Decision No. 1064/QD-TTg approving the master plan on socio-economic development in the northern midland and mountainous region through 2020

38 Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) THE PRIME MINISTER Decision No. 1064/QD-TTg of July 8, 2013, approving the master plan on socio-economic development in the northern midland and mountainous region through 2020 THE PRIME MINISTER Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on the Organization of the Government; © Vietnam Law & Legal Forom Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 92/2006/ND-CP of September 7, 2006, formulating, approving and managing the socio-economic development master plan and the Government's Decree No. 04/2008/ ND-CP of January 11, 2008, amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government's Decree No. 92/2006/ND-CP; At the proposal of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, DECIDES: Article 1. To approve the master plan on socio-economic development in the no11hern midland and mountainous region through 2020, with the following principal contents: I. POSITION AND ROLE The northern midland and mountainous region is the countiy's strategic area of special importance in socio-economics, national defense, security and foreign relations and plays an important role in the entire northern region's eco-environment; has the potential and advantages for the development of agriculture, forestry, hydropower, mining, tourism and border-gate economy; and is home to many ethnic minority groups living together with their own cultural identities, the tradition of patriotism, solidarity and resilience to fight foreign aggressors, and many cultural and historical relics and revolutiona1y bases. II. DEVELOPMENT VIEWPOINTS The master plan on socio-economic development in the northern midland and 39 mountainous region must conform to the national socio-economic development sti·ategy; ensure consistency with sectoral master plans; tap and bring into the fullest play all resources so as to attract development investment; expand markets and bolster exports; and boost economic development in a fast, effective and sustainable manner. To effectively tap and bring into play the region's potential and strengths, and step up the international economic integration through the development of the Lang Son-Hanoi and the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong economic coITidors; and to promote cooperation among localities in the region in order to mobilize and properly use all resources for fast and sustainable development, gradually naITow the development gap between the region and the whole count1y. T o make foca l i n v e s t m e n t in advantageous sectors of localities in the region; to develop industrial parks and border-gate economic zones so as to increase the competitiveness of goods and create breakthroughs to fundamentally change the economic structure. To develop agriculture and forest1y in consolidated areas associated with the development of post-harvest product processing industry serving domestic consumption and export. To combine economic development with ensuring social progress and equality, job generation, hunger eradication and poverty reduction and improving the living conditions of people in the region, particularly ethnic minority people in fonner resistance bases and disadvantaged areas. © Vietnam Law & Legal Fornm 40 To combine socio-economic development with environmental protection and sustainable development . To combine economic development with tomism development and conservation and promotion of cultural and histolical values and traditional culture imbued with national identity. To combine socio-economic development with ensuring national defense and security, political stability, social safety and order and firmly maintaining national border sovereignty. III. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES 1. Overall objectives: To strive to maintain an economic development rate higher than that of the country; to markedly and synchronously improve the socio-economic infrastructure system to better meet economic development requirements, improve people's welfare and ensure national defense and security; to rationally and effectively tap the potential and strengths in developing agro-forestry, hydropower, mining, tourism and border-gate economy for economic development, gradually na1Tow the gap of development and people's living conditions between the region and the country's average level; to fundamentally complete the a1rnngement and stabilization of people's lives, especially in the resettlement areas for irTigation and hydropower projects, send people to live in border areas, basically put an end to the problem of free emigrants; to conserve and bring into play ethnic cultural identities and improve people's spirin1al and material lives; to combine socio-economic Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) development with environmental protection, ensuring national defense, security, political stability and firmly safeguarding national sovereignty. 2. Specific objectives a/ Economic development: To strive to attain an average annual GDP growth rate of 7.5% in the 2011-2015 period and more than 8% in the 2016-2020 peliod. The per-capita GDP will reach around USD 2,000 by 2020; To cany out economic restrucniring so that the propo1tion of agiiculture, forest1y and fisheries will represent 27% of the region's GDP; indust1y and construction, 34.1 %; and services, 38.9% by 2015; and 21.9%; 38.7% and 39.4%, by 2020, respectively. The expo1t revenue will increase 16-17%/ year. The technological renovation rate will be 20%/year. The propo1tion of budget collections will reach 12% of the count1y's GDP by 2015, and around 13% by 2020. b/ Social development To stiive to achieve the social targets equal to the country's average level; to cut the rate of poor households by 3-4% per year; to generate jobs for around 250,000-300,000 people in each five-year plan; to have around 4 .5%-5% of unemployed workers in urban areas; to raise the rate of employed workers in rural areas to more than 85%; and to raise the rate of n·ained workers to more than 65% by 2020; To consolidate and increase the quality of primaiy and junior secondary education universalization. By 2020, to raise the preschool attendance rate to more than 92%, and mobilize © Vietnam Law & Legal Forom Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) 99% of plima1y school-age children to go to school; To strive to raise the percentage of communes meeting national health standards to 80% by 2015, and 100% by 2020; to achieve 60-70% of communal health stations having doctors by 2015 and more than 80% by 2020; to cut the malnutrition rate among under-5 children to below 20% by 2015 and under 15% by 2020; to reach 20.5 hospital beds per 10,000 people by 2015 and 25 hospital beds per 10,000 people by 2020. To consolidate and build commune and ward culture and info1mation institutions and strive to achieve 90% of villages and hamlets having cultural houses or community meeting places by 2020; To upgrade and modernize radio and television broadcasting and transmission technologies and strive to reach 100% of population access to tenestrial television by 2015; to diversify broadcasting programs and ensure broadcasting hours for programs produced by local stations. c/ Environmental protection: To combine socio-economic development with eco-environmental protection, rationally exploit and protect natural resources; to contain pollution and environmental incidents; to increase forest coverage to 50% by 2020; By 2020, almost all urban and rural residents will have access to clean and hygienic water; 100% of production and business establishments will apply clean technologies or be equipped with waste treatment and pollution reduction facilities; more than 80% of production and business establishments will 41 meet environmental standards; urban centers of grade 4 or higher grades and all industlial parks will have centralized wastewater treatment systems; 95% of ordinary solid waste, 85% of hazardous waste and 100% of medical waste will be treated up to environmental standards. d/ National defense and security: To strengthen national defense and secmity potentials in terms of physical facilities, weapons, military equipment and forces so as to maintain political stability and social order and safety; to properly build provinces and cities into solid defensive areas in the new context; To build up all-people defense posture in association with people's secmity posture, especially in border and important areas, facilitating socio-economic development associated with ensuring national defense and secmity and finnly safeguarding sovereignty and tenitolial integrity; To promote education and communication work and mobilize people to stlictly observe the State's laws in order to limit and reduce traffic accidents. To speed up the prevention and control of c1imes and social evils and build new cultural lifestyles in hamlets and villages. IV ORIENTATIONS FOR SECTORAL DEVELOPMENT 1. Agriculnire, forestiy and fisheries: To sustainably develop agricultural production associated with forest and eco­ environmental protection. To develop agro­ forest1y and fishelies with an annual average growth rate of 4-4.5% in the 2011-2015 peliod and 3.5-4% in the 2016-2020 period. © Vietnam Law & Legal Fornm 42 To focus on developing concentrated cultivation areas with rational scales specializing in tea, rubber and coffee trees, fruit trees, medicinal plants, flowers, vegetables, etc. based on comparative advantages of each locality and market demand. To develop cattle and poultry breeding; to fo1m breeding areas for grass-eating cattle such as buffaloes, beef cows, daily cows and goats, and pig raising fam1s associated with food processing industry in order to gradually increase the propo1tion of animal breeding in agriculture. To take good care of and protect existing forest areas, step up the planting of watershed and protection forests to protect hydropower reservoirs and dams and landslide- prone areas; to properly zone off for regeneration and plant material forests for processing indust1y, and plant specialty tr·ees and medicinal plants under forest canopies, scattered trees and scenic forests to re-green barren land and hills. To complete the allocation of land and forests associated with sedentarization to stop forest destruction for cultivation; to strictly protect the system of national parks and nature reserves and rare and precious flora and fauna gene sources. To develop freshwater aquaculture at large reservofrs using advanced methods in an efficient and sustainable manner and ensure eco-environment. To develop a number of aquatic products of high economic value such as salmon, sturgeon, silverfish and other coldwater fishes in a number of areas with favorable terrain and climate conditions in Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Son La provinces. 2. Industries To focus on the development of industrfos, including food processmg, mining and intensive Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) mineral processing and labor-intensive production of competitive consumer goods. To attach impo1tance to developing supporting industry together with the development of industrial parks and border-gate economic zones. To strive to raise the average industrial production value to more than 11.5% in the 2011-2015 period and 12.5% in the 2016-2020 period. To mobilize all investment sources to complete the infrastructure of industrial parks and clusters in the region in order to attract enterprises' investment in production development. To restore and develop craft villages that make traditional products associated with each locality's culniral identity so as to generate jobs and increase people's income; To invest in modern technology and equipment to extr·act and intensively process apatite (Lao Cai); copper in Sin Quyen (Lao Cai); nickel - copper in Ban Phuc (Son La); nmgsten in Nui Phao (Thai Nguyen); fron in Quy Sa and Lech village (Lao Cai) and Trai Cau (Thai Nguyen); tin in Tinh Tue (Cao Bang), lead, zinc, kaolin and construction materials; and to renovate technology in Thai Nguyen steel complex. To develop material zones for Bai Bang and Tuyen Quang paper mills and other export chip board plants in the region; to maintain and develop tea product processing industry in key provinces, including Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Yen Bai and Son La; milk processing in Moc Chau (Son La) and other types of fann and food products in localities where specialized cultivation zones have been fo1med. 3. Se1vice and tomism development © Vietnam Law & Legal Forom Issue nos 09 10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) To st1ive to attain an average retail goods sales and consumer services turnover growth of 18% per year and an annual increase of 16 17% in expo1t value; To enhance trade promotion activities, promoting product brand names, first of all fa1m products. To fast develop and improve the quality of services in trade and increase trade exchanges between localities in the region and China and Laos; To upgrade trade centers and build new ones in localities in the region; to complete a domestic trade network from urban to mral areas and mountainous and border areas. To effectively exploit trade se1vices at border gates and in border-gate economic zones. To develop different high-quality se1vices such as finance­ banking, trade, technology, telecommunications and transpo1t se1vices. To boost the promotion of branded products, and build and consolidate new products' brand names; To attach impo1tance to developing and improving the quality of tourist products, particularly those associated with natural wonders, cultural relics and revolutionary historical relics and visits to national key projects in the region. 4. Infrastrncnire development To ensure the synchronous and balanced development of the infrastmcnire system as an engine for the region's socio-economic development, especially the transport system linking provinces in the region and with other regions. a/ Transpo1t development Roads: 43 To build and upgrade national highways, provincial and district roads 1mder planning; to fo1m a transport network comp1ising five radial axes: Hanoi-Lao Cai (national highways 70 and 30C), Hanoi-Dien Bien (national highways 6, 32, and 32B), Hanoi-Cao Bang (national highway 3), Hanoi-Lang Son (national highway 1), Phu Tho-Ha Giang (national highway 2), and three belts: Belt 1 (national highways 4, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, and 4H), Belt 2 (national highway 279), Belt 3 (national highway 37) as a dtiving force for boosting the regional development. To speed up the constmction of the Hanoi­ Thai Nguyen-Bae Kan; Hanoi-Lao Cai; and Hoa Lac-Hoa Binh expressways and deploy the construction of the Hanoi-Lang Son expressway. To build roads linking provinces with expressways and border patrol roads. To invest in completing the system of mral roads in remote, deep-lying and border areas to ensure unintenupted transpo1t. Railway: To renovate and upgrade the Hanoi-Lang Son, Hanoi-Lao Cai, Hanoi­ Thai Nguyen and Kep-Luu Xa railways up to national technical railway standards. Aviation: To build Lao Cai and Lai Chau airpo1ts. To strengthen small and specialized airpo1ts and helipads to serve flights to remote and deep-lying areas where there are no airpo1ts. Inland waterways: To upgrade, and organize the good management and operation of, waterways along rivers and on great rese1voirs in the region. To continue upgrading and building new landing stages along river routes and on hydropower rese1voirs to se1ve freight transpo1t. © Vietnam Law & Legal Fornm 44 b/ Inigation and water supply: To synchronously invest in the equipment system to regulate and effectively operate existing iITigation works and reservoirs. To continue investing in building inigation works, reservoirs and canals to ensure adequate water for agiicultural production and regulate floods in flashflood-prone provinces such as Son La, Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, Bae Can, Lao Cai and Dien Bien; To build river dykes and border river embankments to prevent landslides, stabilize production and safeguard national border sovereignty. To build inigation works associated with the constrnction of small hydropower plants in order to supply water to agi·icultural production and residential use and supply electricity to people in remote and deep-lying areas that have no access to the national power giid; To focus on investing in and upgi·ading the water supply system to ensure sufficient clean water to meet urban people's daily needs; to apply cutting-edge technologies and build hygienic water supply models for people in rnral, remote, deep-lying and border areas and pa1ticularly disadvantaged areas in localities in the region. c/ Electricity supply: To focus on building and completing large­ scale hydropower and thennal power projects in the region; to build a synchronous and modem system of electricity transmission and distribution to meet electricity supply demand of Electricity Development Master Plan 7; To focus on speeding up the constmction and completion of key priority hydropower Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) works such as Lai Chau, Huoi Quang and Ban Chat Hydropower plants (Lai Chau); Nam Chien hydropower plant (Son La), Dong Phu Yen pump storage hydropower plant (Son La) so as to supply electricity to the whole region and supplement electricity sources to the whole country. To synchronously invest in the infrastrncnire of electricity transmission and distribution systems to satisfy industrial parks' and people's increasing demands; di Infonnation and communications: To build modem large-capacity and high­ speed telecommunications system infrastmcrure to promptly serve the Party and State's direction and management and socio-economic development demands, and ensure national defense, security, social order and safety and people's demands. 5. Socio-economic development: a/ Education and training: To focus on developing and improving education and training in both quality and efficiency in order to improve the quality of local human resources meeting socio­ economic development requirements. To improve the quality of general education together with moral, cultural traditions and personality education at all educational levels and gi·ades; To continue investing in physical facilities and increase training capacity for universities such as Tay Bae University, Thai Nguyen University and Hung Vuong University (Phu Tho) and colleges and vocational training schools in the region; to complete programs on building pe1manent schools and public-duty houses for teachers; © Vietnam Law & Legal Forom Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) To renovate training structure in line with market demands; to prioritize training of local and ethnic mino1ity people so as to meet the demand for human resources to serve the cause of industtialization and modernization and work in the grassroots political systems of localities in the region. b/ Health and people's healthcare: To effectively implement national healthcare programs with a focus on malaria prevention and control, malnutrition rate reduction, mother and child healthcare and epidemic prevention and contt·ol. To proactively prevent and contt·ol, push back and eradicate social diseases and dangerous epidemics. To consolidate and pe1fect the grassroots health network; to promote joint militaiy and civil medical examination and treatment in order to take care of people's health, especially the health of ethnic minority people and people living in deep-lying, remote and border areas; To continue investing in upgrading and modernizing facilities and equipment for provincial and distt·ict hospitals, general clinics and commune health centers and stations in the region. To build high-quality regional health centers in Thai Nguyen, Son La, Phu Tho and Lao Cai to meet people's health care demands; to build a regional hospital in Son La and sanatorium and rehabilitation hospitals in localities in the region. c/ Culture, physical training and sports: To continue building and basically completing the grassroots cultural institutions and infrast111cture facilities for physical tt·aining and spo1ts; to preserve and uphold traditional culniral values as the foundation for culniral 45 exchanges among ethnic communities in the region; to maintain and build new cultural values, promote civilized lifestyles and new­ style cultured families in the community; di Pove1ty reduction, job generation and social security assurance: To implement pove1ty reduction programs and projects in a coordinated, comprehensive and effective manner; to create conditions for poor people to access to support policies on land, credit, vocational tt·aining,job generation, industiial, agricultural and forestty extension and product sale; to build pove1ty reduction models and focus on suppo1ting and creating conditions for poor households to sustainably develop production and gradually increase income; To develop social security and child care and protection; to mobilize all people to care for persons with meritorious services to the nation and the "gi·atitude" movement; to provide vocational training and generate jobs for children of social policy-benefiting fa1nilies; to promote charity and humanitarian activities to support poor people to escape from poverty and integi·ate into the community. To prevent and push back the risks of women and child abuse and tt·afficking. 6. Science and technology development To accelerate technology application, invest in renovating equipment and technology along with environmental protection. To encourage enterprises to focus their investment on renovating production technology and replacing outdated equipment and synchronizing the technologies of the region's advantageous sectors such as agro-forestry and fisheries processing, food processing, etc. © Vietnam Law & Legal Fornm 46 To focus on studying and applying new sciences and technologies on plant varieties and animal breeds, product preservation and processing technologies suitable to the region's potential, development advantages and ecological conditions. To invest in science and technology development, create breakthroughs in raising productivity and improving goods and product quality. To create a close link between units to research and transfer science and technology to enterprises, production establishments and people in applying technology to production. 7. Rational use of natural resources in association with enviromnental protection To effectively manage and exploit natural resources and ensure eco-environment and eco-balance. To attach special importance to developing green and enviromnentally friendly economy. To practice sustainable production and consumption; to gradually develop "clean energy", "clean production", and "clean consumption"; To rationally exploit and use minerals. To use the agricultural land fund in an economical, rational and efficient manner, raise the efficiency of use of the existing land area, maintain the wet rice area of around 250,000 ha in order to ensure food security; to exploit to the utmost unused land areas by planting long-term industrial crops and frnit trees in a sustainable manner; To protect and use water resources in a sustainable manner; to protect the existing forest area, increase the planting of economic and protection forests, re-green baITen land and hills, effectively prevent forest destruction and Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) fires; to maintain and step by step expand nature reserves and national parks; To collect, process and recycle garbage in a concentrated manner with cutting­ edge technology to ensure environmental sanitation. To build at least one solid waste treatment zone and one wastewater treatment plant in each province to process garbage and wastewater up to prescribed standards before discharge into the enviromnent. To apply a system of enviromnental sanitation standards in the design and planning of urban centers, industrial parks and clusters, tourism and housing projects; to strictly handle polluting establishments; 8. National defense and secmity assurance: In planning and formulating socio­ economic development projects and defense­ economic zones, it is necessary to closely combine two stJ.·ategic tasks of socio-economic development and strengthening of national defense and secmity, build all-people national defense posture and people's security posnire, and be ready to fiustrate all hostile forces' plots and tJ.·icks. To speed up the upgrading and completion of roads to the border, and border belts; to build border patrol roads to combine economic development with strengthening of national defense and security. To gradually build and perfect essential infrastrncnire in border communes together with ensuring safe production and living conditions to accomplish the task of sending people to live in border areas; To take the initiative in grasping the situation and timely cope with every © Vietnam Law & Legal Forom Issue nos 09 10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) circumstance; to combat the abuse of religions and distorted propaganda by hostile forces, particularly in key areas; to actively prevent and control social evils and drug crimes, smuggling and trade fraud, firmly safeguard national border sovereignty and build the border of peace and stability with neighboling countries. V. URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND TERRITORIAL SPACE ORGANIZATION 1. Sub-regional development a/ No1thwestern sub-region (covering Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau): a key area of national hydropower; to develop copper, iron, nickel and rare earth mining and processing indust1y; to plant and process products from industrial plants, especially rnbber, medicinal plants, frnit trees; to raise cattle, especially daily cows and high-quality beef cows; to plant and protect watershed and protection forests for hydropower projects; b/ No1theastern sub-region (embraces the remaining provinces in the region): to develop the mining and processing of apatite, steel, copper, gold, tin, bauxite, zinc and lead and iron casting; to plant and process food and foodstuff, agro-forest1y, phannaceuticals, fruit tl'ees, pig and cattle breeding; to manufacture household goods, chemicals, pulp and paper, fertilizer, constrnction materials, consumer goods, garments and textiles; to manufacture and assemble electronic products, etc. 2. Development of economic centers on the conidors: The Nanning-Lang Son-Hanoi-Hai Phong economic corridor has Lang Son 47 city (international border gate) linking Bae Giang city and other urban centers along the conidor; The Kunming-Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong econolnic conidor has Viet T1i city - an industrial city - linking Lao Cai city (international border gate) and Yen Bai city and other urban centers along the conidor; The Hanoi-Hoa Binh-Son La-Dien Bien-Lai Chau economic conidor embraces Hoa Binh, Son La and Dien Bien Phu city and Lai Chau town which fo1m the core of development linking other urban centers along the conidor; The Hanoi-Cao Bang economic conidor covers Thai Nguyen and Cao Bang city and Bae Kan town. The Phu Tho-Ha Giang econo1nic conidor covers Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang cities and Phu Tho town which form the core of development linking other urban centers; The econo1nic conidor of n01thern border provinces ( covers seven provinces of Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien and Son La): to develop border-gate economic zones and expand economic and trade activities with neighboring countries; to closely combine border-gate trade development with ensuring security in the border area and national sovereignty. 3. Urban space development To synchronously develop the system of urban centers along with socio-economic development in localities in the region in accordance with Politburo Resolution No. 37/NQ-TW of July 1, 2004, and Politburo Conclusion No. 26/KL-TW of August 2, 2012, and the Plime Minister's Decision No. 1659/QD © Vietnam Law & Legal Fornm 48 TTg ofNovember7, 2012. To develop a network of urban centers together with the development of industiial parks, border-gate economic zones, and trnde, se1vice and tomism centers, create a network closely linking localities in the region and with the Red river delta region and the no11hem key economic region; To build Thai Nguyen city into a center of the Hanoi-Thai Nguyen-Bae Can-Cao Bang economic conidor. To build Viet Tri City into a center of the Kumning-Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong econo1nic conidor. To build Hoa Binh city into a core of development in the n011hwestem sub-region and located at the gateway between the n011hwestem sub-region and Hanoi capital city and the Red river delta. To build Son La into a modem city imbued with typical cultural identities of the no11hwestem sub-region's ethnic minority people and an interdisciplinaiy training and education center of the northwestern sub­ region; To build Lang Son and Lao Cai cities into two major economic centers in international border-gate of two Vietnam-China econo1nic corridors based on border-gate economic development and the establishment of cross­ border economic cooperation zones. 4. Development of disadvantaged mral and mountainous areas in the region To focus on implementing the new countlyside building program in association with national target socio-economic development programs in the region such as the family planning and population, clean water and mral environmental sanitation, poverty reduction and job generation programs, etc. To anange Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) residents in communes along the border in a way helping them stabilize their lives and develop production and not freely migrate to other places. Socio-economic development activities mainly focus on agricultural production to stabilize people's lives together with further planting, tending and protecting protection and watershed forests to protect water resources, eco-environment and the safety of national key projects in the region and the Red River delta region. VI. LIST OF PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS PRIORITIZED FOR INVESTMENT STUDY (enclosed appendix) VII. MAJOR SOLUTIONS TO IMPLEMENTING THE MASTER PLAN 1. Sectors priolitized for development To focus investment on building and step by step modernize the technical infrastlucture system such as transport, water supply and drainage, electi·icity supply, urban infrastmcture and industrial parks' infrastmcture to se1ve development requirements, especially the road network linking provinces in the region and adjacent regions. To speed up the completion of the above-mentioned projects stated in Politburo Resolution No. 37/NQ-TW of July 1, 2004, and Conclusion No. 26/KL-TW of August 2, 2012, and the Government's action program to implement Politburo Resolution No. 37/ NQ-TW of August 16, 2004; to build, upgrade and complete high-quality health centers and regional hospitals in Thai Nguyen, Son La, Phu Tho and Lao Cai; to invest in physical facilities © Vietnam Law & Legal Forom Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) and building training capacity of Tay Bae, Thai Nguyen, and Hung Vuong Universities (Phu Tho); to complete programs to build pennanent schools and houses for teachers in localities in the region; To raise the quality of education and training and vocational training, and develop highly qualified human resources to meet economic restructuring requirements in the region. To step up the application of high technologies in agricultural production so as to increase productivity and quality of products and production value; To focus on developing border-gate economic zones on the basis of boosting cooperation in developing "two economic corridors" between Vietnam and China. To prioritize the development of electricity indust1y, intensive mineral processing, agro­ forest product processing, manufacturing and assembly of electronic products, and manufacture of constrnction mate1ials. To invest in tourism infrastiucture in revolutionary bases; to combine the regional tourism development with tours of the Red river delta region and the whole country. 2. Solutions to raise and use investment capital To focus on increasing state budget revenues, further preventing revenue losses, and strictly handling tax evasions and trade frauds; to ensure the correct, adequate and timely collection of state budget revenues, To prioritize investment capital from the state budget in works and projects that are unable to retrieve capital such as transport infrastrncture, regional-level health centers, 49 environmental pollution ti·eatment and essential social infrastructure; to arrange budget for implementing social welfare policies, particularly for poor people and social policy­ benefiting families; to str·engthen expendinire control and ensure the effective use of budget funds for socio-economic development in the region; To draw up and promulgate a list of programs and projects calling for investment until 2020; to step up investment promotion to attr·act capital from all economic sectors; to make the best use of ODA capital sources to invest in developing key, large scale technical infrast111cture projects. To develop a transparent financial market; to promote the socialization of investment in healthcare, education, culture and spo1ts so as to mobilize maximum resources for development. 3. Financial mechanism solutions To continue improving the investment environment to facilitate the attraction of foreign and domestic resources for development investment. To diversify BOT, BTO and BT investment forms, to step up public private partnership (PPP) investment in developing the social and economic infrastructure systems; To fo1mulate suppo1t policies for focused development of industrial pai-ks and border-gate economic zones; to fo1mulate development policies for different types of markets, to facilitate production and business activities. To gradually expand the real estate and science and technology markets and facilitate the provision of legal, scientific and technological © Vietnam Law & Legal Fornm 50 consultancy se1vices, management consultation se1vices and the intellectual product market in order to lure talents. 4. Improvement of lmman resources quality To fo1mulate and promulgate policies to bling into play and attract talents and highly skilled technical workers to pe1manently work in localities in the region while speeding up the training of local human resources in line with the pace of the region's socio-economic restrnctuling. To increase investment in education and training, healthcare and culture to increase people's knowledge and take care of people's health. To expand vocational trnining, support and introduce jobs in various suitable fonns; to adopt vocational training policies for workers who change to non-agricultural occupations; to plan and provide skills training for workers in industrial parks. To formulate plans on training human resources who are capable of participating in cutting-edge technology transfer cooperation projects in the fields of biotechnology, electronics, inf 01mation technology, etc, to step by step increase the economy's competitiveness in line with the requirements of international and regional integration; To expand cooperation between localities and research and training institutions; to encourage ente1p1ises' linkages with universities and training institutions in providing knowledge and skills training for workers at ente1prises. 5. Science and technology solutions To focus on applied research and create new and effective developments in research Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) and application of scientific and technological achievements in production and business. To plioritize applied research of science and technology projects to directly serve spearhead products that contribute to the regional economic restrncturing, especially applied research of cutting-edge technologies on plant varieties and animal breeds, product processing and prese1vation technology; To encourage enterprises to invest in new environmentally friendly technologies in advantageous sectors such as mining and intensive mineral processing, fann products and food processing. To expand cooperation between production establishments and science research and application agencies and universities in order to bring science into life. 6. Administrative refonn solutions To raise the effectiveness of administrative reform toward publicity and transparence, and to increase the quality of cadres and civil se1vants so as to create a f a vorable environment for attracting investment and properly settling administrative procedures. To fonnulate and sufficiently and promptly promulgate mechanisms and policies to ensure the promotion of democracy, innovation and creativeness, and the good operation of the entire administration system, thus meeting the development requirements. To raise the efficiency of management by autholities at all levels; to clearly delineate the competence and responsibilities among agencies to avoid overlaps in the pe1fo1mance of assigned functions and tasks and concunently step up the prevention and combat of bureaucracy, © Vietnam Law & Legal Forom Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) com1ption and wastefulness in the operation of state agencies. 7. Solutions to promoting cooperation and developing markets To expand cooperation in market forecast, scientific research, technology transfer and labor supply between localities in the region and the Red river delta region so as to effectively bring into play the region's potentials. To boost cooperation among localities in the region in promoting investment, expanding consumption markets for products; to coordinate in tourism promotion activities and organizing tours; to sustainably exploit, use and preserve water resources, and protect the environment. To enhance cooperation and development of cross-border trade and tourism with China and the Lao People's Democratic Republic, develop border gate-economic zones and build the border of peace and stability. 51 and conducting public information work to involve domestic and foreign investors and all economic sectors in the implementation of the master plan; Monitoring, urging, supervising and examining the implementation of master plans of the region and of ministries, sectors and localities in the region; supervising the implementation of the region's major investment programs and projects. Studying and proposing mechanisms and policies for coordination among localities in the region and with other regions, calling for investment in the region's major projects. 3. Related ministries and sectors shall: Formulate and submit for approval sectoral master plans and major products in the region in line with the targets, tasks and development orientations defined in Alticle 1 of this Decision. Study, fo1mulate and sub1nit to competent Article 2. Organization and supervision of state agencies for promulgation specific the master plan implementation mechanisms and policies stated in Clause VII, I. After approved, the master plan on socio- Alticle 1 of the Decision so as to successfully econo1nic development in the noithem midlands achieve the targets and tasks set out in the and mountainous region will be the foundation master plan; for fo1mulating, submitting for approval and - Coordinate with the Ministry of Planning implementing the region's sectoral master andlnvestmentin implementing and supe1vising plans; and master plans on socio-economic the implementation of the master plan, and development of localities in the region. supe1vising the implementation of regional key 2. To assign the Ministry of Planning and investment programs and projects in priority Investment to assume the prime responsibility order under their respective management for, and coordinate with ministries, sectors and so as to boost the region's socio-economic localities in the region in: development. Making public the master plan and Minisu·ies and sectors have the following organizing investment promotion activities specific tasks: © Vietnam Law & Legal Fornm 52 a/ The Minist1y of Transport: To direct the constrnction and completion of irnpo1tant transpo11 works in the region on schedule. To propose a mechanism for raising capital for large-scale transport development projects in the region; b/ The Minist1y of Agriculnire and Rural Development: To complete the constmction and organize the implementation of the master plan on inigation and major agriculniral and fishe1y products in the region. To propose mechanisms and policies and suppo1t localities in the region in building hi-tech agricultural zones; c/ The Minist1y of Education and Training: To study and propose mechanisms and policies to promote the cooperation between training institutions and enterprises; to implement solutions to build training capacity for regional universities such as Tay Bae, Thai Nguyen and Hung Vuong Universities (Phu Tho); di The Ministiy of Indust1y and Trade: To ensure the constmction of power plants and giids in the region as scheduled. To coordinate with related localities in building ti·ade centers in the region as planned. dd/ The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment: To implement solutions to increase the efficiency of environmental protection, particularly the environment of urban centers and industiial zones in the region. To suppo1t state environmental management agencies to improve the appraisal quality of reports on the assessment of environmental impacts in localities. To direct localities to reasonably use different resources and implement environmental protection solutions in mineral mining and processing projects; Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) e/ The Ministiy of Construction: To examine and supe1vise the constmction ofregional-level hazardous waste treatment zones and water supply systems; to coordinate with localities in building water drainage and wastewater treatment systems in urban centers. 4. The People's Committees of provinces in the region: To take the initiative in reviewing, modifying, supplementing and submitting to competent authorities for approval master plans on local socio-economic development through 2020 in confonnity with the objectives and tasks approved under this Decision. To coordinate with 1ninist1ies and sectors in organizing investment promotion activities and conducting public infonnation work to involve domestic and foreign investors and different economic sectors in the master plan implementation. To supe rv i se and examine t h e implementation of development investment projects in their localities according to their assigned functions and repo1t implementation results to the Prime Minister. Article 3. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing. Article 4. The chairpersons of the People's Committees of the provinces in the region; ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and heads of government-attached agencies shall implement this Decision. Prime Minister NGUYEN TAN DUNG © Vietnam Law & Legal Forom Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 53 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) Appendix LIST OF PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS PRIORITIZED FOR INVESTMENT STUDY IN THE NORTHERN MIDLANDS AND MOUNTAINOUS REGION THROUGH 2020 (To the Prime Minister :S Decision No. 1064/QD-TTg of July 8, 2013) No. NAME OF PROGRAM OR PROJECT I Transport infrastructure Roads: To invest in the expressways of Hanoi-Lao Cai, Hanoi-Lang Son; Hoa Lac-Hoa Binh; Hanoi-Thai Nguyen-Bae Kan. To upgrade five radial axes: Hanoi-Lao Cai (National highways 70 and 32C), Hanoi Dien Bien (national highways 6, 32 and 32B); Hanoi-Cao Bang (national highway 3); 1 Hanoi-Lang Son (national highzway 1); Phu Tho-Ha Giang (national highway 2). To upgrade three belts: Belt 1 (national highways 4, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4H), Belt 2 (national highway 279), Belt 3 (national highway 37). 2 Airways: To build Lao Cai and Lai Chau airpo1ts Railways: 3 To upgrade Hanoi-Lang Son, Hanoi-Lao Cai, Hanoi-Thai Nguyen, Kep-Luu Xa railways meeting national railway technical standards Inland wate1ways: Viet Td-Lao Cai, Viet Tri-Tuyen Quang routes. 4 To upgrade the po1ts: Hoa Binh, Viet Tii and Da Phuc (Thai Nguyen). To build the ports: Ben Ngoc and Ba Cap (Hoa Binh); Ta Bu, Ta Hoc and Van Yen (Son La); An Dao and Ngoc Phap (Phu Tho); Tuyen Quang; A Lu (Bae Giang); Van Phu (Yen Bai); and Luc Cau (Lao Cai). II Electricity supply infrastructure To speed up the constiuction of Lai Chau, Huoi Quang, Ban Chat, Nam Chien and Nho Que hydropower projects. To build the Dong Phu Yen pump storage hydropower plant (Son La). To complete the constiuction of the Son La-Hoa Binh and Son La-Nho Quan 500 kV power ti·ansmission and distlibution system. To build the Son La-Hoa Binh and Son La-Nho Quan 500 kV double-cfrcuit power ti·ansmission and distiibution system. To build the Lao Cai-Yen Bai, Bae Me (Ha Giang)-Na Hang (Tuyen Quang) 220 kV double-cfrcuit power ti·ansmission and distribution system © Vietnam Law & Legal Fornm 54 III IV V Irrigation infrastructure Issue nos 09-10/Julv 2013 (Cong Bao nos 433-434/Ju/y 23, 2013) To upgrade and build large inigation works taking advantage of water sources from Da, Lo, Cau, Luc Nam and Ky Cung livers. To build small- and medium-sized rese1voirs and to combine inigation and hydropower development and daily-life water supply Education and training To build Thai Nguyen University into a regional interdisciplinaiy training, scientific research and technology transfer center, To invest in building the interdisciplinaiy training capacity for Tay Bae University (Son La) and Hung Vuong University (Phu Tho). Healthcare To build high-quality health centers and regional general hospitals in Thai Nguyen, Son La, Phu Too and Lao Cai. To upgrade and modernize facilities for provincial general hospitals to meet health cai·e demands Note: Toe locations, sizes, land areas and total investment amounts for the above works and projects will be calculated, selected and specified in the stages offonnulation and submission of investment projects, depending on the demand and capacity of balancing and raising investment capital in each peliod. © Vietnam Law & Legal Fon1111