Participants at the forum (Photo: SGGP)
Today, the forum about Establishing development linkages between Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta has seen the attendance of 250 participants including experts, businesses, and representatives of cooperatives.
Speaking at the opening of the forum, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai said that the southern metropolis and the Mekong Delta have development links in transport infrastructure, human resources, production and business chains, marine economy, energy - tourism - aviation connection, startup ecosystem and industrial linkages emphasizing that in the process of economic development, Ho Chi Minh City always appreciates the link with the provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta.
In terms of geo-economics, the Mekong region is rich in renewable energy resources with the advantage for the marine economy development and a healthy startup ecosystem, while Ho Chi Minh City is a major commercial center supplying 80 percent of the market in the Mekong Delta region.
Vice Chairman Vo Van Hoan visits a display booth at the forum (Photo: SGGP)
Chairman Mai added that especially, during the prolonged last fourth Covid-19 epidemic, this connection was promoted even more closely. The southern largest city and the Mekong Delta have shared experiences in epidemic prevention and control, medical resources, and human resources for the success in controlling the epidemic situation.
According to the Chairman, cooperation for mutual development between Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta is an urgent need. The HCMC leader hoped that this forum will not only create a great impetus and effectively restore socio-economic development of the whole region in general and each locality in particular, but also pave the way for expanded linkage with provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta.
In the context of the complicated development of the Covid-19 epidemic, with the simultaneous implementation of many goals, Chairman Mai expected the forum to be one of the activities for stakeholders to continue gathering many comments and initiatives of businesses, investors, scientists, domestic and foreign experts. He highly appreciated valuable recommendations to help Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta in cooperation and association to promote regional economic development.
Through this forum, Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta will have a closer association with each other, jointly building mechanisms and policies to attract inter-regional investment and development; therefore, the two places can fully exploit the potential and agricultural strengths of the region, mobilize the maximum internal and external resources, soon bring practical effects in sustainable socio-economic development.
Talking at the forum, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said that departments of agriculture and rural development in the Mekong Delta need a new approach to new trends. He noted the connection between farmers and enterprises.
According to Minister Hoan, it is presently necessary to integrate tangible elements with intangible values (culture, history of an entire land) not sell for the price as before.
Businessmen look for cooperation at the forum (Photo: SGGP)
Cluster models of industry linkages in agriculture and rural tourism also need attention. Localities do not only hunt for big investors but forget to welcome small investors.
He reminded that many of big companies in China develop from small factories in towns; therefore, it's time to pay more attention to regional and national brands.
Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat emphasized that in regional development linkages, it is necessary to develop on the basis of open innovation.
In the context of linking with Ho Chi Minh City or linking with the Southeast region, other regions, regions and territories, open innovation is the solution to mobilize maximum resources for development for the Mekong Delta.
Besides, a science and technology (S&T) market for the Mekong Delta should be necessarily developed with a focus on implementing a number of solutions to develop the S&T market in the direction of prioritizing budget investment to form the Mekong Delta technology and equipment trading floor and the equipment exchange floors in the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City will play a pivotal role in the development of the S&T market.
Intermediary organizations of the S&T market in the Mekong Delta region should be established to connect technology exchanges, S&T service organizations at research institutes, universities, enterprises with centers application and transfer of science and technology advances.
The southern metropolis and the Mekong Delta will implement measures to promote technology transfer, import hi-tech, advanced technology, clean technology placing priority on technologies from developed countries. First of all, the two places will focus on key export products of the region such as shrimp, pangasius, and rice.
