Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on May 6 paid a working visit to the port city of Hai Phong together with representatives from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Hai Phong leaders briefed PM Dung on the city’s socio-economic development situation in 2006 and in the first quarter of this year and on its three-year implementation of the Political Bureau’s resolution on building and developing Hai Phong City in the period of national industrialisation and modernisation.

In recent times, the socio-economic situation in Hai Phong has positively and comprehensively changed in all fields. Last year’s economic growth rate reached 12.51 percent (1.52 time higher than the country’s average GDP) while economic restructuring has shifted positively with the service proportion accounting for more than 51 percent of GDP.

Over the past four months, Hai Phong has achieved an economic growth rate of 11.23 percent and made significant steps towards opening Hong Kong-Macao- Hai Phong International air route, successfully building and launching ships with a tonnage of 53,000 and implementing administrative reform under the one-stop shop mechanism.

The Prime Minister pointed out certain snags in the city such as a slow increase in total social investment in comparison with the country’s average increase, low State budget collection and failure to build waste treatment systems.

Regarding the development of the city, PM Dung noted that Hai Phong city must quickly develop to become an important port city for the northern region and the country, an industrial and service center and a modern urban center.

To this end, Hai Phong City will continue to grasp the resolutions of the Party Politburo and resolutions of the 10^th National Party Congress and apply them in the concrete conditions of the city so as to turn Hai Phong into an industrial city by 2020.

The Prime Minister asked Hai Phong City to continue fighting all crime, particularly organized crime, and to firmly maintain social order and security during the 12^th National Assembly election.

PM Dung also gave opinions on some of the city’s proposals, including a proposal to expand Dinh Vu – Cat Hai Economic Park to as much as 21,000 ha.