Aspiration to make Ca Mau the "starting point, pioneering place" of the southernmost part of the Fatherland

On the occasion of the first Congress of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee, term 2025-2030, Nhan Dan Newspaper interviewed comrade Nguyen Ho Hai, Secretary of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee.

Secretary of Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai (in blue shirt in the middle) inspected and urged the construction progress of the expressway, the section passing through Ca Mau province.

On the eve of the important political event, the Secretary of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee shared his deep and passionate thoughts on the vision, strategy and aspiration to help Ca Mau - the southernmost land - overcome challenges, seize historic opportunities to take off, and become a dynamic growth pole of the Mekong Delta and the whole country.

Reporter: Dear comrade, Ca Mau is facing new development opportunities when a series of key national projects have been and are being implemented. How do you evaluate the opportunities and impacts of these projects on the development of your hometown Ca Mau?

Secretary of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai : The Party Committee, government, army and people of Ca Mau province are extremely excited and proud to receive the attention of the Central Government, starting construction of key projects of strategic significance, creating strong momentum for the development of the province. Projects such as the expressway from Ca Mau city (old) to Dat Mui, the bridge connecting Dat Mui - Hon Khoai, Hon Khoai seaport, upgrading Ca Mau airport... are opening up a new space for development.

We identify this as an extremely important infrastructure “push”. The completion of the expressways helps Ca Mau closely connect with the provinces in the Mekong Delta, significantly shortening travel time to major economic centers in the south, creating favorable conditions for the transportation of goods, especially high-quality agricultural and aquatic products.

After upgrading, Ca Mau airport will be an important bridge, promoting trade and especially tourism. The Hon Khoai dual-use seaport project will be a strategic "lever" for Ca Mau to become an international trade gateway, promoting exports and deep economic integration, ensuring regional defense and security.

The province has prepared proactively, with the highest political determination, mobilizing all resources so that the projects can soon be put into operation and promote their effectiveness. A clear proof is that the compensation and site clearance for these projects has been carried out very quickly, receiving high consensus from the people.

Along with the advantage of the merger of the two provinces of Ca Mau and Bac Lieu in the past, which has expanded the development space, Ca Mau now has many different potentials, enough to attract large domestic and foreign investors, ready to play an important role in the supply chain of the whole region.

Reporter: For a long time, Ca Mau has been often referred to as the “southernmost place”. However, there is another perspective that Ca Mau should be the “starting point”, the pioneering place. What is your opinion on this perspective?

Secretary of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai: We consider this a very correct and strategic perspective. For a long time, the special geographical location has made Ca Mau in the general perception as the end point of the country. However, we need to change this thinking.

The location of three sides facing the sea gives Ca Mau a unique advantage: It becomes the gateway to the East Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, located on the international trade axis, the starting point of the journey to the sea as well as from the outside to approach our country. Instead of just considering Ca Mau as the "end", we must consider it as the "starting point", a pioneering place to explore and open up new development space for the Mekong Delta and the whole country.

General Secretary To Lam, when visiting Ca Mau, affirmed that “Ca Mau is the southernmost province of the Fatherland”, which opened up a new perspective. General Phan Van Giang, at the groundbreaking ceremony of key projects, also emphasized the “headland” position of Ca Mau.

Comrade Le Minh Hoan, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, shared when attending the provincial merger ceremony: “From today, Ca Mau is no longer “far away”, but is “the bow of the boat tearing the waves” - opening a new journey of development”. The viewpoint of Ca Mau as “the southernmost point of the Fatherland” is thoroughly grasped and implemented by the cadres, party members and people of the province very seriously and urgently so that this land is no longer “the end”, but is the “starting point”, the pioneering point in the national marine economic development strategy.

Instead of considering Ca Mau as the “end”, we must consider it the “starting point”, a pioneering place to explore and open up new development space for the Mekong Delta and the whole country.

Reporter : To realize the vision of "pioneering place", what is Ca Mau's long-term orientation to effectively exploit the potential and advantages of the marine economy, associated with key projects that the Central Government has been investing in, comrade?

Secretary of Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai : With three sides bordering the sea, a coastline of more than 310 km, a large exclusive economic zone of more than 120,000 km ² , a rich marine ecosystem and mangrove forests, Ca Mau has all the conditions to comprehensively develop marine economic sectors. This is the "strategic resource" for the province to determine its long-term direction. To effectively exploit this potential, associated with key projects, Ca Mau province orients the following 5 development pillars:

Firstly , strongly develop the marine economy, build Ca Mau into a dynamic center of the region. The focus is on modernizing the fisheries industry, from exploitation, farming to processing and export. We strive to maintain our position as the center of the shrimp industry of the country, while strongly building the Ca Mau shrimp brand, enhancing value and competitiveness in the international market.

With three sides bordering the sea, a coastline of more than 310 km, a large exclusive economic zone of more than 120,000 km ² , a rich marine ecosystem and mangrove forests, Ca Mau has all the conditions to comprehensively develop marine economic sectors.

Second , focus on developing clean energy and renewable energy projects. With the advantage of wind and sunshine, Ca Mau aims to become one of the clean energy centers of the country, creating a new, sustainable and environmentally friendly economic pillar.

Third , develop synchronous infrastructure, especially inter-regional transport infrastructure. The province is actively coordinating with relevant parties to focus on completing the eastern North-South expressway, coastal roads and transport routes connecting from maritime economic centers to the inland, creating conditions to attract investment, expanding development space, especially infrastructure connecting industrial parks and economic zones of the province.

Fourth , develop high-quality human resources and tourism. With increasingly complete infrastructure, Ca Mau tourism will have a new breakthrough. At the same time, the province prioritizes training highly skilled workers for key economic sectors such as: Aquaculture, seaport logistics, renewable energy and tourism services... to meet development requirements in the new period.

Fifth , we link the development of the marine economy with ensuring national defense, security and protecting national sovereignty at sea. We focus on developing fisheries logistics services, strengthening management and sustainable exploitation of marine resources, closely combining economic development with maintaining social order and safety and effectively responding to climate change.

All of the above orientations aim at a common goal: Building Ca Mau into a province with fast and sustainable development based on its marine economic advantages, making an important contribution to Vietnam's marine economic development strategy; at the same time, affirming Ca Mau's position as a dynamic growth pole of the Mekong Delta region and the whole country.

Reporter: Thank you very much for your heartfelt sharing.

NGUYEN HUU TUNG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/khat-vong-dua-ca-mau-tro-thanh-diem-dau-noi-tien-phong-cuc-nam-to-quoc-post914713.html