Da Nang has increasingly played a leading role in developing the central key economic zone, which has a particularly important position in spurring the socio-economic development strategy while ensuring national defence and security for both Central Coast and Central Highlands.

The master plan creates linkages to promote the development of the central key economic zone. Here is a view of the Hoang Sa - Vo Nguyen Giap - Truong Sa coastal route that connects with Quang Nam Province, forming a route to develop tourism - high-quality services for the 2 localities. Photo: TRIEU TUNG

Growth engine created

The key economic zone in Central Viet Nam comprises Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh. This zone holds a particularly important position in the socio-economic development strategy and ensures national defence and security for both the Central Coast and the Central Highlands, serving as an important bridge in boosting economic and cultural exchanges with the world.

Besides, this zone is an important transshipment point for goods with the Central Highlands provinces and the most convenient gateway to the sea for localities in southern Laos, northeast Thailand and northeast Cambodia through the East-West Economic Corridor.

The localities in the zone have, over the past years, actively coordinated with the national ministries to organise to develop 6 key areas, namely planning, formulating development mechanisms and policies, coordination in development investment, organising investment promotion and mobilising domestic and foreign investment capital, training and employment, building database of regional information system.

Over recent years, the central key economic zone has achieved important achievements in their economic growth journeys. In the 2001 - 2019 period, the average growth rate of GRDP of the whole zone has always been maintained at a high annual growth rate of 10.25%.

The 2011 - 2019 period also saw a significant decrease in growth rate compared to the previous period with 8.14%, but still higher than the national average annual growth rate of 6.2%. 

Da Nang has the highest annual economic growth rate in the zone, with an average of 12.05%, followed by Quang Nam Province with 11.58%. Quang Ngai Province  has achieved a fairly high annual economic growth rate in a long time, reaching 11.19% whilst Binh Dinh Province has recorded a growth rate of about 8.73%.

Da Nang and neighbouring province Quang Nam plan to develop Co Co River route in an attempt to promote economic growth of the 2 localities. Photo: TRIEU TUNG

New push from provincial, municipal planning

Da Nang is positioned as the centre and nucleus of the central key economic zone, and its role in regional linkages in the new period is even more important.

As shared by Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee Ho Ky Minh: “In a vision toward 2050, Da Nang shapes the link between Central Viet Nam and the Central Highlands regions through the East-West Economic Corridor, via roadways and seaways and especially airways. Da Nang is, therefore, accelerating investment flows into Lien Chieu Seaport and spurring the capacity of the Da Nang International Airport.

In his perspectives, Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee Le Tri Thanh affirmed that local development planning is not single but requires inter-regional connectivity, so it must be changed and made a difference.

He added that, Thua Thien Hue is strong in terms of tourism, Da Nang boasts strengths in calling for investment into hi-tech and IT industries and Quang Nam shows off its greta potential in mechanical industry, supporting industry and air transshipment.

According to Head of the Central Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh, the development and promulgation of mechanisms and policies and allocating resources for the zone is the key to opening the door to more linkages, substantive and sustainable development.

The Central Economic Commission is finalising the Project on summarizing Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW on socio-economic development and assurance of national defence and security in the North Central and Central Coast regions and advising the Politburo and the Secretariat on guidelines and orientations to develop them in the direction of regional linkage in the coming time.

Reporting by TRIEU TUNG - Translating by A.THU