Binh Phuoc: Tradition maintaining & development promoting

Tran Tue Hien
Chairman of Binh Phuoc Provincial People's Committee

(BP Portal) - Throughout 25 years of construction, development and integration, Binh Phuoc province has overcome numerous difficulties, earned many glorious and comprehensive achievements. Groundbreaking fields with exponential growth have lent testament to those tremendous feats. Such accomplishments are the foundation for the Binh Phuoc to proceed on its next developmental stages, thereby realizing its ambition to reach a new height and become the leading and influential figure in the Southeast region and nationwide.
 

Vice prime minister exchange with provincial leaders in his visit, checking on the Covid-19  prevention and treatment procedures at field hospitals in Dong Phu district.
 

The indomitable will to thrive

In the 25-year journey of Binh Phuoc province lies the inheritance of core values from the previous Song Be province. The land was peaceful, blessed with a sheer abundance of resources and opportunities, showered with the love of its inhabitants, and flourished on their aspirations and restless and concerted contributions to become the land of freedom, happiness and prosperity. Such results crystallized from resilience, courage, competence, as well as the solidarity and unity of the Binh Phuoc Communist Party and the people.

During the first years of its re-establishment, Binh Phuoc faced many challenges. More specifically, Binh Phuoc was a border province, characterized by its remoteness and extraordinary ethnic diversity. Agroforestry accounted for more than 70% of the provincial economy; The infrastructure back then was outdated and overly simple; Per capita income was only 2.6 million VND/person/year in 1997. Moreover, Binh Phuoc recorded a low level of education, widespread illiteracy, and the highest poverty rate in the country, etc. Its low starting point in many fields breeds the general impression of Binh Phuoc as the poorest locality in the country. However, these difficulties could not stop Binh Phuoc province from breaking through with its hearts, minds, and sheer will to rise.

Breaking through to the top

Difficulties have receded into the past, making way for the comprehensive development of Binh Phuoc province after 25 years of re-establishment. Throughout the course of time, many critical resolutions have been passed, and the provincial leaders are proactively and flexibly managing the economy and the socio-cultural situation, thus successfully meeting the province's visions.
After the re-establishment period, the provincial budget revenue witnessed a remarkable change. Budget revenue from the private sector// non-state-owned enterprises, including manufacture - business - trade - - commerce - services, accounts for a significant proportion of total state budget revenue. 

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 state budget revenue reached 13,500 billion VND, an equivalent of 178% of the target set by the Central Government, 79 times higher than 25 years ago (in 1997, the revenue was merely 172 billion VND). Motivated by this enormous achievement, Binh Phuoc is heading for a sustainable increase in the budget revenue, ready to self-balance the local budget, preferably in the nearing period of 2021-2025.

In the first year of re-establishment, the per capita income was only 2.6 million VND, yet by 2021, it has reached VND 74.9 million, an increase of more than 29 times. This accomplishment was thanks to the joint and determined efforts of the Binh Phuoc Communist Party, the authorities, organizations and individuals in catering for the people's livelihoods, especially ethnic minorities in the border regions.
 

Located in the southern key economic region, Binh Phuoc has promoted its potential and strengths to accelerate its development. The province did not have any industrial parks back in 1997. Up to now, Binh Phuoc has constructed 15 complete industrial parks with a total area of 6,061 ha, eight of which have occupancy rates of over 90%. Binh Phuoc has become the desired destination of prestigious investors worldwide, prominently C.P. Thailand; Hayat Turkey; Sung Ju - Samsung, Japan... Domestically, leading enterprises have also arrived in Binh Phuoc, including Becamex IDC, Minh Hung Sikico….

Committed to becoming a destination for major global investors, Binh Phuoc has come up with many specific strategies in infrastructure construction, promoting administrative reform, and improving the investment ecosystem. As a result, the province has 346 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with a total registered capital of over 3 billion 500 million USD. Domestic investment also grows every year with 1,190 projects, constituting a total investment capital of more than 104,124 billion VND.

With the motto “focus on serving the people and businesses”, Binh Phuoc is proud to lead in three different fields nationwide in 2021, including 100% of online public services connected to the National public service portal, online payment, financial obligations for land, and digital authentication. Additionally, restructuring the farming industry is also a developmental focus in Binh Phuoc. More specifically, the authority prioritizes the cultivation of economically valuable industrial plants such as rubber, cashew, coffee, pepper, cocoa, and fruit trees, and encourages innovations in technological agriculture, organic agriculture, and green agriculture. All of these efforts have contributed to the agriculture restructuring towards value enhancement and sustainable development. Binh Phuoc Province is particularly proud of having many products granted with trademark protection and geographical indications, such as Binh Phuoc cashew nut, Loc Ninh pepper, Thanh Luong pepper longan, high-tech cow and goat farming areas in Binh Long and Bu Dop, etc. These amazing products have dramatically improved local farmers' efficiency and salaries.

Many major chains of modern industrial livestock farms have emerged in Binh Phuoc province. Heavy investors in the livestock sector in Binh Phuoc province have also had products in the domestic supply chain and exported to European countries and Japan. Such achievements have subsequently helped promote the production value of livestock to 20% of the total agricultural production value in Binh Phuoc.

With its initiative in mind and facilitated by advancement in infrastructures and administrative restructuring, Binh Phuoc has been becoming an investment hotspot for investors - A part of Dong Xoai I industrial park
 

On their return 25 years later, those visiting Binh Phuoc Province in the early stages of re-establishment will certainly be astounded by its infrastructural transformation, especially by its transport infrastructure. Provincial leaders, whose policy emphasizes the leading role of transport, deploy various breakthrough projects in transport infrastructure to fit Binh Phuoc's conditions. This approach has successfully created a convenient traffic system that connects the Central Highlands with neighboring provinces, namely Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City. If you travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, you will pass through the Hoa Lu international border gate of Binh Phuoc. This factor allows Binh Phuoc province to become the prominent figure in economic development in the region.

In addition to economic development, Binh Phuoc province also invested its resources in the construction and perfecting of cultural institutions, as well as solutions for social issues. Education and training is the most prolific field throughout 25 years of re-establishment, with schools entering the ranks of prestigious national academic institutions and a high graduation rate. These critical human resources are ready to be utilized by investment enterprises in Binh Phuoc province.
Poverty reduction is also one of the notable achievements of Binh Phuoc province. On a yearly average, the percentage of destitute households drops by 1.3% (in 2021, despite the erraticness of the Covid-19 pandemic, Binh Phuoc still managed to better the livelihood of 2,000 underprivileged families.) Moreover, the districts, towns and cities have basically settled problems revolving around production land and residential land allocation for farmers, and resolved land ownership disputes in among minor ethnicities. People are satisfied with policies on religion and freedom of belief. National defence is ensured, as so is the public security. In addition, Binh Phuoc province is now actively expanding foreign relations and engaging in international integration.

Binh Phuoc's development goals and orientation

“Without hardships and challenges, you will not appreciate your achievements”.Throughout the past 25 years, Binh Phuoc has reaped numerous merits. The political stability, together with the well-established national defence and security, has laid the foundation for multiple economic breakthroughs and improvements in public welfare.

Binh Phuoc province continues to realize its vision, goals and aspirations for sustainable development. The heightened leadership responsibility, the dynamic region with its creative, proactive and ever-evolving people, will fuel our growth. These factors are our motivations and aspirations - to bring peace, prosperity and happiness to the residents.
Firstly, the completion of the public welfare enhancement initiative is the pride of the provincial leaders after 25 years of re-establishment.

Secondly, leaders of Binh Phuoc province will choose the optimal and viable developmental directions, with a suitable and clear focus, predictability and corresponding solutions, thereby capitalizing on the challenges and thriving.

Thirdly, leaders of Binh Phuoc province advocated the inheritance and continuation of the diversity and heroism of Binh Phuoc in the resistance war, as well as promoted confident and daring strives in socio-economic construction and development. In addition, the authority lay heavy emphasis on consolidating the trust and support from the Central Government, from fellow provinces, cities and international partners.

Leaders of Binh Phuoc continuing to fulfil the goal of developing high-quality human resources, building a team of human resources who dare to think, know how to do, can accept tasks and complete tasks well.

With solidarity, bravery and solidarity, the provincial leaders have outlined a plan to become a fast-growing and sustainable industrial province by 2025, with a grand economic scale in the Southeast region. By 2030, Binh Phuoc Province will have been a modernized industrial region and an investment hotspot. It will be the driving force in the general development of the Southeast region. And 2045 will eventually witness a transformation of Binh Phuoc to become a highly developed, prosperous, and civilized province./.