At the 20th conference session of the 10th Ho Chi Minh City People's Council which opened this morning, Mr. Duong Ngoc Hai reported on the proposal regarding the draft resolution to support loan interest for projects and plans that have been approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to participate in the city's investment promotion program but have not been allocated capital yet.
Attending the conference session were Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Van Mai, and Standing Vice Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai. The conference was chaired by Chairwoman of the HCMC People’s Council Nguyen Thi Le, Vice Chairmen of the People’s Council of the city Pham Thanh Kien, and Huynh Thanh Nhan.
According to the report by Mr. Duong Ngoc Hai, the funds needed to implement the investment stimulus program and the policy to encourage urban agriculture development is VND494.67 billion (US$19.49 million), and an additional capital for 2024 of VND277.66 billion.
The city's People's Committee has approved 38 projects participating in the investment promotion program, with a total investment of over VND3,375 billion since January 1, 2020. Of this figure, the city gave interest rate subsidies for loans of more than VND1,956 billion.
Of these, 30 projects have been implemented with a total investment of over VND2,622 billion, including a total loan amount requesting interest rate support of more than VND1,551 billion. The total capital received interest rate support for the projects until the end of 2024 was estimated at VND238 billion and around VND445.677 billion for the 7-year investment promotion program.
Regarding the plans to participate in the agricultural restructuring program in the city, there are 200 plans with a total approved investment capital of VND461,255 billion, including the total approved loan of VND294,575 billion. The interest subsidy scheme for these plans until the end of 2024 is estimated to total VND39.564 billion and VND48.994 billion by the end of the approved support period.
In her opening speech, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, Nguyen Thi Le said that the session will examine and decide important contents, especially a comprehensive assessment of the economic, cultural, social, and national defense-security situation in 2024, and the city’s tasks in 2025.
The delegates will focus on discussing and reviewing resolutions related to various fields, including the economy, urban development, culture, social affairs, education, healthcare, staffing, and organizational structure of administrative agencies in the coming time.
In recent times, the city has maintained growth momentum and the recovery and development of key industries as well as nearly completed the major goals and tasks for 2024. This year’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) is expected to achieve around 7.17 percent.
Regarding the 2024 state budget revenue collection, Ho Chi Minh City is striving to reach more than VND502,000 billion (US$19.8 billion), up 12 percent compared to last year, contributing 27 percent of the national State budget collection. Export turnover reached US$46.9 billion, increasing by 10.4 percent.
Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro line (Metro Line 1) is ready to be put into operation, and the progress in the land clearance of the Ring Road 3 project has nearly finished. Poverty reduction has met the set targets. Social housing programs and the progress of removing and relocating houses along the Doi and Xuyen Tam canals have continued to be implemented urgently.
Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, Nguyen Thi Le emphasized nine key tasks and solutions that need to be implemented in 2025, including improving the qualify of growth and the living standards of the people, restructuring key industries associated with increasing productivity, quality, and efficiency, accelerating the progress of important infrastructure projects and promoting green transformation and digital transformation, streamlining the organizational structure, combating corruption, wastefulness and negativity, solving existing problems, strengthening and consolidating national defense and security, and enhancing the effectiveness of foreign relations and international integration.
She suggested delegates thoroughly study and consider the reports and proposals from the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee.
The HCMC People's Committee's reports and proposals presented at the session include the total public investment capital plan for 2025 of more than VND84,200 billion; a proposal to increase the price of medical examination services by 20 percent; specific policies to support tuition fees for preschool children, public and non-public high school students, and continuing education students in the 2024-2025 academic year; a construction project of the Southern Resistance Monument located at September 23 Park worth over VND106 billion from 2024 to 2026.
