The following events have been selected by the Da Nang Newspaper as the top ten this year.

A prosperous corner of Da Nang viewed from above (Photo: Dang No)

1 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW) 2017: a comprehensive success

The APEC Economic Leaders’ Week (AELW) 2017, the culmination of Viet Nam’s year-long hosting of APEC meetings, took place successfully in Da Nang from 6 to 11 November.

The APEC’s member economies’ leaders posing for a group photo at the APEC Week 2017 (Photo: apec2017.vn)

AELW 2017 was attended by leaders of the 21 Pacific Rim member economies, official delegates, heads of the world’s largest economic groups, and reporters from international media agencies worldwide.
AELW 2017 marked a milestone in the city’s socio-economic progress and helped to shape the future of Da Nang.  By hosting this large-scale international event, the city had a strategic opportunity to secure its position in the national and global arena.

The great success of the large-scale international event showcased a high level of consensus and solidarity between the city authorities and local residents, as well as helped to convey the message that Da Nang is a young, dynamic, creative city full of special time-honoured traditions.

2 Celebrating 20 years of recognising centrally-governed city

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc addressing the grand ceremony (Photo: Van No)

A grand ceremony took place at the Tien Son Sports Arena on 31 December, to mark the 20th anniversary of Da Nang’s recognition as a centrally-governed city on 1 January 1997.

Over the past 2 decades, Da Nang has recorded numerous significant achievements in all local aspects. 

Most notably, the city has seen rapid growth with a shift in the city’s economic structure towards the right direction of service-industry-agriculture.  The city has reached new heights as its economic scale, and its average per capita income, rose by 2.5 times and over 14 times respectively.  Furthermore, local defence and security has been secured, and numerous practical and humanitarian activities, along with social welfare policies, have been implemented effectively across the city.

During his speech at the celebration event for the city, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the municipal authorities and locals to build Da Nang into a smart and start-up city in the years ahead.

3 Former Transport Minister Truong Quang Nghia appointed as Da Nang Party Committee Secretary

Municipal Party Committee Secretary Truong Quang Nghia being congratulated by municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Vo Cong Tri (right) and People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho (left) at the appointment decision announcement ceremony (Photo: Viet Dung)

On 7 October, Mr Truong Quang Nghia, a member of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and the former Minister of Transport, started taking office as the Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee for the 2015 - 2020 tenure, following the Politburo’s decision.

Secretary vowed to joint his efforts with the Standing Board and the Executive Committee of the municipal Party Committee to fulfill all their assigned duties. 

4 Positive results from domestic and foreign investment attraction

Workers inside a local factory (Photo: Thanh Lan)

At the 2017 Da Nang Investment Forum in mid-October on the sidelines of the recent APEC Week, the city authorities granted investment registration licences, investment research registration permits, and related papers to 25 projects worth over 35,000 billion VND.

By late this year, the city is likely to have attracted a total FDI capital of 111.9 million US$, which is 6.5 times higher than last year.  Thanks to this, the total number of FDI projects in the city has to date reached 546 totalling 3.01 billion US$. 

The city authorities are also likely to have granted investment licences to 20 new domestic projects totalling over nearly 25,000 billion VND.  This, thereby, has brought the total number of such projects to date to over 3,000 totalling 97,000 billion VND.

Next year’s top priority will be given to appealing for even more domestic and foreign investment into the city’s all aspects.

5 Total budget collections exceeding this year’s estimates by 11.9%

A chart of the city budget collection and spending data (The infographic by Anh Chung)

By the end of this year, the total of tax collected in the city is likely to have hit over 23,379 billion VND, exceeding the year’s estimates set by the city by 11.9%, and that set by the national government by 12.1%. 

The city’s total spending is likely to surpass 15,805 billion VND.

The city is likely to have earned 19.403 trillion VND in revenue from tourism, up 20.6% against last year, surpassing the year’s estimates set by the city by 4.9%.

So far this year, about 6.6 million visitors are predicted to have come to the city, up 19% against last year and 4.8% higher than this year’s target.

6 Positive results recorded from city's 4 Safe Programme' campaign

A local police officer to perform a check over a road user (Photo: Ngoc Phu)

Since the start of this year, thanks to the joint great efforts by the Da Nang authorities and local residents, the ‘City of 4 Safe Programme’ campaign has recorded remarkable achievements.

Compared with last year, this year is likely to have seen a decrease in the number of criminal cases, and the volume of accidents, deaths and injuries.  In particular, the positive results are attributed to more effective management of food safety and hygiene, and the implementation of social welfare programmes.

Moreover, a total of 1,155 the city budget-funded surveillance cameras have been installed across the locality in order to monitor and deal with both traffic and security violations, whilst 22,000 others, funded by local organisations and individuals, have also been placed along major local streets, public locations and at residential areas.

With regard to social welfare programmes, over 43 billion VND from the city budget has gone to help a total of 1,430 social policy families build new houses or repair their downgraded ones.

Also, a total of 22,000 people who gave great service in the national revolution have received regular allowances funded from the city budget.

7 Many key projects put into use

A view of a road tunnel at the intersection of Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Tri Phuong streets (Photo: Minh Son)

The upgrade of some local traffic congestion hotspots has been completed.  A over 137 billion VND road tunnel a tunnel taking Tran Phu under the busy junction with Le Duan, and another one, valued at 120 billion VND, at the intersection of Dien Bien Phu and Nguyen Tri Phuong streets have already been put into use.

Key infrastructure facilities where many events took place in the framework of the APEC summit week have also been refurbished.  Most notable are the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, the International Press Media, the Ariyana Convention and Exhibition Centre (ADECC) at the Furama Resort Danang, the Tien Son Sports Arena, the Sheraton Hotel and the new international passenger terminal at the Da Nang International Airport.  

In addition, 30 local major streets where the delegates passed through during AELW have already been refurbished.

8 Tightening the management of urban affairs and construction investment activities

The unlicensed Bien Tien Sa eco-tourism area project (Photo: DNO reporters)

So far this year, the local authorities have dealt with the problem of the unlicensed construction projects.  Amongst them are the Bien Tien Sa eco-tourism area and Central Coast projects, both in Son Tra District, plus a complex of at least 6 houses, featuring classical Chinese-style architectural designs, in Cam Le District.

The local authorities have vowed to impose stricter penalties for anyone found to be negligent or in part responsible for the recent construction violations in order to make sure that such matters of deep concern never happen in the city again.

9 Dien Hai Citadel recognised as special national-level relic site

Cannons on display at the Museum of Da Nang (Photo: Van Thanh Le)

The Dien Hai Citadel has been recognised as a special national-level relic site, following official approval by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The happy news has been mainly attributed to the great efforts made by the city authorities in preserving and upholding the citadel’s special architectural and its historical values.

Since the start of this year, a total of 80 local families living near the citadel’s western walls have moved out of the site to their new residential areas.  In addition, the construction of a storage centre in the northern side of the citadel has also halted.

Furthermore, the municipal government has given the go-head to the implementation of a research project featuring the restoration and embellishment of the citadel itself.  The project will be divided into 2 stages: 2017 - 2019 and 2019 - 2021 periods.  The 2 stages will feature seminars and talks to collect opinions from cultural experts about recreating garrisons, food and weapons storehouses, flag poles, and a watch tower as in the past, and about other related issues.

10 Re-arrangement of local residential quarters and State management agencies

A working session of the municipal People’s Council (Photo: Quoc Khai)

Thanks to effective re-arrangement plans, the current number of local residential quarters in the city is 2,784, only half of the initial number.  The streamlining of residential quarters aims to effectively promote the implementation of the ‘City of 4 Safe Programme’ campaign and the ‘Culture and Urban Civilisation’ programme, and a project for building Da Nang into an environmentally friendly city.

By 2020, the total number of the city’s State management agencies will also have been decreased by 21, as part of the ongoing project for restructuring and renewing the performance of State management agencies over the 2017 -2020 period.