HCMC must become special economic zone, city party chief

HCMC must and will persist with building municipal government model to more contribute to the country’s development, become a special economic zone (SEZ) instead of building many SEZs in the city and have a dynamic mechanism to create regional connectivity, said HCMC Party Committee Secretary Dinh La Thang on March 27.

HCMC must and will persist with building municipal government model to more contribute to the country’s development, become a special economic zone (SEZ) instead of building many SEZs in the city and have a dynamic mechanism to create regional connectivity, said HCMC Party Committee Secretary Dinh La Thang on March 27.

Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Pham Thanh Kien states at the conference (Photo: SGGP)
Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Pham Thanh Kien states at the conference (Photo: SGGP)

At the 10th committee’s 4th session, Mr. Thang said that HCMC had been far lagging behind many cities of Southeast Asian nations.

The city leads Vietnam in budget contribution but it also leads in other unworthy problems such as traffic jam, flooding and crime, he added
 
According to Mr. Thang, the city has even been inferior to other provinces in important norms including provincial competitive index.
 
HCMC has many advantages such as abundant labor resources with a crowded intellectual staff, advantageous geographic position and magnanimous revolutionary tradition, however, it has yet to develop successfully, he said
 
Mr. Thang wondered if the city has tried its best and lacked the indomitability and solidarity that used to be promoted during wars.

A view of the conference (Photo: SGGP)
A view of the conference (Photo: SGGP)

HCMC should not satisfy with the slight increase in economic growth every year but have higher and farer aspiration to boost the city’s development. Each party committee and member should positively change their thought and awareness to follow this aspiration, he asked.
 
Agreeing with this year key measures and missions for the city presented by the civil affairs board of the HCMC People’s Committee at the conference, Mr. Thang said the measures were still not enough and he urged local authorities to absolutely exploit the powers that the central government has delegated to the city, including the Politburo’s Resolution 16 on directions and missions to develop HCMC by 2020.
 
Basing on the resolution, HCMC should quickly build a breakthrough mechanism and proposed the central government to further decentralize to the city. HCMC cannot “wear the same shirt” as other remote provinces.
 
In the current situation, the city must build a specific management mechanism. Instead of imitating other provinces, it should follow the positive sides of them as well as other cities in the world.
 
He prompted the city to delete “ask for and give” mechanism in management and executive and make public administrative apparatus transparent, serving citizens and businesses unconditionally.

 
Of these, authorized agencies should speed up building e-government to create transparency and limit direct contact between civil servants and residents and businesses to exterminate negative and harassing manifestations.

HCMC Party Committee Secretary Dinh La Thang (2nd, L) talks to other city leaders at the conference (Photo: SGGP)
HCMC Party Committee Secretary Dinh La Thang (2nd, L) talks to other city leaders at the conference (Photo: SGGP)

Concerning administrative reform, Mr. Thang proposed building serving administrative system, maintaining the operation of telephond hot lines to solve problems and proposals of residents.
 
They should supply the press with information obviously and publicly so that it can supervise civil servants and officials creating a development motive power for the society.
 
Works must be intensified to keep public order, suppress criminals and promote responsibilities of grassroots forces to synchronously implement measures including short and long terms for a peaceful and civilized city.
 
Thinking that food safety and hygiene is one of the most concerns of citizens now, Mr. Thang asked the People’s Committee leader to study establishment of an agency directly under the committee to oversee this issue.
 
The People’s Committee leader must tighten management over chemical markets, slaughter houses and farming zones and raise the responsibility of market inspectors to ensure food safety and hygiene.

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