An Giang: Awakening aspirations, building a strongly developed province by 2030

The 1st Congress of the An Giang Provincial Party Committee for the 2025-2030 term is a special political event of great significance for the province's development. The Congress opens a new chapter in the province's development history, with the aspiration to become a fairly developed province by 2030.

An Giang sets a target of a gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of over VND630,370 billion by 2030; an average GRDP growth rate of 11% or more over the next 5 years; an average GRDP per capita of US$6,300 or more over 2030; a multidimensional poverty rate of 0.3-0.5% per year; an urbanization rate of over 50% over 2030... Ahead of the Congress, comrade Nguyen Tien Hai, member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the An Giang Provincial Party Committee, gave an interview to a VNA reporter.

- How do you evaluate the outstanding achievements of An Giang in the 2020-2025 term? What are the key factors that help the province achieve the targets in this term?

Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Tien Hai : In the 2020-2025 term, despite facing many difficulties and challenges, especially the COVID-19 pandemic, the Party Committee, government and people of An Giang and Kien Giang provinces (before the merger) promoted the spirit of solidarity, unity, and strived to achieve many important achievements, with basic targets completed and exceeded compared to the Resolution.

Average GRDP growth is 5.68%/year, economic scale is expanding, structure is shifting in the right direction. Local potentials and advantages are gradually being promoted more effectively, especially in the fields of high-tech agriculture, processing industry, marine economy, tourism and border economy. Total budget revenue has increased quite well, ensuring resources for development investment and social security.

Agriculture, forestry and fishery play a pivotal role in the economy, focusing on improving productivity, quality and competitiveness. Agriculture is structured according to regional advantages, ensuring food security and export, applying high technology, developing clean and organic agriculture, reducing emissions and adapting to climate change.

Forestry is well managed and protected, with a forest cover rate of 8.8%. Fisheries have reduced coastal exploitation and increased high-tech farming such as cage farming and marine farming.

People of O Lam commune invest in developing hill garden economy to do tourism business in the O Thum lake area. (Photo: Cong Mao/VNA)

Total aquatic product output in 5 years reached over 7.4 million tons, an average increase of 2.66%/year. The province implemented synchronous solutions to combat IUU, overcome the EC "Yellow Card", and expand export markets.

The province's industry has achieved a fairly high growth rate, which is one of the important driving forces for economic growth. The industrial structure has shifted positively towards increasing the proportion of processing and manufacturing, focusing on developing high value-added sectors such as agricultural and aquatic product processing, food, footwear, garments and environmentally friendly construction materials.

Industrial production value reached more than 476,800 billion VND, of which the processing and manufacturing industry continued to play a key role, accounting for 96% of the total production value of the entire industry.

Infrastructure of industrial zones and clusters has been invested synchronously, attracting more and more projects, creating jobs and increasing local budget revenue. Some industrial zones and clusters have been put into stable operation, contributing to the formation of effective production-processing-export chains. Coastal urban projects have been implemented synchronously, gradually expanding development space, creating a modern and civilized urban appearance.

On the other hand, trade, services and tourism continued to grow positively, with total export turnover reaching 9.29 billion USD, an average increase of 9.39%/year. Key export items such as rice, seafood, garments, leather shoes, and processed agricultural products maintained their traditional markets and gradually expanded to potential markets, demonstrating increasingly deep production capacity and international market integration.

Tourism has recovered strongly, with a total of over 80.8 million tourists in 5 years, including over 3.48 million international visitors, an average growth rate of 14.9% per year; total tourism revenue in 5 years was over 142,800 billion VND, affirming the province's position on the national and regional tourism map.

The marine economy has developed strongly, accounting for 80% of the province's GRDP, with sectors such as tourism, fisheries, transportation, coastal infrastructure, etc. contributing significantly to improving people's lives, especially in coastal and island localities.

The border economy is strengthened through investment in border gate systems, logistics and cross-border trade, forming a new growth pole, linked to ensuring national defense and security. In addition, strong investment in infrastructure and technology, with 95 transportation projects, forming "5 dynamic urban areas" Rach Gia-Phu Quoc-Ha Tien-Chau Doc-Long Xuyen.

Social culture, education, health care, and social security have improved, with the poverty rate at 0.91%. National defense and security have been maintained; foreign relations have been expanded, especially with Cambodia. Party building and streamlining of the apparatus have been effectively implemented, improving the quality of cadres and party members.

An Giang Provincial Party Committee currently has 107 Party Committees directly under the Provincial Party Committee, 931 grassroots Party organizations and 131,548 Party members. The province has completed the arrangement of two-level local government administrative units with 102 commune-level units, including: 85 communes, 14 wards, and 3 special zones. After the merger, the province focused on stabilizing the organization, promoting administrative reform and taking advantage of the maritime-border economic advantages, contributing to rapid economic recovery, with coastal infrastructure projects and border gates being implemented synchronously.

The above results were achieved thanks to the close attention and timely direction of the Central Party, the Government, the National Assembly as well as the coordination and support of the Central ministries, departments and branches. The solidarity, unity and high political determination of the entire Party, government, political system and people of all walks of life in the province.

The flexible, creative and decisive leadership and direction of Party committees and authorities at all levels, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has mobilized the joint efforts and consensus of the entire political system and people, helping localities overcome many difficulties and challenges.

Central mechanisms and policies are flexibly applied to suit local conditions; administrative reform, investment attraction, and business support have changed positively.

- The Congress set the goal of building a clean and strong Party organization, improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of grassroots Party organizations, thereby leading the whole province to develop sustainably. Could you share the solutions to implement this issue in the 2025-2030 term?

Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Tien Hai: Building a clean and strong Party organization is a key task, of decisive significance to the development of the province. The Provincial Party Committee has proposed solutions and core contents in implementing this issue.

First of all, strengthen Party building in terms of politics, ideology and ethics, improve the mettle, leadership capacity and fighting strength of Party organizations at all levels. Strictly implement principles in Party activities, promote democracy and discipline, resolutely fight against individualism, opportunism, factionalism, "self-evolution" and "self-transformation."

Next, innovate ideological work and propaganda, improve the educational and persuasive nature of learning, thoroughly grasp Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, the Party's guidelines and policies. Proactively grasp and forecast the ideological situation, and orient public opinion. Strengthen the fight to protect the Party's ideological foundation, refute erroneous and hostile views, especially in cyberspace.

The provincial Party Committee focuses on cadre work and grassroots party organizations, especially the team of leaders. Strictly implement the principle of "right person, right job," encourage and protect cadres who dare to think and act for the common good, and link the responsibility of leaders with the results of implementing political tasks of the locality and unit.

Along with that, we need to strengthen inspection, supervision and party discipline, focusing on sensitive areas and areas that are prone to negativity. Inspection work must be regular, comprehensive, objective, public, democratic, and strictly handle violations, strengthening people's trust in the Party.

The Provincial Party Committee innovates mass mobilization work, closely connects with the people, well implements grassroots democracy regulations, promotes the role of the Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations in supervision, criticism, and participation in Party and government building.

In particular, resolutely and persistently prevent and combat corruption, negativity, waste, and build a culture of integrity throughout the political system. At the same time, innovate the Party's leadership method, promote administrative reform, decentralize and delegate powers reasonably, combined with strict inspection and supervision, and prevent power degeneration. Digital transformation is strongly promoted in Party agencies, contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of local management and governance.

- In the strategic orientation for the 2025-2030 term, the province has set the goal of becoming a fairly developed province by 2030, a strong maritime economic center of the country. Could you share about the development pillars to realize this goal?

Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Tien Hai: An Giang province has determined that by 2030 it will strive to become a fairly developed province of the country, a strong, dynamic and deeply integrated marine economic center. This is a goal that is both strategic and demonstrates the strong aspiration of the Party Committee, government and people of An Giang province in the new period.

To achieve that goal, An Giang focuses on developing the following five strategic pillars: The province innovates its growth model associated with breakthroughs in science and technology, digital transformation and innovation. The province focuses on applying high technology in agriculture, processing industry and logistics services to improve productivity, quality and added value.

Promote comprehensive digital transformation in management, production, trade, tourism; form digital government, digital economy, digital society. Along with that is developing education, training, health care, improving the quality of human resources - decisive factors for the rapid and sustainable development of the province.

An Giang creates a favorable environment for the private economy to become an important driving force, encouraging the formation of large corporations and enterprises to invest in priority areas. The province builds a focused investment promotion program, attracting strategic investors to the Long Xuyen Quadrangle, Chau Doc, Rach Gia, Ha Tien and Phu Quoc special economic zone, forming a linked economic value chain that spreads throughout the region.

The province has perfected its development institutions and governance capacity, enhanced the effectiveness and efficiency of government operations at all levels; promoted administrative reform, improved the investment and business environment, and built a team of professional, dynamic, creative, and responsible cadres for the common good.

An Giang strengthens integration, cooperation, regional and international connectivity, promoting the advantage of its position as a gateway to the Mekong River upstream region. The province will expand its connection with Cambodia through border gate economic development, connecting with Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta provinces through the system of highways, waterways, and aviation; at the same time, developing the marine economy with the Phu Quoc-Rach Gia-Ha Tien linkage axis, forming a chain of modern, ecological, and smart coastal urban areas.

The province develops the Long Xuyen-Chau Doc-Rach Gia-Ha Tien quadrangle into a dynamic growth center, with the following pillars:

Rach Gia is a comprehensive administrative - economic, industrial, logistics and marine service center; promoting the advantages of seaports, wharves, fishing logistics and marine tourism.

Long Xuyen plays the role of economic locomotive, developing processing industry, high-tech agriculture, logistics and modern trade-services, directly connecting with Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang expressway and Can Tho international airport.

Chau Doc becomes a center of spiritual-ecological tourism, associated with border economic development through Tinh Bien international border gate, enhancing border trade and logistics.

Ha Tien is oriented to be a strategic maritime economic-tourism-border trade center of the Southwest region, promoting regional connectivity and ASEAN cooperation.

Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone is identified as a national growth engine, aiming to become an international-class tourism and trade center, with free trade zones and high-quality services.

The province is coordinating with central ministries and branches to accelerate the completion of transport infrastructure, logistics, urban beautification, environmental protection and improving the quality of human resources, carefully preparing for the 2027 APEC Summit in Phu Quoc - an event of regional and global significance.

This is not only an opportunity to strongly promote the image of An Giang-Phu Quoc but also affirms the position and aspiration for integration and development of Vietnam in the new period. With the spirit of "One An Giang - One vision - One will - One belief in victory", this is both a guideline for action and a strong call, arousing the aspiration to bring An Giang province to develop quickly and sustainably in the new period.

At the same time, with high political determination, strategic vision and synchronous solutions, An Giang strives to effectively exploit potentials, transform advantages into driving forces, build the province into a strong center of agricultural economy, trade-services, logistics and sea tourism, making important contributions to the development of the Mekong Delta and the whole country.

Thank you very much, comrade!

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/an-giang-khoi-day-khat-vong-xay-dung-tinh-phat-trien-manh-vao-nam-2030-post1066276.vnp