Q: How do you assess the role of building the city named after Uncle Ho in national reconstruction, development and defence 40 years after liberation day?
A: The Politburo issued Resolution No. 01 on developing HCM City in September, 1982 – seven years after southern liberation and national reunification. As the Doi Moi (renovation) process was getting more comprehensive and intensive, the Politburo promulgated Resolution No. 20 in November 2002 and then Resolution No. 16 in August 2012, mapping out directions and tasks for developing the city until 2020. HCM City authorities and citizens have made unceasing efforts to realise such significant strategic orientations. The municipal Party Committee has fully embraced the development of the socialist-oriented market economy, bravely tested new mechanisms and policies to remove difficulties and boost production, and unceasingly improved the investment environment to attract resources for development.
The city has recorded consistently high economic growth over the past years, with its GDP accounting for 21% of the country’s total and 30% of the state budget. The city’s average GDP per capital has reached over US$5,000 with the number of poor households falling by 1.35%, and the proportion of near-poor households at just 2.78%. The city has always maintained political stability in every situation, manifested in ensured social security and order and strengthened national defence, while paying attention to launching patriotic emulation movements, developing human resources and promoting social progress and equality.
Despite the inevitable difficulties in implementing the Party’s renovation guideline, HCM City has made unceasing efforts and obtained outstanding and comprehensive achievements, creating radical changes in social life and contributing significantly to the country’s common achievements. These accomplishments have affirmed the Party’s renovation and marked the maturity in the city’s leadership and management capacity, thus enhancing the power of the national unity bloc and creating a premise for further development in the next periods.
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A corner of Ho Chi Minh City
Q: What do you think about HCM City’s status and position today?
A: The Politburo Resolution No. 16 dated August 2012 identified HCM City as a special city; a centre for economics, education and training, science and technology, and culture; an international exchange and integration hub; and a driving force of the southern key economic zone. The city’s position and role in the region and throughout the country have been increasingly affirmed, contributing actively to improving the country’s socialist-oriented market economy institutions and international economic integration.
The municipal authorities and local citizen are making great efforts to construct, defend and develop a civilised and modern city with a pioneering role in the national industrialisation and modernisation cause, and increasing contributions to the region and the country, contributing actively to making Vietnam a modern industrialised country.
Q: How do you assess HCM City’s process to become a special city?
A: The city faced a lot of difficulties and challenges in the first 10 years after liberation, with how to satisfy General Secretary Le Duan’s request to build HCM City as a strong city in all fields – a socialist city with modern industrial and agricultural structures, advanced culture and science, and a modern and civilised city in Southeast Asia.
With a stable political base, deep patriotism, unity and creativity, the municipal authorities and people have made breakthroughs, removed obstacles and gradually overcome the hindrances of the old system, contributing actively to forming the Party’s new guideline. The city has piloted many models to remove difficulties and create favourable conditions for boosting business and production, thereby making significant contribution to the renovation to be discussed at the sixth National Party Congress.
Q: As the head of the city, what are your concerns now?
A: With the city's position, role and potential, as well as compared to the growth of cities in the region, there is still much more work to be done. I'm still concerned about limitations and weaknesses in the city's management and operation. Many issues need to be addressed such as the competitiveness of the city's economy; planning, management and urban development; flooding; traffic congestion and accidents; quality of the human resources; hospital overload; food safety; and administrative procedures reform, among others.
These issues have been seriously considered by the municipal Party Committee in the spirit of the Resolution from the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s fourth session (11th tenure) on urgent issues in Party building.
The city Party Committee has also set out several concrete solutions in order to help the city overcome difficulties and develop in a fast and sustainable manner. Economic development should accompany social progress and justice. As the city is integrating deeper into the regional and global economy, work must be done to preserve national cultural identity, especially in maintaining the role and the leadership of the Party.
Q: Ho Chi Minh City is approaching the target of industrialisation and modernisation, how much work should be done to help the city to increase its leading role in economic growth?
A: The Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has to bear in mind that the revolutionary cause of the city only moves when all officials and Party members stay close to the people, and believe in and respect people in order to build the political system.
For years, despite limitations, shortcomings and weaknesses, the municipal Party Committee has always listened to people, self-regulated and overcome difficulties, earning the trust and support from the people.
The city needs to promote best practices from experience.
First, the city needs to pay attention to the guidelines and direction of the Party while committing to innovative thinking, progressively improving management, and actively contributing to improving institutional mechanisms and policies by proposing new models.
Second, they should wholeheartedly care for people's lives; build the national unity bloc; believe, respect and learn from people; promote the people's strength; generate social consensus and voluntary participation of the people in implementing in the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws.
Third, be aware of the role and position of the city; maintain political stability in all circumstances; promote socio-cultural and economic co-operation in an effective and practical manner with provinces and cities nationwide, and active in international integration.
Fourth, pursue rapid and sustainable growth and economic growth in line with cultural development, develop human resources and social progress and justice, and focus on environmental protection.
Fifth, build a strong Party committee; enhance leadership capacity of the Party; build a staff with qualification and competence, wholeheartedly serving the country and the people; always preserve solidarity and consensus to successfully implement all assigned tasks.
The responsibility of the municipal Party Committee and the city's political system is to continue to endeavor and strive to overcome all difficulties and challenges, continue to uphold the revolutionary tradition of resilience, solidarity and creativity for a city deserving the name of the beloved President Ho Chi Minh.
