Ben Tre urged to step up public investment disbursement

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the working session with Ben Tre leaders (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on July 9 urged the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre to work hard to complete yearly targets and tasks, with local public investment disbursement rate set at at least 90 percent.

He pointed out difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and drought facing the locality, and its low disbursement rate.

Ben Tre should utilise opportunities from international integration, especially free trade agreements (FTAs) to which Vietnam is a member like the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), he said.

The PM praised Ben Tre for its high provincial competitiveness index and other indexes, and asked the locality to step up administrative reform and improve the local business environment.

More attention should be paid to management of climate change projects, he said, stressing that Ben Tre needs to take a step ahead in digital transformation to pave the way for digital economic development.

PM Phuc agreed in principle Ben Tre’s mobilisation of resources from different economic sectors in building a transmission line system connected to renewable energy projects in the province.

It was reported that Ben Tre’s socio-economic development has been impacted by COVID-19 and drought.

The pandemic has forced 55 businesses to dissolve and more than 130 others to suspend their operation. As of mid-June, the province had received 6,200 applications for unemployment benefits.

Meanwhile, drought has affected 5,300ha of rice, 28,00ha of fruit trees and 2,000ha of giant river prawns, with total economic losses amounting to 1.66 trillion VND (71.65 million USD). /.