Affirming the position of the North's leading economic growth pole

The urban appearance of Hai Phong city is increasingly spacious and modern. Photo: QUOC TUNG

'Dare to think, dare to do', breakthrough development

Entering the renovation period since 1986, Hai Phong, like the whole country, is facing a socio -economic crisis. The subsidized management mechanism has caused production to stagnate and people's lives to face many difficulties. In that context, the City Party Committee has closely followed the Party's comprehensive renovation policy, applied new management mechanisms, gradually resolved difficulties, unleashed potential, and brought the city's economy out of stagnation and into a strong transformation.

From 1986 to 1990, the city began to implement the innovation policy. Hai Phong was a pioneer in innovating the management mechanism, with product contracting forms. Thanks to that, agricultural production developed strongly, rice and food productivity increased. Agricultural production surpassed the 5 tons/ha/year mark, reaching a stable level of over 8 tons/ha/year. From the vivid practice of Hai Phong, the foundation was laid for the Central Government to issue Directive 100-CT/TW on the contracting mechanism, creating initiative for farmers and Resolution 10-NQ/TW on innovating agricultural management, rearranging production organization...

In the period 1991-2000, Hai Phong's economy had a breakthrough growth. The average economic growth rate reached nearly 10%/year. This was the period when the city's industry was maintained at a high speed, the industrial production value doubled every 5 years. Many factories and enterprises were restored and expanded, especially Hai Phong cement, shipbuilding, mechanics, and textiles. During this period, Hai Phong was also a dynamic locality in foreign economic development.

Import and export activities through ports increased rapidly, foreign direct investment (FDI) began to flow strongly into industrial zones. Trade, services, and tourism had positive changes, the commodity market was more diverse, many commercial centers and hotels were built. Investment in economic and social infrastructure was focused. The system of seaports, roads, bridges and culverts was upgraded; electricity, water, post and telecommunications were expanded to meet development requirements. People's lives were significantly improved.

Continuing that success, in the new development period, Hai Phong has achieved many particularly important achievements, not only having great significance for the city's development, but also affirming its role, position and important contributions to the country's development.

By the end of 2024, Hai Phong is the only locality in the country to maintain a double-digit economic growth rate for 10 consecutive years. Economic scale, per capita income, state budget revenue, FDI attraction, and labor productivity are always among the leading localities in the country. Specifically, the city's GRDP growth rate in 2024 reached 11.01%, the highest among the 5 localities with the largest economic scale. Hai Phong's state budget revenue ranked 3rd nationwide, while FDI attraction ranked 2nd nationwide. In the 2021-2025 period, Hai Phong is estimated to attract 20.2 billion USD in FDI capital, 1.89 times higher than the previous period. Traffic infrastructure is invested synchronously, modernly, connecting inter-regional, inter-provincial and international. Lach Huyen international gateway port put into operation 6 berths. Hai Phong is also one of the leading localities in digital transformation, with the added value ratio of the digital economy reaching 27.19% in 2024, ranking 4th in the country.

Not only making a breakthrough in economic development, Hai Phong has also achieved many outstanding and comprehensive achievements in the fields of culture, society, health, education and training, sports, tourism, science and technology and social security. In particular, breakthrough social security policies have been effectively implemented. Typically, Hai Phong is one of the first localities in the country to support 100% of tuition fees for students at all levels, support vocational training costs and care for people with meritorious services at a high level. Cultural and historical heritages are preserved and promoted. The image of the land, people and cultural and historical values of Hai Phong are widely promoted domestically and internationally.

Notably, Hai Phong's leadership in four national reputation indexes in 2024, including the provincial competitiveness index (PCI), the public administrative reform index (PAR Index), the people's satisfaction index (SIPAS) and the provincial green index (PGI), demonstrates a transparent and effective investment environment and a government that always listens to and serves the people.

Hai Phong is the first and only city in Vietnam to host a high-level event of
APEC 2025. Photo: DUY THINH

Confidently reaching out to the ocean

Over the past 40 years, Hai Phong's achievements are not only impressive figures in socio-economic development, comprehensive transformation in urban appearance and people's quality of life, but also in international position and reputation.

The Port City affirms its position as a dynamic economic growth pole and an attractive destination on the international integration "map". The event of the 3rd Meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council and the 2025 Investment Promotion Conference recently held in Hai Phong has become a clear demonstration of this strong growth. Hai Phong is the first and only city in Vietnam to host the APEC high-level event in 2025, which is not only an honor but also a "golden opportunity" to introduce the city's potential and attractiveness. The Investment Promotion Conference attracted the attention of hundreds of enterprises and multinational corporations.

Billion-dollar projects in the fields of high technology, logistics, and green industry were signed, promising to create new driving forces for the city’s development. This shows the trust of the international business community in Hai Phong’s vision and development strategy. The success of these two conferences not only strengthens Hai Phong’s position but also contributes to enhancing Vietnam’s image in the international arena.

Speaking at this particularly important event, Comrade Le Tien Chau, Secretary of the City Party Committee emphasized: "In the general picture, Hai Phong emerges as a strategic growth pole, a leading international seaport, industrial, commercial and logistics center in the North..., contributing to making Hai Phong a livable, visitable and investment-worthy city in the new era".

After nearly 40 years of renovation, today Hai Phong city is facing a new historical period after being merged with Hai Duong province to expand its development space. With its position as Vietnam's gateway to the world, the city is aiming to become a green, smart, modern urban area, on par with typical cities in Asia. The achievements over the past nearly 40 years are a solid foundation for Hai Phong to firmly step forward on the journey to achieve its set goals.

LAN NGUYEN

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/khang-dinh-vi-the-cuc-tang-truong-kinh-te-hang-dau-cua-mien-bac-519540.html