The forum was co-organised by the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission (PCCEC), the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the People’s Committees of eight cities and provinces in the region, including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Tien Giang and Long An. It attracted the participation of over 500 businesses from within the region.
Addressing the event, Cao Duc Phat, deputy head of the PCCEC, said that the southeast region accounts for 40% of the GDP and contributes nearly 60% of the State budget. It has also recorded the highest economic growth and the fastest rate of urbanisation.
However, he noted that the region’s economic development has not yet fully met its potential and advantages due to a number of shortcomings in the infrastructure system, a lack of intra-regional links, and the absence of an effective mechanism in order to realise policies and documents on the region’s development.
Sharing the same view, VCCI President Vu Tien Loc pointed out that the development strategy, infrastructure and human resources, as well as coordination among the businesses in the region, are all in need of improvement.
Delegates at the forum suggested that each locality in the southeast region should work out its own development strategy in line with the growth of the entire region, while stepping up economic restructuring and strengthening intra-region economic links in order to optimise the region’s advantages.
On the occasion, the organising board held an award ceremony to honour 37 businesses and enterprises in the region in recognition of their outstanding operating performance, as well as their contributions to the regional socio-economic development over the past year.
