DECISION

APPROVING THE MASTER PLAN ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEKONG DELTA KEY ECONOMIC REGION THROUGH 2020, WITH ORIENTATIONS TOWARD 20301

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 92/2006/ND-CP of September 7, 2006, on formulation, approval and management of socio­economic development master plans, and the Government’s Decree No. 04/2008/ND-CP of January 11, 2008, amending and supplementing a number of articles of Government’s Decree No. 92/2006/ND-CP of September 7, 2006;

At the proposal of the Ministry of Planning and Investment,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the master plan on socio-economic development of the Mekong Delta key economic region through 2020, with orientations toward 2030 (below referred to as the master plan), with the following principal contents:

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- The Mekong Delta key economic region (embracing Can Tho city and Ca Mau, An Giang and Kien Giang provinces) is a key region for producing food, aquatic products and flowers and fruits, significantly contributing to ensuring national food security and the export of agricultural and aquatic products of the whole country. It is a major energy center of the country with three electricity centers of O Mon, Ca Mau and Kien Luong and gas mines in the southwestern waters.

- The Mekong Delta key economic region is a large service and tourist center of the whole country, including Nam Can national tourist zone, and especially, Phu Quoc island, which is planned to be built into an international trade exchange center and a national tourist zone with high-quality eco-tourist products of both the whole southern region and the lower Mekong basin.

- The Mekong Delta key economic region plays the role of a bridge in regional economic integration, has its cultural and social levels equivalent to the national average level; and occupies an important strategic location in national defense, security and external affairs.

II. DEVELOPMENT VIEWPOINTS

1. The master plan must conform to the national socio-economic development strategy; the Government’s action program for implementation of Conclusion No. 28-KL/TW; and Vietnam’s marine strategy, and ensure consistency with sectoral development master plans. To develop the Mekong Delta key economic region into a driving-force region to boost the open socio-economic development of the entire Mekong Delta region and the whole country in the direction of intensive and extensive international integration.

2. To make the most use of the potential and advantages of localities in the region; to step up economic restructuring and change the growth model toward intensive development in association with assurance of national food security. To make focal investment in the fields in which the region has competitive advantages, such as production and processing of high-quality agricultural and aquatic products, eco-tourism (orchard, river and submerged land tourism), marine tourism, cultural and festival tourism, and marine- island services and economic activities; to strongly develop the trade system, especially the wholesale system, so as to turn the key economic region into a hub to supply commodities for the entire Mekong Delta region.

3. To synchronously develop urban centers, residential areas and technical and social infrastructure systems to be environmentally friendly and linked with rice fields, orchards, rivers, sea areas and islands.

4. To closely combine economic development with development of education and training, health, culture and physical training and sports, in association with realization of social progress and equality in order to step by step improve the people’s lives; to step up hunger elimination and poverty reduction and reduce the social-development gaps among different areas and ethnic groups in the region.

5. To focus on training and development of human resources, especially high-quality ones, to meet market demands, and associate human resources development with science and technology development and application.

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III. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

1. Objectives by 2020:

a/ Overall objectives:

To build the Mekong Delta key economic region into a region of dynamic development with a modern economic structure and synchronous and modern infrastructure networks and increasingly improved material and spiritual lives of local people, making greater contributions to the national economy and the construction of the entire Mekong Delta region to be rich and strong, catching up with the average national development level; to ensure political stability and firm security and national defense.

b/ Specific targets:

- Economically:

+ The annual GDP growth rate will be around 11% during 2011-2015 and 10.5% during 2016-2020;

+ Economic structure by 2015: Agriculture, forestry and fisheries: 23.1%; industries-construction: 33.3%; and services: 43.6%. By 2020, these figures will be 17.3%; 37.4%; and 45.3%, respectively;

+ Per-capita GDP will reach around USD 2,470 by 2015 and around USD 4,400 by 2020. The export value will reach USD 5.6 billion by 2015 and around USD 10.3 billion by 2020. The rate of state budget mobilization from GDP will be 9.5-10% by 2015 and 10-11% by 2020;

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- Socially:

+ To strive to keep the natural population growth rate at below 1.1% by 2015 and below 1% by 2020. The rate of trained labor will reach over 55% by 2015 and over 70% by 2020. To annually create 150,000-155,000 jobs during 2011-2015 and 170,000 - 175,000 jobs during 2016-2020. To maintain the unemployment rate among people of working age at 3-4% in urban areas. To reduce the rate of poor households by 1.5-2.5% a year on average;

+ To strive that by 2015 over 55% of communes and wards and over 75% of villages and hamlets will satisfy cultural standards; by 2020, these figures will be over 65% and over 85%, respectively. To reduce the underweight malnutrition rate among under-5 children to below 13% by 2015 and below 10% by 2020;

+ To increase the schooling rate among children of school age; to strive that by 2015, over 99% of children of primary school age will go to school. To increase the schooling rate among children of lower secondary school age to over 87% by 2015 and 95-97% by 2020; and that among children of upper secondary school age to over 60% by 2015 and around 80% by 2020;

+ By 2015, 90% of people in urban centers of grade III or higher grade, 85% of people in urban centers of grades IV and V, and 60% of people in concentrated rural residential areas will have access to clean water. By 2020, 100% of people in urban centers and concentrated rural residential areas will have access to clean water. The rate of households having access to electricity will reach over 98.5% by 2015 and 100% by 2020.

- Environmental protection:

+ By 2015, newly built industrial parks and urban areas will have centralized wastewater treatment systems up to prescribed standards; by 2020, 100% of industrial parks and urban areas will have wastewater treatment systems up to environmental standards. By 2015 and 2020, 90% and 100% of solid waste in urban areas and industrial parks in the region will be collected and treated, respectively;

+ To increase the forest coverage to over 12.2% by 2015 and 13.2% by 2020 and increase the rate of forestland areas with forests to 100%. To protect marine and coastal ecosystems and conserve the nature; to take the initiative in preventing and mitigating natural disaster risks, and responding to climate change and sea level rise.

- National defense and security:

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+ To step up public information and mobilize people to strictly observe state laws for limiting and reducing traffic accidents; to educate in new cultured lifestyles and combat superstition in communities.

2. Orientations toward 2030:

a/ The Mekong Delta key economic region will have a relatively high development level with science and technology being a major driving force for socio-economic development of its localities, and have an advanced social organization. By 2030, the region’s per-capita average GDP is expected to reach around USD 9,300; the proportion of the non-agricultural sector in its economic structure will be nearly 90%, and its agriculture will be a hi-tech and eco-agriculture. The investment environment will reach national and regional standards (openness, transparency, friendliness, security and safety);

b/ To build synchronous and modern infrastructure networks and complete external and internal expressways (Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho-Ca Mau, Chon Thanh-Rach Gia, Soc Trang-Can Tho-Chau Doc, and Ha Tien- Rach Gia-Bac Lieu). To build synchronous information and communication, electricity supply and water supply and drainage infrastructure facilities. Cultural, education-training, science-technology, health and physical training-sports establishments will attain a high level as compared to the whole country; the economy will develop dynamically and effectively with an appropriate and dynamic structure;

c/ To form modern urban areas to be rationally distributed in the sub­regions. Major urban centers such as Can Tho and Phu Quoc and some other cities will become large service, tourist and trade exchange centers of the region, the country and the outer region, with Phu Quoc and Nam Can to be developed into national tourist zones. The region’s population will be 7.8-8 million by 2030, including 4.7-4.8 million in urban areas; the urbanization rate will reach 60-61%;

d/ To improve the people’s material and spiritual lives; to build a united, safe and peaceful society; to complete the upgrading and embellishment of relics such as the Ba Chua Xu temple at the foot of Sam mountain, historical- cultural relics and other national revolutionary historical relics in order to promote their value; to build a coherent, harmonious and friendly community with firm political security and assured defense.

IV. ORIENTATIONS FOR SECTORAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries:

To build a robust, diverse, competitive, efficient and sustainable commodity agriculture. To strive to increase the agriculture, forestry and fisheries production value by 5.4% a year on average during 2011-2015 and 5% during 2016-2020.

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- Forestry: To establish stable and sustainable the systems of special-use and protection forests while raising the efficiency of planting of concentrated production forests.

- Fisheries: To develop sustainable fishing in parallel with protection and regeneration of aquatic resources and eco-environmental protection. To reduce onshore and coastal fishing and gradually increase offshore fishing through technology renewal for higher economic efficiency. The area under brackish water aquaculture in the entire region will be around 338,500 ha by 2015 and 345,000 ha by 2020. The area under freshwater aquaculture will be kept stable at 68,000-78,000 ha.

2. Industries:

To focus on developing industries with competitive edge and comparative advantage such as processing of agricultural, forest and aquatic products for export; electricity and energy, and development of biomass power. The industrial production value growth rate is expected to reach around 17% annually during 2011-2015 and 16% annually during 2016­2020, focusing on:

- Developing the processing of agricultural, forest, aquatic and food products in association with raw-material production zones; making intensive investment in existing processing factories; expanding the production of refined products; diversifying commodity items and raising the export value while expanding outlets. Restoring and developing a number of traditional crafts, and producing handicraft and fine-art articles for domestic consumption and export.

- Further exploiting the existing gas mines; studying the construction of an oil refinery with an annual capacity of 2 million tons of crude oil in Can Tho city. Building an oil refinery in Nam Can. Completing O Mon electricity center; building a thermo-power center with a capacity of 4,400 MW in Kien Luong, Kien Giang province.

- Developing the ship building and repair industry in Ca Mau and Kien Giang. Developing mechanical engineering to serve agriculture, fisheries, and manufacture of parts for engine assembly in the region.

- Developing the production of construction materials in association with efficient use of natural resources and eco-environmental protection. Developing chemical products to serve agriculture, industry and consumption.

- Developing industrial parks along important roads in combination with seaports and river ports as well as urban networks. Completing infrastructure systems outside and inside industrial parks. Building centralized wastewater treatment systems for industrial parks. Stepping up the development of industrial complexes and traditional craft villages in localities.

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- Trade: To further develop the export of potential and high-value products like rice and frozen shrimp, fish and vegetables and fruits. To develop border trade through border-gate economic zones and border marketplaces. To develop trade in Can Tho city for raising its role as a trade center of the region.

- Tourism: To develop eco-tourism (orchard, river and submerged land tourism), marine tourism and cultural-festival tourism. To attract investment for early completing key tourist infrastructure facilities for the national tourist zones and sites in the region, and for developing large tourist, recreation and entertainment zones in a synchronous and sustainable manner.

- Services: To strongly develop finance-banking, insurance and securities services. To step up the development of logistic services to facilitate the development of domestic goods production and circulation and import and export. To encourage all economic sectors to engage in road and inland waterway transportation business under planning. To develop various types of services for production and industrial parks and complexes. To raise the quality of, and diversify, recreation and entertainment, shopping and cultural-sports services in urban areas and new urban centers. To strongly develop information technology services in the provinces and city in the region. To develop Can Tho city into a large information technology industrial center of the region.

4. Cultural-social development:

- Population and human resources:

To strive to reduce the natural population growth rate and raise the quality of the population. The population in the entire region will reach around 6.7 million by 2015 and around 7.1 million by 2020; to increase the urbanization rate in the region to 40.4% by 2015 and 47.8% by 2020.

To step up labor restructuring associated with economic restructuring in the region. To attach importance to creating jobs, raising the quality of jobs and increasing incomes for workers.

- Education and training:

To develop education, training and vocational training in order to create breakthroughs for improving the quality of comprehensive education to meet the requirement on human resources for socio-economic development of the region and the country.

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To concentrate on and prioritize training of high-quality human resources to meet the needs of the spearhead sectors and fields of the region and requirements of international integration; to prioritize investment in and development of vocational colleges and secondary schools to be capable of providing training in key disciplines at international and regional levels.

To prioritize investment in schools in border areas and facilitating the exchange and learning between ethnic minority pupils in An Giang and Kien Giang provinces and Cambodian localities. To continue to implement priority policies for ethnic minority pupils in general and Khmer pupils in particular.

To build in each locality a provincial-level continuing education center. To review, adjust and supplement for completing the network of professional secondary training institutions; to build a number of professional secondary schools for receiving lower secondary school graduates. To make synchronous investment in vocational secondary schools and colleges, each of which will provide training in 2-5 occupations up to national standards, especially occupations in line with the region’s development orientations.

To build Can Tho city into a high-quality human resource training center for the entire region. To review, arrange and establish universities and colleges in compliance with planning on the basis of fully satisfying the prescribed criteria and conditions for establishment. To expand tertiary and graduate education and upgrade a number of colleges and universities in the region with a view to step by step adjusting the structure and qualifications of the workforce.

- Health and people’s health care:

To build the region’s health system to be step by step modern, complete, synchronous and capable of meeting people’s increasing and diverse demands for health protection, care and improvement in order to reduce the rates of morbidity and mortality rates due to diseases and epidemics, contributing to raising the people’s physical strength, increasing their life expectancy and improving the race quality.

To build Can Tho city into a health center of the region, focusing on the development of specialized health establishments to provide high-quality medical services for people in and outside the region.

- Culture and physical training and sports:

To conserve, selectively inherit, preserve and promote the fine cultural values of the nation; to build civilized lifestyles and cultured families. To synchronously conserve and embellish national- and provincial-level historical-cultural relics, attaching importance to renovation of the original components of revolutionary historical relics such as Phu Quoc prison (Kien Giang), U Minh Thuong revolutionary base (Kien Giang), the Regional Party Committee of the Central Office for South Vietnam in U Minh Ha (Ca Mau).

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To organize and develop physical training and sports activities in the region to turn the region into a strong physical training and sports center of the whole country, attaching importance to completing the national sports training center in Can Tho city and the competition hall of Ca Mau province.

Hunger elimination, poverty reduction and social security: To synchronously, comprehensively and effectively implement poverty reduction programs and projects; to create opportunities for the poor to benefit from production infrastructure, land, credit and vocational training support policies. To properly implement policies on social security, care for people with meritorious services and children, and prevention and combat of social evils.

5. Science and technology:

To develop the technology market, ensuring that the average growth rate of the value of technology trading transactions will reach 8-10%/year.

To form the regional hi-tech agricultural center in Can Tho city. To build physical and technical foundations for the network of hi-tech agricultural zones and stations; to develop a number of breed and variety and technology services for the production, processing and preservation of key products.

To build a hi-tech zone associated with training of high-quality scientific and technological human resources in Can Tho city.

6. Infrastructure development:

- Transport development:

Roads: To complete the My Thuan-Can Tho expressway section; to complete the upgrading and expansion of national highway 1, the Can Tho- Nam Can section; the southern coastal road; Ho Chi Minh road, the section from Vam Cong (An Giang) to Dat Mui (Ca Mau); national highway 80, the section from Can Tho to Ha Tien (Kien Giang); and N1 route, etc. To further upgrade provincial roads and radial roads running through urban centers and develop mass transit; to strive that by 2020, there will be roads to all the centers of communes and commune clusters; 100% of roads will be hardened.

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Inland waterways: To build a number of provincial-level river ports. To upgrade special-use ports and wharves to meet the requirements of riverine industrial and service development and in conformity with local master plans. To upgrade major waterway routes up to technical grades and modernize management and loading/unloading technological equipment at major inland waterway ports in the region.

Airports: To expand and upgrade Ca Mau and Rach Gia domestic airports.

Inland container depots: To arrange in Can Tho and An Giang 1-2 inland container depots (ICD) to support the carrying out of goods import and export procedures, in combination with goods transshipment places.

Railways: To study the construction of the My Tho-Can Tho railway linking with the Ho Chi Minh-My Tho railway.

- Electricity supply:

To build and complete power plants and synchronous electricity distribution networks in line with the national electricity development master plan (Electricity Master Plan VII) and the operation schedule of power plants. To study the application of smart electricity grids and modern technologies in the linking and regulation and synchronous connection to the national and regional power grids.

- Irrigation and water supply:

To complete multi-purpose irrigation and dike systems serving agricultural production, forestry and fisheries and rural development. To build and upgrade irrigation systems serving the development of hi-tech agriculture in Can Tho, areas specialized in shrimp rearing and rice cultivation-shrimp rearing in Ca Mau and Long Xuyen quadrangle, freshwater aquaculture areas in Can Tho and An Giang, and fruit tree areas. To build inter-provincial water plants and clean-water pipelines.

To mobilize resources for building embankments to prevent landslides along river ways in order to ensure people’s lives, especially in cities, towns, townships and concentrated residential areas. To consolidate and upgrade sea dikes and build multi-functional works on dikes. To prioritize the construction of the Song Cai Lon and Song Cai Be dike systems (Kien Giang); embankments for Long Xuyen city, Tan Chau urban area, Cho Vam township, and Phu My township (An Giang), and 29 river dikes in Ca Mau.

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To expand the coverage of information and communication services, especially in rural areas, through developing post office networks. To build the region’s central post office in Can Tho city; to upgrade district post offices and commune post-cultural points. To build highly reliable modern and high-flux broadband telecommunications infrastructure. To develop Can Tho city into a high-quality telecommunications service center of the region and the country.

7. Environmental protection:

To invest in solid waste collection and treatment plants as well as water drainage and wastewater treatment systems in urban areas and industrial parks. To attach importance to the collection of garbage in rivers and along rivers in the inner areas of cities, towns and townships in the region.

To intensify the management of, rationally exploit and use, natural resources in parallel with protecting and preserving them, ensuring biodiversity and sensitive eco-systems in coastal submerged land areas in Ca Mau and Kien Giang. To develop and study solutions to responding to climate change and mitigating impacts caused by climate change.

To build a system for observation of surface water and groundwater quality in the entire region in order to inspect and supervise the level of pollution and salinity of water sources. To study and warn natural disasters and propose solutions for natural disaster prevention and control in landslide- prone areas along rivers, canals and ditches. To integrate climate change response and sustainable development tasks into all activities under the development strategies of sectors, fields and localities in the region.

8. Socio-economic development associated with national defense and security

- To plan and build defense economic zones with the close combination of the two strategic tasks of socio-economic development and strengthening of defense and security and promote of the defense potential, such as building all-people defense posture and people’s security posture and ensuring socio-political stability. To build cultural exemplary points and implement the movement “All people build a cultured life in border and island areas.”

- To accelerate the upgrading and expansion of border routes (N1 routes); to build double-purpose works to combine economic development with strengthening of security and defense. To build fish wharves, especially on outpost islands, to serve offshore fishing, storm prevention and control, and protection of security and national defense.

V. URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND TERRITORIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE REGION

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- Urban system:

The urban population growth rate is predicted to be around 5% during 2011-2015 and around 4.7% during 2016-2020; the urbanization rate of the region will increase to 40.4% by 2015 and 47.8% by 2020.

Can Tho city’s center: This is a service, trade, industrial, science- technology, health, education-training, culture and sports center of the region; it will take the lead in the cause of industrialization and modernization and play the role of a driving force to boost the development of the entire region, and have a population of around 2 million by 2020.

Development of sub-region urban centers: To build and upgrade Long Xuyen city to a provincial grade-I urban center and Rach Gia city to a provincial grade-2 urban center; to develop Ca Mau city to fully satisfy the criteria of a provincial grade-2 urban center. These will be central urban centers of the sub-regions.

To develop Chau Doc town into a grade-2 urban center; Tan Chau town to satisfy the criteria of a grade-3 urban center; Kien Luong district (Kien Giang), Cai Dau and Tinh Bien (An Giang) to satisfy the criteria of a grade-4 urban center and upgrade them to towns; Nui Sap urban center (An Giang), Song Doc and Nam Can urban centers (Ca Mau), Minh Luong and Thu Bay urban centers (Kien Giang) to satisfy the criteria of a grade-4 urban center. To step by step build Phu Quoc urban center into a large trade exchange center of the region, the country and the outer region.

- Development of rural residential areas:

To complete the program on building residential clusters and houses in the flooded areas (phase II) in Can Tho, An Giang and Kien Giang. To build rural residential areas after the models suitable to the specific ecological conditions and customs and habits (riverine concentrated residential areas, coastal scattered residential areas and deeply submerged areas) of the river areas.

To mobilize all resources, especially the participation of people, in building a new countryside. To strive that by 2015 and 2020, 20-25% and 50­60% of communes will satisfy the new countryside criteria, respectively.

2. Development of sub-regions:

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- The Long Xuyen quadrangle sub-region, embracing An Giang province area and the northern area of Kien Giang province. To develop trade and service centers in major urban centers such as Long Xuyen, Rach Gia, Chau Doc and Ha Tien. To build regional- and national-level tourist zones in Bay Nui (An Giang) and Ha Tien (Kien Giang). To raise the value and quality of reared aquatic products, including freshwater aquatic products (in An Giang and Kien Giang) and saltwater and brackishwater aquatic products (in Kien Giang), and develop the processing industry in association with export. To build high-quality rice areas. To expand cement production, shipbuilding and electricity production industries, etc. To develop border- gate economy.

- The Ca Mau peninsula sub-region, embracing Ca Mau province and the southern area of Kien Giang province. To develop energy, chemical and petrol and oil service industries in Khanh An and Nam Can areas; and trade and service centers in Ca Mau city, Song Doc and Nam Can. To complete the irrigation system. To expand the area under industrial shrimp rearing in association with processing and export. To develop forestry in combination with protection of the national forests of Dat Mui, U Minh Ha and U Minh Thuong, and eco-tourism in mangrove forests.

- The island area, embracing Phu Quoc and Kien Hai island districts (Kien Giang province) and a number of islands of Ca Mau province. To develop aquaculture and fishing; to develop marine tourism, concentrating on the Phu Quoc island area and onshore islands of Ca Mau and Ha Tien. To build synchronous infrastructure networks for the islands connected with storm shelter areas.

3. Development of special territories:

- Coastal economic zones:

Phu Quoc island and Nam An Thoi island cluster: To develop this zone into a regional- and international-level large and modern eco-tourist, resort and trade exchange center of the Mekong Delta region. To further build Phu Quoc into a special economic zone with an appropriate organizational and administrative apparatus. To step up the building of synchronous and modern infrastructure networks, specifically upgrading and building transport systems on the island, projects on the north-south axis, completing the construction of Phu Quoc international airport, An Thoi international seaport, and Duong Dong and Vinh Dam seaports; underground-cable power supply networks, and a number of other projects on infrastructure facilities (water supply, water drainage, waste treatment, etc.). To build large tourist zones with diverse recreation and entertainment sub-zones and service and trade centers for extending tourists’ length of stay.

Nam Can economic zone: To complete the planning and build infrastructure facilities for this zone. To attract investment in developing this zone in association with Ca Mau gas-electricity-nitrogen cluster, Nam Can port, shipbuilding industrial cluster and Nam Can industrial park.

- Border-gate economic zones: To further develop border-gate economic zones in An Giang (Tinh Bien, Vinh Chau and Khanh Binh), and Ha Tien (Kien Giang). To build these border-gate economic zones into key economic areas of these provinces, contributing to the population and labor redistribution and improving local people’s material and spiritual lives in close combination with strengthening security and national defense and firmly safeguarding the national borders. To build and develop these border- gate economic zones into regional linkage centers and important hubs of the trans-Asian highway.

VI. LIST OF PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS PRIORITIZED FOR INVESTMENT STUDY: See the attached Appendix.

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1. Fields prioritized for development:

- Building a synchronous infrastructure system, focusing on transport, irrigation, electricity supply and infrastructure facilities in the cities and economic zones.

- Rapidly developing human resources, especially high-quality ones, and raising the quality of education and training; closely combining human resource development with science and technology development and application.

- Further carrying out administrative reform, creating a level playing field for all economic sectors, and building an open investment environment to attract foreign investment.

2. Investment capital:

To effectively mobilize resources, especially making the most use of internal resources, for socio-economic development investment.

- For the state sector: To further attract ODA and NGO aid sources, focusing on technical infrastructure construction and environmental protection, such as water supply and drainage, wastewater and solid waste treatment, and transport systems. To combine funding sources of national programs and international assistance projects in order to improve investment efficiency.

- For the non-state sector: To improve the investment environment and create advantages in attracting capital sources from the business sector and people as well as foreign direct investment. To attach importance to investment promotion. To properly perform planning work, prepare investment projects and “clean” land areas for calling for investment, instead of considering and accepting projects studied and proposed by investors. To continue to invest in building synchronous infrastructure networks in industrial parks and complexes, coastal economic zones and border-gate economic zones in order to call for investment.

- Other solutions: To step up the socialization of cultural, sports, health, education and vocational training activities, etc. To raise capital in different forms like BOT, BTO and PPP, etc. To reform the FDI attraction environment. To effectively use land based on proper elaboration of land use master plans. To create “clean” land areas for auctioning land use rights to generate revenues for development of infrastructure and social welfare facilities.

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- To further implement the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 492/QD-TTg of April 16, 2009, and study more preferential mechanisms and policies for localities in the region; to create more favorable conditions and set orientations for ODA attraction for localities in the region.

- To study the application of specific mechanisms and policies to a number of areas in the region: To build Phu Quoc into a special economic zone with an appropriate administrative apparatus. To study the formulation of policies applicable to An Giang border-gate economic zone as one of the 8 border-gate economic zones prioritized for investment through 2020.

4. Human resource development:

To attach importance to, raise awareness about, and effectively carry out the rapid development of human resources, especially high-quality ones. To develop human resources in all stages of training, attraction and use.

- Training: To increase investment in education and training, health and culture for improving people’s intellectual standards and health and increasing the rate of trained workforce. To increase retraining for business managers, and re-arrange, and improve the qualifications of, state management officers. To expand vocational training in appropriate forms and adopt vocational training policies for people subject to change to non- agricultural occupations. To create mechanisms to promote the development of vocational training institutions to provide high-quality training. To study and introduce policies to support skill and knowledge training for farmers and medium- and small-sized enterprises to acquire market and legal information and apply scientific and technological advances, etc.

- Human resource attraction and use: To issue specific regimes and policies for attracting talented people and technical workers to permanently work in localities, rural, deep-lying, remote and island areas. To adopt policies to provide more supports for local students studying at universities and vocational schools and sign contracts with them so that they return to their native places to work after graduation. To encourage foreign specialists and scientists and overseas Vietnamese to advise on socio-economic development issues of each locality and the entire region.

5. Science and technology:

- To strengthen the scientific and technological potential of localities in the region. To invest central budget funds in building physical foundations for science and technology establishments in the region. To mobilize different capital sources for the implementation of scientific and technological projects during 2011-2020 (which must not exceed 2% of GDP), as a basis for development in the subsequent period.

- To renew, and improve the efficiency of, scientific and technological activities and the mechanism on coordination among ministries, sectors and localities in carrying out science and technology research, application and transfer activities.

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- To issue policies to attract, and improve the quality of, human resources for science and technology, and technology application policies.

6. International, inter-regional and intra-regional cooperation:

- International cooperation: To enhance cooperation with Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries for effectively tapping and using the water source of Mekong river for agricultural development, fishing and aquaculture, and limiting the adverse impacts of flood and flow changes when building irrigation works upstream. To promote cross-border trade, develop border-gate economic zones and marketplaces in these economic zones and border marketplaces, and build transport and electricity supply networks between Vietnamese and Cambodian localities. To cooperate with ASEAN countries in the fields of tourism, oil and gas exploitation, etc.

- Inter-regional cooperation: To expand cooperation in industrial development, training, health, tourism, scientific research and technology transfer, and labor between localities in the region and other localities nationwide, especially Ho Chi Minh City.

- To make and implement plans on comprehensive socio-economic development cooperation and linkage among localities and enterprises in the region. To step up cooperation among localities in the fields of investment promotion and creation of incentive mechanisms and policies for investment attraction; to build raw-material zones, develop processing industry and products with export advantages, build brands for products and expand their outlet markets; to build regional solid waste treatment works and water supply systems and inter-provincial roads; to set up tours for exploiting comparative advantages and specific conditions of each locality; to ensure coordinated exploitation, use and protection of water resources.

Article 2. Organization and supervision of the master plan implementation

1. The master plan, after being approved by the Prime Minister, serves as a basis for the formulation, adjustment, approval and implementation of sectoral development master plans and master plans on socio-economic development of localities in the region.

2. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with other ministries, sectors and localities in the region in:

- Publicizing the master plan and organizing investment promotion, public information and advertising activities to engage domestic and foreign investors and different economic sectors in the implementation of the master plan;

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- Studying and proposing mechanisms and policies to enhance linkage and coordination among localities in the region. Assuming the prime responsibility for, and coordinating with related ministries and sectors in, calling for investment in the region’s key projects.

3. Related ministries and sectors shall:

Formulate or adjust and submit for approval sectoral master plans and master plans on key fields and products in the region in line with the development objectives, tasks and orientations stated in Article 1 of this Decision.

Study, formulate and submit to competent state agencies for promulgation specific mechanisms and policies for successfully accomplishing the objectives and tasks set out in the master plan.

Coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in organizing and supervising the implementation of the master plan, and supervise the implementation of key regional-level investment programs and projects in priority order in the fields under their respective management with a view to promoting the regional socio-economic development.

Below are specific tasks of ministries and sectors:

a/ The Ministry of Transport shall:

- Direct the construction and completion of important transport works in the region, such as the project on Quan Chanh Bo canal’s navigable channel, Trung Luong-My Thuan-Can Tho expressway, new Phu Quoc international airport; the project on upgrading the Cho Gao canal; the project on the southern coastal corridor road, and Cao Lanh, Vam Cong, Nam Can and Co Chien bridges, etc.

- Study the construction of a seaport for receiving ships of 30,000­50,000 DWT to meet the region’s practical needs and suit its financial capacity. Propose mechanisms for raising capital for large transport development projects in the region.

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c/ The Ministry of Education and Training shall:

- Study and propose mechanisms and policies to boost linkage between training institutions and enterprises employing trained human resources; create conditions for universities in the region to modernize their physical foundations and develop their lecturers and training curricula to be on par with those of advanced countries in the region.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors and Can Tho city in, building Can Tho city into a high- quality human resource training center for the entire region.

d/ The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall:

Direct the construction of electricity centers and electricity supply networks in the region according to schedule and planning. Direct and coordinate with related localities in building wholesale marketplaces and regional-level trade centers.

Coordinate with other ministries and sectors in formulating a strategy for development of Vietnamese product and goods trademarks to serve economic development, especially expansion of export markets, so that Vietnamese commodities will be competitive in the process of international economic integration.

dd/ The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related localities in, responding to climate change and sea level rise; protecting and exploiting natural resources, controlling and remedying pollution, and improving the environment in association with green growth and biodiversity conservation; protecting and rationally exploiting water sources; protecting national parks and nature reserves. Guide and direct localities in the region in formulating land use master plans and plans to prepare land areas for relevant programs and projects for the master plan implementation.

e/ The Ministry of Construction shall plan, inspect and supervise the construction of hazardous waste treatment sites, cemeteries and regional-level water supply systems; coordinate with localities in building water drainage and wastewater treatment systems, and step by step tackle inundation in urban centers.

g/ The Ministry of Science and Technology shall direct and coordinate in science and technology development and application in the region; build and increase scientific and technological potential for scientific research and training institutions in the region.

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i/ The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall direct and coordinate with related localities in building vocational centers, especially regional-level high-qualification training centers.

k/ The Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region shall direct, examine and urge ministries, sectors and localities to perform under the approved master plan their tasks concerning socio-economic development, security and national defense assurance, ethnic and religious affairs, and building of the political system in the region.

4. The People’s Committees of the provinces and city in the region shall:

- Coordinate with ministries and sectors in organizing investment promotion, public information and advertising activities to attract domestic and foreign investors and different economic sectors to participate in the master plan implementation.

- The provinces and city in the region shall take the initiative in reviewing detailed master plans and investment programs and projects; integrate this master plan into 5-year and annual socio-economic development plans in line with the objectives and tasks stated in this Decision.

- Supervise and examine the implementation of development investment projects in the region according to their assigned functions and report implementation results to the Prime Minister.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4. The chairpersons of the People’s Committees of the provinces and centrally run city in the region, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and heads of government-attached agencies shall implement this Decision.

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PRIME MINISTER




Nguyen Tan Dung

APPENDIX

LIST OF PROJECTS PRIORITIZED FOR INVESTMENT STUDY IN THE MEKONG DELTA KEY ECONOMIC REGION THROUGH 2020
(To the Prime Minister's Decision No. 245/QD-TTg of February 12, 2014)

No.

TITLES OF PROJECTS

I

Transport

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My Thuan-Can Tho expressway

Upgrading and expanding national highway 1, Can Tho-Nam Can section

Ho Chi Minh road, the section from Vam Cong (An Giang) to Dat Mui (Ca Mau)

Completing the upgrading and renovation of national highway 63 linking Ca Mau and Kien Giang

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Upgrading and renovating national highway N1, Duc Hue-Chau Doc (An Giang) section

Studying the construction of the Can Tho-Chau Doc (An Giang) expressway)

Southern coastal roads

Building the Lo Te (Can Tho)-Rach Soi (Kien Giang) expressway

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Building Nam Can bridge, Ca Mau

Building Long Binh bridge, An Giang

2

Seaways and seaports

Building Duong Dong seaport, Kien Giang

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Upgrading An Thoi port (Phu Quoc, Kien Giang)

3

Inland waterways

Upgrading and expanding the Can Tho port cluster

Upgrading and renovating My Thoi port (An Giang)

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Dredging the Cua Lon river channel through Bo De estuary, Ca Mau

Dredging the Rach Gia waterway channel to Ca Mau

Building Tan Chau port, An Giang

Upgrading and renovating Binh Long port, An Giang

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Upgrading and renovating Ong Doc port, Ca Mau

4

Airway

Upgrading and renovating Ca Mau airport

Upgrading and renovating Rach Gia airport

II

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O Mon electricity center

Kien Luong thermo-power center

Phu Quoc thermo-power plant

Kien Luong-Thot Not dual-circuit electric line

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III

Agricultural and rural development projects

Embankments to protect the border and Vinh Xuong international border gate, An Giang

Embankments to prevent landslides of, and protect, riverine areas in Long Xuyen, An Giang

An investment project to build the western sea dike system

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Regional warehouse for paddy and rice in An Giang

Projects on infrastructure for aquaculture, fishing ports and storm shelters in coastal localities in the region

Upgrading the Mekong Delta Rice Institute in Can Tho

Building a fisheries research institute in Can Tho

IV

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Industrial park and information technology business incubator in Can Tho

Upgrading Can Tho University

General and specialized hospitals in the provinces and city

Region-IV Political-Administrative Institute in Can Tho

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Regional physical training and sports center in Can Tho

Building a biotechnology institute in Can Tho

An oil refinery (annual capacity of 2 million tons) in O Mon, Can Tho

A hi-tech industrial park in Can Tho

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Regional-level warehouses and distribution centers in Can Tho

A project to raise productivity and quality of products and goods of Can Tho city’s small- and medium-sized enterprises

A defense economic zone in the Long Xuyen quadrangle and sea and island areas

Note: The locations, sizes, land areas and total investment amounts of the above works and projects will be calculated, selected and specified in the stages of formulation and submission of investment projects, depending on the capacity of balancing and raising investment capital in each period.-

1 Công Báo Nos 233-234 (28/02/2014)

Quyết định 245/QĐ-TTg năm 2014 phê duyệt Quy hoạch tổng thể phát triển kinh tế - xã hội vùng kinh tế trọng điểm vùng Đồng bằng sông Cửu Long đến năm 2020, định hướng đến năm 2030 do Thủ tướng Chính phủ ban hành