce by two thirds the number of poor households by the year 2000 and strive for no poor household by the year 2010.

5. To build a civilized society and ensure well all the needs of electricity and water supply, transport, information and telecommunication for the people in nucleus towns and raise the living standards of the rural population to a level higher than the national average, well protect and improve the ecological environment and drastically reduce social evils.

6. To ensure social discipline, order and safety and firmly maintain national security and defense.

II. MAJOR DEVELOPMENT TASKS:

1. Regarding industrial development:

- To strive for an average industrial growth rate of 16.5% per year throughout the 1995-2010 period.

- To quickly develop those environment-friendly industries that have high technical and technological standards and produce good-quality products partly for import substitutes and partly for export. At the same time to develop a number of leading industries that manufacture raw materials and materials from the natural resources and advantages in the region.

- In parallel with the industrial development, efforts should be concentrated on the development of those industries which can be spread over large areas in order to generate employment, and the development of small- and medium size plants with advanced and modern technologies.

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- The key industries which should be given priority to develop include: electric and electronic technologies, equipment and machinery manufacture, ship building and repair, automobile and motorcycle assembly and manufacture; manufacture of construction materials, energy, steel refinery and rolling; food and foodstuff processing, textile, garments and leather.

2. Regarding commerce, service and tourism:

- To change the trade and service structures along the direction of giving priority to the development of commerce, tourism, port services, financial and banking services and technology transfer. To strive for an annual service growth rate of 18% throughout the period from now till the year 2010.

- To diversify and improve the quality and effectiveness of various forms of tourism, establish rational tourist lines so as to attract tourists, open more international tourist lines linking Hanoi, Hai Phong and Ha Long to various countries in the region and the world. To build the technical and material bases and infrastructures in a synchronous manner, to combine the exploitation with the renovation, maintenance and development of tourist resources and the nation�s cultural traditions.

3. Regarding agriculture, forestry and aquatic resources:

- To change the agricultural structure: to raise the ratio of husbandry from 36% now to 45% by the year 2010; to direct the agricultural development at manufacturing high-quality goods to meet the demand of big cities and industrial parks, create material sources for the processing of high-quality products for export. To maintain the annual GDP agricultural growth rate of 4% on average throughout the period from now till the year 2010.

- To develop forests to supply wood for pit-props and coastal forests submerged by sea water. To plant trees in urban centers and industrial parks.

- To develop the culture of marine and aquatic resources in fresh and brackish water. To develop offshore fishing of marine resources. To establish soon a number of fishing service centers in Vinh Bac Bo (the Gulf of Tonkin).

4. Infrastructure development:

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- To upgrade and build a power supply network commensurate with the power sources to meet the demand of production and the people�s life.

- To modernize the information and telecommunication network. To achieve 12-15 telephones per 100 heads by the year 2000 (doubling the country�s average ratio), expand the mobile information system, data transmission system, coastal post and information network, and achieve the full radio and television coverage of the whole region.

- To renovate, upgrade and build the water supply systems in large urban centers, industrial parks so as to meet the demand of clean water for production and business activities and the people�s life, and improve the living conditions and the environmental hygiene in urban and rural areas.

5. Cultural, medical and social development:

- To develop and raise the quality and effectiveness of the educational and training system so as to raise the people�s intellectual level, to provide human resources for industrialization and modernization of the region and the whole country.

- To develop the primary healthcare and medical examination and treatment network for the people, to invest in upgrading the existing hospitals and improve the service quality.

- To conduct research and apply advanced and modern sciences and technologies as the foundation and driving force for the socio-economic development of the region.

- To develop culture, information, sport and physical training, radio and television broadcasting activities to a high and modern level on a par with that of the other countries in the region to deserve the role of a development driving force.

III. MAJOR SOLUTIONS:

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2. Various solutions regarding the capital source, human resources, science and technology and market must be concretized into policies and mechanisms suitable to the characteristics of each region, province or city and those issues beyond their competence shall be submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision in order to achieve the socio-economic development objectives and tasks set in the master plan.

3. On the basis of the approved master plan, the provinces and cities in the region shall have to review their economic development and investment programs and projects, put them in a rational priority order and reflect them in their annual plans. In the course of implementation of the master plan, it is necessary to monitor, preliminarily review and evaluate it for drawing experiences and making timely supplements and adjustments thereto.

Article 2.- The People�s Committees of the provinces and cities in the northern key economic region shall have to closely supervise and monitor the implementation of the master plan, working out five-year and annual plans, development investment programs and projects in conformity with the region�s master plan.

The ministries and branches at the central level shall have to coordinate with and support the provinces and cities in the northern key economic region in organizing the implementation of the set programs and projects with a view to ensuring the harmony between the socio-economic development planning of each province or city and the master plans of the northern key economic region and the whole country.

Article 3.- This Decision takes effect from the date of its signing. The presidents of the People�s Committees of the provinces and cities in the northern key economic region and the ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies and agencies attached to the Government concerned shall have to implement this Decision.

THE PRIME MINISTER




Vo Van Kiet