Thanh made the request during a meeting on November 25 to verify the planning of the southern region for the 2021-2030 period with a vision towards 2050.
Speaking at the meeting, the Deputy PM highlighted the importance of the Mekong Delta, which accounts for 19% of Vietnam’s population and produces 95% of its rice exports.
The region also accounts for 60% of Vietnam’s fishery exports and 70% of the country’s fruit output.
However, he noted that the region’s economic potential has yet to be fully tapped due to inadequate investment in infrastructure, especially in transport. As such, the regional plan will be the foundation to orient its development in the coming years.
Over the next five years, several expressways, with a total length of 400 kilometres, will be built in the Mekong Delta while Can Tho Airport and other roads, waterways and seaports will be expanded to facilitate economic development.
Deputy PM Thanh added that the Mekong Delta plan should include measures to cope with climate change and sea level rise, as well as other elements such as social security, culture, and historical sites.
