PM asks Bac Kan province to focus on forest, tourism economy

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked Bac Kan to focus on forest-and tourism-based economy at a working session with the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee as part of his trip to the northern mountainous province on July 16.

For the forest economy, the PM pointed to the three spearheads of carbon credit trading, biomass electricity and pharmaceutical industry.  

Meanwhile, tourism development should be based on the province’s beautiful, majestic landscapes and traditional culture, he said.

The PM lauded Bac Kan’s performance in economic development, infrastructure development, national defence and security, and especially in improving living standards of ethnic minority groups.

He, however, noted that its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth still remains modest, and its industry-construction and services have failed to meet growth targets, along with other shortcomings in the planning work, production and business, natural resources management and environmental protection.

Chinh asked the province to mobilise all resources for development, stressing development should go in tandem with social equality and progress.

Bac Kan needs to make better performance in planning and infrastructure development, considering this a key, priority political task, he said, urging the locality to quickly complete and submit its provincial planning scheme for 2021-2030 with a vision towards 2050.

More attention should be paid to transport infrastructure, public investment and the construction of industrial parks and clusters, the leader continued.

He also asked the province to boost the agricultural sector effectively and sustainably, utilise science-technology to raise the value chain and accelerate new-style rural area building, saying agricultural and forestry development should go in parallel with tourism.

Chinh emphasised the need to step up investment attraction, push ahead with the implementation of public investment projects, further support enterprises and cooperatives in promoting their products, expanding the market and improving their production and business capacity.

He suggested the locality build community-based tourist sites, organise more cultural, sport and tourism events to promote its cultural heritage, and boost smart tourism development.

He spoke of other tasks for Bac Kan like reforming administrative procedures, improving the local investment environment, intensifying digital transformation, ensuring social welfare, preserving and upholding cultural values, and turning them into resources for development, and ensuring national defence and security, as well as social order and safety.  

Later the same day, the PM visited the suspended non-coke smelter of Material and Complete Equipment Export - Import Corporation (Matexim) to examine hindrances to its operation.

Bac Kan reported a growth rate of 5.02% in the 2021-2022 period, and its GRDP stood at 5.7% in the first six months of this year, ranking 34th out of the 63 cities and provinces nationwide, and sixth among the 14 northern midland and mountainous localities.

In the first half, the province welcomed 571,000 tourists, 2.5 times higher than the figure recorded in the same period last year, and fulling 74% of the yearly target.