Lai Chau (VNA) - 🌌The Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee convened its regular meeting for November to assess the progress of the 2024 socio-economic development plan, ensure national defense and security, and lay out the roadmap for 2025 on November 11.

The meeting heard that in 2024, all levels of government, sectors, and localities worked in unison to overcome challenges, remain aligned with the directives from the central government, and adapt to the province’s specific circumstances to fulfill their assigned tasks. Socio-economic development has yielded many positive results, with most key indicators either meeting or surpassing the set targets (38 out of 42 indicators exceeded or met their goals). The provincial economy continued to thrive and achieved its growth targets. Several economic indicators surpassed expectations, reflecting strong growth compared to the same period last year. For example, the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) for 2024 is projected to grow by 9.0 percent, in line with the plan. Notably, sectors such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries saw a 4.7 percent increase; industry and construction expanded by 14.7 percent; services grew by 6.04 percent; and product taxes rose by 1.5 percent. The average income per capita reached 55.89 million VND, exceeding the plan by 8.5 percent and marking a 7.7 percent increase from 2023. Provincial budget revenue is estimated at 2,365 billion VND. Administrative reforms and improvements in the investment climate continue to show positive progress, with a strong focus on attracting investment and supporting local businesses in overcoming challenges. National defense and security have been well-maintained, safeguarding the province's border sovereignty. The province’s foreign relations have also continued to expand and deepen. Looking ahead to 2025, Lai Chau has set ambitious goals: to further accelerate economic development with a focus on energy industry, agricultural processing, and expanding export markets for local products; to promote sustainable, large-scale agricultural production linked to the ongoing development of new rural areas; and to advance the service sector, particularly tourism, while preserving the unique cultural heritage of the province’s ethnic communities. Efforts will also be made to ensure solid and sustainable growth. The province will prioritize the development of infrastructure, working to complete key projects that will support socio-economic progress; improving the quality of human resources, fostering the application of science and technology, and promoting digital transformation will remain key focus areas. /.