HCM City maintains growth momentum, reaps successes in 2022

In 2022, Ho Chi Minh City's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) increases to 9.03% over the previous year and exceeds the planned target of 6-6.5%. (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) – After struggling to recover from the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ho Chi Minh City took back what it lost, achieving positive results in its socio-economic development in 2022, said Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen.

Entering the new year 2023, HCM City determines to be highly focused on tasks, particularly those to promote last year’s achieved results, maintain economic growth momentum, and ensure social security, he said.

In 2022, with the drastic leadership and direction of the central government, the determined will of the city’s political system, people, and business community, in the spirit of flexible, proactive, and drastic adaptation and disease control, the city achieved results faster than expected.

The scale and growth rate of industries and fields reached the pre-pandemic levels. Specifically, the city's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) increased to 9.03% over the same period of 2021 and exceeded the planned target of 6-6.5%.

The city’s budget revenue reached 471.56 trillion VND (20.1 billion USD), 22% higher than the estimate and increasing by 23.6% over the same period.

Its export revenue reached 49.5 billion USD, up 10.3% compared with that of 2021. In addition, many of the city's manufacturing and service sectors grew strongly last year.

Cultural and social activities, education and training, health care, and sustainable poverty reduction were promoted.

The material and spiritual lives of the people continued to improve.

The city also enhanced foreign affairs and maintained political security, social order, and safety.

It made positive changes, especially in Party building; each cadre and party member properly performed their assigned duties and responsibilities, associated with self-cultivation and training.

The city gradually adjusted and rearranged the apparatus, and improved the quality of the contingent of cadres and civil servants, making an important contribution to strengthening internal unity.

Key projects and works were implemented as planned. The removal of difficulties in investment projects left positive impacts on the city's investment environment, such as putting into operation Thu Thiem 2 bridge that connects district 1 and Thu Duc city, the upgrade and expansion of Dang Thuc Vinh road in Hoc Mon district and Vo Van Kiet parallel road project in district 1.

The year 2022 saw the city's breakthrough efforts in creating positive changes in the development of infrastructure, especially traffic infrastructure, speeding up the progress of construction and operation of key infrastructure projects, including urban railway project No. 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien), a flood control project that climate change factor taken into account, urban railway project No. 2 (Ben Thanh - Tham Luong), Ring Road 3 (expected to start in June 2023), HCM City - Moc Bai expressway, a project on the construction of T3 terminal of Tan Son Nhat Airport, works/projects to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the southern region of Vietnam and reunification of the country.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen emphasises after a year of socio-economic recovery and development, the city overcomes difficulties and regains what it lost due to the pandemic. (Photo: VNA)

Tran Viet Anh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association, said that after more than a year of implementing the policy on flexible adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic, HCM City has made great breakthroughs which prove the city's internal economic strengths in terms of dynamism and creativity.

The city’s business community has the tradition and skills to overcome difficulties, he said.

He added that in 2022, besides the prolonged impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city's economy was affected by high inflation, fluctuating real estate market, and the bond market.

However, the city's manufacturers, exporters, and digital technology service providers recovered quite well.

Concluding at the year-end meeting of the city’s Party Committee in 2022, Politburo member, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen emphasised after a year of socio-economic recovery and development, the city overcame difficulties and regained what it lost due to the pandemic.

The spirit of solidarity in the political system and social consensus increased, creating a positive spillover effect on the trust of the people and business community. He said the city's leaders sincerely thanked the dedication, sacrifice, and active and effective contributions of cadres, civil servants, public employees, labourers, and armed forces in the city.

The business community, organisations, individuals, and people joined hands and united, contributing to generating positive important results, paving the way for the successful implementation of the city’s 5-year socio-economic development plan.

A model of reform, innovation, and development Entering 2023, the city set 15 key goals, particularly targeting a GRDP of 7.5-8%.

The year is themed "Improving the quality of public services, accelerating administrative reform and improving the investment environment."

The city will focus on removing difficulties for businesses, strengthening discipline, administrative discipline, and improving civil service ethics.

These are all issues that people and the business community always pay much attention to. 2023 is a very important year as it is the year of acceleration and development momentum for the remaining two years of the 2020-2025 term.

As the world situation will continue to be complicated and unpredictable, the city’s Party Committee and authorities are determined to be more proactive and adaptive, to bring into full play the spirit of dynamism and creativity on solving obstacles, unleashing resources, and promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc.

“Facts show that with determination, unity, and acting for the people, authorities will gain public trust and support, then reap successes,” Nen said.

After a recent working session with leaders of the city, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked the city to focus on three growth engines - consumer services, public investment, and import/export activities.

PM Chinh emphasised the need to turn HCM City into a model of innovation and creativity in science and technology applications and creative start-ups.

It must be the locomotive, the model of reform, innovation, and development of the whole country.

The city is also expected to be a high-quality human resource training hub of regional and international stature.

It targets to further develop digital government, digital economy, digital society, smart city, green transformation, and achieve a sustainable development./.