General Secretary To Lam highlighted and expressed concern regarding a number of persistent, multi-year problems facing the city. He called upon the congress to discuss these issues, formulate feasible solutions, and ensure their resolute execution during the term.
General Secretary To Lam praised Ho Chi Minh City, affirming its persistent role as a growth engine and a pole of innovation. He noted that across many previous terms, the city has successfully implemented and organized numerous Party policies and guidelines, boldly taking the lead in innovation and the creation of new mechanisms. The Politburo and the Secretariat have subsequently researched these models and used them as a foundation for nationwide development.
The General Secretary commented that Ho Chi Minh City - a large locality, converges all economic sectors and fields of the whole country, there is no weak field in Ho Chi Minh City and expressed his hope that Ho Chi Minh City will continue to promote its tradition and regain its position. He believes that as the center of innovation, Ho Chi Minh City will certainly have many policies and practical guidelines to continue to be researched, applied, and organized for implementation by the Central Government nationwide.
The General Secretary also affirmed the necessity of prioritizing the people's central position in all policies and actions undertaken by the Party Committee and government of HCMC. He stated that the highest measure of leadership effectiveness and political governance capacity must be the people's happiness, satisfaction, and trust. This approach requires the extensive practice of socialist democracy, ensuring the public's right to know, discuss, act, inspect, and benefit. Simultaneously, the city must promote the strength of national solidarity and actively arouse the pride, patriotic tradition, self-reliance, and the spirit of innovation and creativity among all city dwellers.
To transform Ho Chi Minh City into a premier financial, technological, and service hub in Southeast Asia and Asia, as well as a key center for international logistics, aimed at fostering smart, modern, and sustainable development, the General Secretary stated that the foremost priority is to finalize the planning and redesign the development landscape based on multipolar thinking. This involves integrating and coordinating operations through a multi-center model to effectively allocate resources and enhance operational efficiency.
The General Secretary underscored that this represents a new challenge of critical importance. Any delay in the city's progress will result in a loss of development opportunities. Consequently, it is imperative for Ho Chi Minh City to commence implementation without delay.
The city must accelerate the restructuring of its economy, prioritizing science and technology as well as innovation as key tasks. It should enhance digital transformation and implement substantial and effective green transitions, while improving labor productivity. There is a strong commitment to achieving a high rate of GRDP growth during the 2025-2030 period. Furthermore, it is essential to develop a modern urban governance model for managing public services, aiming for a transparent and efficient digital government that serves as the foundation for a smart city, the General Secretary stated.
The General Secretary also expressed concern over long-standing unresolved issues. He stressed that during the current term, Ho Chi Minh City must engage in thorough deliberation and demonstrate the resolve to implement solutions. The city must report back to the Party Committee, its members, and the people of the city to finalize the approach for solving four immediate, practical, and highly visible societal issues that require urgent attention.
Specifically, Ho Chi Minh City must resolve the issue of traffic congestion. He warned that failure to do so would turn the city’s advantages into a bottleneck, deterring tourists, discouraging investors from committing capital, and negatively impacting the daily lives of citizens.
The second issue is flooding in the city, the General Secretary said. According to the General Secretary, it is unacceptable for residents to be anxious about flooding every rainy season. He stated that the government has invested in and implemented flood control projects. However, currently, in addition to rainfall, climate change, rising sea levels, and high tides are exacerbating the flooding situation, disrupting the daily lives of the citizens. The General Secretary emphasized that the congress should focus on thoroughly discussing this issue and affirmed that central agencies will support the city in addressing it during this term. He urged to solve the matter soon.
Referring to the issue of environmental pollution, the General Secretary stated he could not be satisfied with the daily reports detailing the city's poor pollution situation. He strongly emphasized that the city ought not to trade environment for growth.
Another important task noted by the General Secretary is for Ho Chi Minh City to focus on building a civilized city - specifically, a city free of drugs. He stressed that fundamentally solving these issues requires determination from the government, the political system, and the Party Committee, and city dwellers' advocacy.
The General Secretary requested that the congress set specific decisions and achieve measurable goals. These measurable results are essential so the people can effectively accompany, monitor, and ultimately benefit from these changes.
