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Lao Cai, Jan. 21 (VNA) - With the advantage of its position, Lao Cai province has an opportunity for rapid, strong and comprehensive development towards industrialisation and modernisation, said President Tran Duc Luong.
Lao Cai lies on an important connection of roads - two corridors and one beltway - inking Viet Nam and China and also linking China and ASEAN in the future.
President Luong visited the northern border province of Lao Cai and met the Party committee, the authorities, people and army units in the province from Jan. 20-21 on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.
The leader was pleased to see marked improvement of the ethnic minority people's living conditions in Lao Cai, and rapid facelifts in the province's rural areas.
Over the past five years, Lao Cai has registered an annual average GDP growth rate of 11.9 percent. The average per capita income of local people has increased sharply, reaching more than 5 million VND per person in 2005. The province's budget revenues in 2005 increased by 320 percent over 2000. All communes in the province have been made accessible by auto; 82 percent of the communes connect to the national electricity grid, and 70 percent of households have access to safe water.
President Luong stressed that to ensure a high growth rate and sustainable and comprehensive development in the coming period, the province should quickly develop infrastructure facilities, particularly transport projects.
He urged the local authorities and the ministries to speed up of projects on the upgrade of Highway 70, construction of a new Ha Noi-Lao Cai expressway on the right bank of the Red River, upgrade of the Ha Noi-Lao Cai railway to prepare for building the economic corridor linking Kunming, China, and Lao Cai, Ha Noi, Hai Phong, and a project on a Viet Nam - China border gate economic zone.
As for the cause of industrialisation and urbanization, President Luong stressed that the local authorities must have sound policies to fully tap the potential of the province's rich mineral and water resources so that the province could develop its industry and contribute more to the national industrialisation endeavour.
He also called for more attention to building irrigation works in far-off, mountainous areas as a radical and long-term solution to the water shortages that cause many difficulties for the production and living activities of ethnic people.
The President pointed out that the provincial leaders, aside from creating basic facilities for the living standards of ethnic people, should act to raise their awareness of the need to increase agricultural production for extra earnings rather than producing just enough to sustain the community, which will lay a foundation for improved living conditions.-Enditem
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