Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 22 evening worked with the Standing Board of the Lao Cai provincial Party Committee on the socio-economic development situation in 2024 and tasks in 2025, and resolved proposals and recommendations for Lao Cai province to develop rapidly and sustainably.
According to the provincial Party Committee, in 2024, despite many difficulties and challenges, especially due to natural disasters, the Party Organisation, administration and people of Lao Cai province have been united and determined, made great efforts and overcome all difficulties, to achieve positive results.
The province’s GRDP economic growth in 2024 is estimated at 7.38%, higher than the overall growth rate of the whole country. Its GRDP per capita is estimated at 97.5 million per person per year, an increase of 8.9 million VND compared to 2023, equal to 80% of the national average. The province’s cconomic scale is estimated at 78 trillion VND (3.06 billion USD), ranking 44th out of the country’s 63 provinces and centrally-run cities.
Although agricultural, forestry and fishery production was affected by storm No. 3, the basic targets were completed. Industrial production is on the rise. Commercial business activities are bustling, total retail sales of goods and service revenue increased by 9.65% over the same period.
The number of tourists to the province increased sharply, estimated at 7.8 million, up 8% over the same period. The total import-export value through border gates for the whole year is estimated at 3.62 billion USD, up 68% compared to 2023.
Along with that, Lao Cai is always in the group of provinces with high disbursement rates in the country, estimated to reach 100% of the plan in 2024. The state budget revenue is estimated at 12.8 trillion VND for the whole year, equal to 139.5% of the central budget estimate and 135.9% compared to 2023.
National defence, security, order and social safety have been ensured, while foreign affairs have been promoted. The Party and political system building work has received due attention, while many policies to ensure social security and social welfare have been effectively implemented.
The work of eliminating temporary houses, dilapidated houses, and houses affected by storm No. 3 has been resolutely carried out, with the goal of having no temporary or dilapidated houses in the province by the end of June 2025, 6 months ahead of the schedule assigned by the Prime Minister. The total number of houses needing support in the 2024-2025 period is 11,024, of which about 5,397 have been completed to date, reaching 50% of the plan.
Concluding the working session, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged, commended and highly appreciated the socio-economic development achievements that the Party Organisation, administration and people of Lao Cai province have achieved, contributing to the overall achievements of the whole country with all 15 socio-economic development targets achieved and exceeded, especially in the context that the province is facing many difficulties and challenges, especially caused by natural disasters and epidemics.
Highlighting the main points about the location, role, potential and advantages of Lao Cai province such as having a long border with China; being one of the few mountainous provinces with all types of transport; being an economic and foreign affairs centre on the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh economic corridor; connecting China with ASEAN; having many famous landscapes and tourist attractions; a rich and unique treasure of tangible and intangible culture, he said that with many distinct potential, comparative advantages and outstanding opportunities, and abundant resources, Lao Cai has all the "unique" favourable conditions to develop into a growth pole of the northern border region and the whole country, becoming a centre connecting economic trade between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region of China.
In order for the province to accelerate, make breakthroughs, and develop quickly and sustainably, PM Chinh requested Lao Cai province to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW of the Politburo and the Resolution of the provincial Party Congress; properly apply and implement the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws and the direction of the Government and the PM.
The leader pointed out that, along with focusing on the summary of the implementation of Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW of the 12th Party Central Committee, Lao Cai province must thoroughly grasp the Resolutions and Conclusions of the Party and State, develop specific action plans and programmes to strive for GRDP growth of over 10% in 2025 and the coming time, creating momentum, position and strength for the new term.
In particular, priority should be given to growth, renewing traditional growth drivers including export, investment, consumption; at the same time promoting new growth drivers such as science and technology, innovation, green transformation, circular economy, knowledge economy, digital transformation, especially emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and the Internet of Things, he suggested.
Requesting Lao Cai province to have mechanisms and policies to mobilise all resources for development; improve the efficiency of attracting and using investment capital, especially FDI capital and public-private partnership; focus on building Lao Cai into a centre for economic trade connection between Vietnam and ASEAN countries with the Southwest region of China, the PM pointed out that Lao Cai must continue to complete intra-provincial, national and international traffic routes; complete the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses throughout the province and build social housing projects; and bring the poverty rate to the lowest level, creating a foundation to have no poor households by 2030.
Noting that Lao Cai must effectively carry out foreign affairs, boost economic development in association with the role of the "fence" of the Fatherland; maintain security and defence; ensure social order and safety, PM Chinh assigned the Ministry of Transport to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in negotiating and signing an agreement with China on implementing railway projects connecting the two countries and building smart border gates.
Earlier, on the afternoon of the same day, on the occasion of Christmas 2024 and the New Year 2025, PM Pham Minh Chinh visited and congratulated dignitaries, and parishioners of the Hung Hoa Diocese, belonging to the Lao Cai Parish.
On behalf of the Party and State’s leaders, PM Chinh sent his sincere greetings and warm regards to dignitaries, monks and parishioners for a peaceful and healthy Christmas. He affirmed that the Party and State consistently respect the freedom of belief and religion of all people, considering it a spiritual life and inevitable development of society; always care for all religions and ensure freedom of religion and equality among religions./.
