Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Hanoi has reportedly undergone considerable changesin its economic growth, appearance and infrastructure a decade on from the administrativeboundary expansion.

The economic growth rate reaches 7.41 percent each year onaverage during 2008-18.

The gross regional domestic product (GRDP) per capita in 2017was 2.3 times higher than 2008. The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in2017 reached 3,910 USD, twice as high compared to 2008.

It was revealed by Deputy Director of the city’s Planning andInvestment Department Vu Duy Tuan at a press conference on July 24 to preparefor the 10th anniversary of Hanoi’s administrative boundary expansion.

Additionally, the growth rate of the industrial sectorusually stays stable at an average of 8.61 percent each year.

The sector’s revenue in 2017 reached 6.5 billion USD, 2.5 timeshigher than in 2008.

The city welcomed 4.95 million overnight visitors in 2017,about 2.8 times higher than in 2008. Hanoi was also listed among the world’stop 10 fastest growing tourism cities in 2017 by Mastercard Global Services.

According to Tuan, Hanoi’s area only accounts 1 percent ofthe total area of the country but the city contributes more than 19 percent tothe State budget.

Aiming to build a modern capital city, Hanoi has also focusedefforts on creating new-style rural areas and gaining remarkable achievements,one of which is reducing the gap in living conditions between urban and ruralareas.

During the past decade, per capita income in rural areasincreased threefold between 2008 and 2017, reaching 38 million VND a year in2017.

The capital now has a new and dynamic look as everymetropolis in the world after ten years of growth.

A number of new and modern urban areas have been constructedto serve a growing demand of city dwellers, including My Dinh, Linh Dam, Van Quan,Viet Hung, An Khanh, Ciputra, Times City, and Royal City.

A series of modern and large-scale infrastructure projectshave been completed during the period, including the elevated Belt Road No 3,the Nhat Tan – Noi Bai Highway, the extended National Road No 5, several newbridges across the Hong (Red) River and seven flyovers in the city,contributing greatly to easing traffic congestion.

The city plans to boost development to the north with the KimQuy (Golden Turtle) Amusement Park, covering more than 100ha in Dong Anh district.

The park is expected to reach global levels with aninvestment of thousands of billions of dong; and the National Exhibition Centrein Dong Anh district, which is expected to become the Asia’s largest, and theworld’s fifth largest, exhibition and fair complex when it opens.

Despite these major achievements, Hanoi still faces severalchallenges such as reducing overload for inner-city hospitals, depopulation ofinner districts and creating more jobs for unemployed people.

Speaking at the press conference, Ngo Van Quy, Vice Chairmanof the People’s Committee of Hanoi, said improving the quality of hospitals inthe suburbs was a way to reduce pressure at inner-city hospitals.

In the meantime, dealing with issues like tap water and wastetreatment in suburban districts were also the first steps to implement the planto depopulate inner districts, he said.

The city is scheduled to open three tap-water supplyfactories to ensure all suburban people have tap water by 2020.

Connecting infrastructure from the city’s downtown tosuburban districts would help boosting the depopulation plan, he added.

To do that, the city would construct more radial roadslinking the inner districts to the suburbs, he said.

At present, the city hopes to create jobs for 152,000 people,reducing the unemployed rate to below 4 percent in 2018.

Quy said the city has focused on raising both quality andquantity of jobs.

The expansion of administrative boundary carried out underthe 12th National Assembly’s Resolution 15/2008/QH12 in 2008, was a historicevent with long-term and comprehensive impacts and influence on the capitalcity’s political, economic and social situation.

After merging with the whole neighbouring Ha Tay province, MeLinh district of Vinh Phuc province and four communes of Luong Son district, HoaBinh province, the current Hanoi stretching over 3,328 sq.km, tripling theformer acreage. The city has 577 communes, districts and townships of 29districts and towns.-VNS/VNA