The HCMC People’s Committee hosted a conference with representatives from the People’s Committees of the Southeast region provinces and Long An Province on the morning of January 15.
The conference was attended by Mr. Phan Van Mai, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, and Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee; Mr. Bui Xuan Cuong, Vice Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee; and leaders from Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai, Long An, Tay Ninh, and Ba Ria–Vung Tau provinces.
Call for a regional infrastructure development fund
At the conference, Chairman Phan Van Mai of the HCMC People's Committee highlighted the urgency of propelling the nation into a new era. He noted that the Red River Delta and Southeast region are expected to contribute at least 50 percent of the GDP and national budget, with the potential to reach 60 percent through increased focus and collaboration. To achieve this, HCMC and its neighboring provinces in the Southeast, including Long An, must act swiftly to fulfill their critical role.
Mr. Phan Van Mai called on attendees to discuss and reach a consensus on key priorities for immediate action. Among these, he underscored the need for a regional development fund—an idea proposed long ago but not yet realized. He stressed that the conference should address how the Southeast region can take on a leading role in advancing the nation into this new era. He called on provinces in the Southeast region and Long An Province to focus on shared, significant goals, foster unity, and take immediate and decisive action to achieve swift results, joining the entire nation in embarking on an era of development and prosperity.
At the conference, leaders from various provinces and cities discussed and proposed numerous strategies for regional development. Key topics included creating special mechanisms and policies for the region, improving transportation infrastructure, and establishing a regional development fund.
Dr. Truong Minh Huy Vu, Director of the HCMC Institute for Development Studies, highlighted that while regional planning has been established, the main issue remains the lack of investment and funding policies for the region.
“To achieve double-digit growth across the entire region, there are only two approaches: increasing the scale of investment and improving investment efficiency. To expand investment, both public and private sector investments must increase. Therefore, a comprehensive regional investment and funding mechanism is essential, including the establishment of a regional investment fund,” said Dr. Truong Minh Huy Vu. He emphasized that for long-term development, the Southeast region must establish a regional infrastructure development fund.
Ms. Tran Tue Hien, Chairwoman of the Binh Phuoc Provincial People's Committee, emphasized that while localities have been proposing the creation of a regional infrastructure fund for several years, there is still no clear guidance on how to proceed. She proposed amending certain provisions of Decree 147 and updating the criteria for upgrading local development investment funds to provide the necessary foundation for establishing a regional infrastructure fund.
Mr. Vo Tan Duc, Chairman of Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee, suggested that HCMC and neighboring provinces continue to collaborate in improving regional infrastructure to create better living and working conditions for local residents. He called for swift completion of important projects such as Ring Road No.3, the Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway, and the groundbreaking of Ring Road No.4.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Vinh, Vice Chairman of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial People's Committee, proposed that in 2025, the provinces continue advocating for special mechanisms and policies for the region. He also recommended developing plans and cooperation regulations for implementing coastal road investments between 2025 and 2030 to support the growth of major seaports in the region. Furthermore, he highlighted the need to establish an oil and gas pipeline connecting Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Long An, and Dong Nai.
Strong cooperation, growing together
Concluding the meeting, Chairman Phan Van Mai affirmed that if the Southeast region strengthens its linkages and takes coordinated, effective actions, it will make a significant contribution to the development of each locality, the region, and the country. Highlighting the importance of collaboration, he urged localities to unite, develop together, work jointly, and address emerging issues collectively. He also suggested that regional cooperation should focus on key areas that impact socioeconomic development, including strategic infrastructure, human resources, and tourism.
Chairman Phan Van Mai emphasized the urgency of implementing the region’s strategic infrastructure projects, with particular attention to key expressway and beltway connections. He set the goal of completing the technical opening of Ring Road No.3 by early 2026, and finishing the entire route by the second quarter of 2026. He also pushed for presenting the Ring Road No.4 project to the National Assembly during the mid-year session. HCMC is committed to fulfilling its obligations for expressway connections.
He also supported the idea of creating a "green channel" for investors, viewing this as a breakthrough in regional investment. HCMC will work to have the National Assembly approve a resolution on special mechanisms and policies for the Southeast region at the mid-year session. Additionally, the city plans to form a task force for the Southeast region to implement the Politburo’s Resolution No.24.
HCMC will leverage the NA’s Resolution No.98/2023/QH15 to propose mechanisms for the Southeast region's infrastructure development fund. Regarding human resources training for the region, the city has completed a preliminary plan and is currently updating it with additional elements related to Resolution No.57 of the Politburo.
According to Mr. Tran Quang Lam, Director of the HCMC Department of Transport, in 2025, HCMC and the provinces in the Southeast region will cooperate on 16 key initiatives under the socioeconomic development cooperation agreement for the 2024–2025 period. These initiatives include completing the pre-feasibility study for the HCMC Ring Road No.4 project and submitting it for approval, along with developing and issuing special policies and mechanisms. Once the investment plan is approved, the project will proceed at an accelerated pace.
Additionally, the region will collaborate on studying and finalizing the route for the coastal road (Branch 2, connecting Can Gio International Transshipment Port (HCMC) to Phuoc An Port (Dong Nai Province), passing through Tien Giang, HCMC, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Dong Nai. This will be incorporated into relevant planning documents.
Efforts will also focus on addressing challenges and speeding up the implementation of the HCMC Ring Road No.3 component projects, and finalizing plans for transitioning to green energy buses. The region will collaborate to implement special policies and mechanisms for regional coordination and integration once the regional coordination council approves them. In 2025, the provinces in the Southeast region will also carry out 37 bilateral cooperation events.
