Experts “dissect” Ho Chi Minh City’s double-digit growth target

Experts say that in the next 5 years, Ho Chi Minh City must grow at least 10% per year to demonstrate its economic leadership role, contributing decisively to the country's double-digit GDP growth target from 2026.

On August 13, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee held a conference to collect opinions from experts, scientists , and prominent intellectuals on the draft documents of the 1st Ho Chi Minh City Party Congress, term 2025-2030.

Conference scene. Photo: Nguyen Le

Giving comments on the draft document online from Hanoi, Dr. Tran Dinh Thien, former Director of the Vietnam Economic Institute, said that in the coming period, especially after merging with the two provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau , Ho Chi Minh City will become a very strong development "force", playing a decisive role in the economic growth of the whole country.

Commenting on the target of the average growth rate of gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in Ho Chi Minh City in the period of 2025-2030 of 10%/year, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Trong Hoai, former Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics , said that the GRDP growth range should be expanded from 9-11%/year instead of rounding to 10%/year, because each year has different fluctuations, the growth rate will be different.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh (Lecturer at Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management) gave comments at the conference. Photo: Nguyen Le

Also related to GRDP growth rate, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh (Lecturer at Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management) said that if we want GRDP per capita to reach 14,000-15,000 USD in the period of 2025-2030, GRDP of Ho Chi Minh City must grow at an average of 12.5%/year, because we must take into account population growth.

Regarding solutions, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh pointed out three pillars: First, the institution must be creative, focusing on the mechanism for mobilizing resources and implementing to improve the efficiency of investment projects; second, high-quality human resources; third, promoting the private economy in accordance with the spirit of the Central Resolution.

Also giving his opinion on solutions to achieve the growth target, Dr. Vu Thanh Tu Anh (expert from Fulbright University Vietnam) said that the economic scale of Ho Chi Minh City after the merger is very large and highly diverse. This diversity needs to complement each other, avoiding dispersion. With the potential and strengths of the three old localities, there needs to be an integrated and connected strategy, taking science - technology, digital transformation and the private economy as pillars.

For the industrial sector (the strength of the old Binh Duong province), it is necessary to transform to new generation industry (modern industry); at the same time, there must be a mechanism to mobilize and allocate resources reasonably. For attracting human resources, the city needs to have a practical treatment regime for talented people and a regime to protect dedicated civil servants.

According to Dr. Tran Du Lich, Chairman of the Advisory Council for the implementation of Resolution 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly, the first thing the city needs to do is to develop a socio-economic plan and urban development plan after the merger, considering this as a guideline for the new development stage in the coming time.

Doctor of Science, Architect Ngo Viet Nam Son gave his comments at the conference. Photo: Nguyen Le

Agreeing with this opinion, Doctor of Science, Architect Ngo Viet Nam Son said that after merging with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces, Ho Chi Minh City needs to have a new urban development planning project (it cannot combine the planning of 3 localities). The new planning must be highly connected, with a more comprehensive vision. Through this planning, the city invests in developing synchronous urban infrastructure to solve the problem of population dispersion, avoiding focusing on the old urban core.

Speaking at the end of the conference, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc emphasized that the 1st Congress of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, term 2025-2030, is the first congress after the arrangement of provincial-level administrative units.

With a new position, a new mindset, creating new space for the city to develop on the basis of taking advantage of the strategic advantages of "1 space, 3 areas, 1 special zone", comrade Nguyen Van Duoc affirmed the determination of the entire city's political system to achieve the important goal of double-digit growth in the coming term.

Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc delivered a speech concluding the conference. Photo: Nguyen Le

Ho Chi Minh City is facing many intertwined opportunities and challenges, developing the city not only for its 14 million people but also for the whole country.

With the spirit of solidarity, innovation, and contributions from all walks of life, experts, scientists, intellectuals, sectors, and localities, the draft Congress Document will be completed in the best possible way, serving as a guideline for the city to successfully implement the set goals and tasks, contributing to building Ho Chi Minh City as expected, worthy of the region and the world.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/chuyen-gia-mo-xe-ve-muc-tieu-tang-truong-2-con-so-cua-tp-ho-chi-minh-712455.html