Thanh Hoa: 5 years of a journey of aspiration (Part 1) - Creating new momentum and strength for development

Flamingo Hai Tien - an attractive tourist destination in Thanh Hoa. Photo: Thu Vui

Overcoming challenges, seizing advantages

Along with the whole country, Thanh Hoa province has entered the implementation of the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020-2025, in a context of many intertwined difficulties and challenges, but the difficulties and challenges are still greater. The Draft Political Report of the Provincial Party Executive Committee for the term 2020-2025 has pointed out the factors that negatively affect the implementation of the province's socio-economic development goals and tasks, namely: The world and regional economic, political and security situation is complicated, unstable and difficult to predict; the state's institutional system is not yet synchronous, with many obstacles; some legal regulations are still overlapping and contradictory but are slow to be amended and supplemented; the investment and business environment is not really open and attractive; many bottlenecks and obstacles hindering development are slow to be resolved, especially in terms of access to land and access to capital; Some limitations and weaknesses that have lasted for many years have not been completely overcome; natural disasters, epidemics, and climate change are unpredictable.

Promoting socio -economic development in the context of many unpredictable difficulties and challenges, especially the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic on the "health" of the economy, social life and people's lives, has forced leaders at all levels to "struggle" to cope. However, these unexpected and unpredictable challenges have also become a "test" of the spirit of initiative and creativity in leadership and direction; in the perseverance in overcoming difficulties, along with the spirit of solidarity "from top to bottom" of millions of people for the common goal of "fighting the epidemic to restore the economy".

To "break the ice" of the economic stagnation, especially in the first half of the term when the COVID-19 pandemic was raging, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee have proactively forecasted, analyzed and assessed the situation accurately. On that basis, they have developed and drastically implemented plans, scenarios and solutions suitable for each period. In leadership, direction and operation, the province always adheres to the key goals and tasks to solve major, long-term and strategic issues in order to create a breakthrough in socio-economic development. Along with firmly grasping the situation, accurately forecasting, promptly and decisively resolving difficulties, obstacles and bottlenecks, etc., the province has also proactively resolved urgent and arising issues of concern to cadres, party members and the people.

Thanh Hoa: 5 years of a journey of aspiration (Part 1) - Creating new momentum and strength for development

Workers of Delta Tools Joint Stock Company produce export goods.

Thanh Hoa has implemented the resolutions of the National Assembly, the Government, the Provincial Party Committee, and the Provincial People's Council, turning them into resources for development with many flexible, synchronous, and creative solutions. During the term, the province has focused on concretizing Resolution No. 58-NQ/TW of the Politburo on building and developing Thanh Hoa province to 2030, with a vision to 2045; Resolution No. 37/2021/QH15 of the National Assembly on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Thanh Hoa province; Thanh Hoa province's planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045 of the Government. The Provincial People's Council has also issued specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Thanh Hoa city, Sam Son city, and Tho Xuan district (old), creating a legal basis for these localities to proactively mobilize investment resources for development. These are the top important factors, contributing to the breakthrough development of Thanh Hoa in the past term and are the premise for the province to continue to strive, aiming to approach higher values on the development ladder of the country.

The correct, accurate and effective decisions have demonstrated the province's timely, flexible, synchronous and effective policy response capacity in the process of leading, directing and implementing socio-economic development tasks. Among the many lessons learned, ensuring close, drastic, serious and effective leadership, direction and implementation of the policies, orientations and decisions of the Party, the State and the province; the synchronous and timely participation of the entire political system and especially the spirit of solidarity and efforts to overcome difficulties of the business community and all classes of people are the decisive factors in successfully implementing the socio-economic development goals and tasks.

Achievements

With perseverance in overcoming difficulties, with the spirit of "high determination, great effort, and drastic action", Thanh Hoa has achieved many outstanding achievements in many fields. In the overall picture of the country's socio-economic development, Thanh Hoa has every right to be proud of achieving many "firsts" such as: The average growth rate of gross regional domestic product (GRDP) is estimated at 10.26%, ranking 4th in the country and 3rd in the group of 10 provinces and cities with the largest economic scale in the country (compared to provinces and cities before the merger). The scale of GRDP in 2025 is estimated at 357,760 billion VND, ranking 8th in the country, the highest in the provinces of the North Central and Central Coast regions. The average annual budget revenue growth rate is estimated at 10.5%, among the 10 provinces and cities with the highest budget revenue in the country. New Rural Development maintains the leading group nationwide (compared to before the arrangement and merger of provinces and cities). Digital transformation has achieved many achievements in all 3 pillars, the digital transformation level index (DTI) has always been maintained in the group of 15 leading provinces and cities nationwide.

Thanh Hoa: 5 years of a journey of aspiration (Part 1) - Creating new momentum and strength for development

People come to handle administrative procedures at Dong Son Ward Public Administration Service Center.

To approach the goal of becoming a new growth pole, Thanh Hoa has focused resources on "reinforcing" 5 growth pillars, including processing and manufacturing industry; agriculture; tourism; medical services; infrastructure development. Of which, heavy industry and agriculture are identified as the foundation; energy industry, processing and manufacturing industry and logistics services are breakthroughs; tourism is the spearhead. Thanks to that, the processing and manufacturing industry has an average annual growth rate of 15.3%, in which petrochemical refining, steel and cement lead the country in output. Agriculture has formed a number of models, a number of large-scale, high-tech production areas, following the value chain; key livestock products with advantages such as dairy cows, crossbred cows, lean pigs, etc. have developed strongly, bringing the average annual growth rate of the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector to an estimated 3.81%, exceeding the target of the congress resolution. In particular, Thanh Hoa is excited that the service industry was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic but has recovered quickly. The total annual retail sales of goods and service revenue reached an average of 13.6%, with an estimated VND224,249 billion in 2025, ranking 7th in the country in terms of market size.

To attract resources for development, Thanh Hoa province has proactively implemented domestic and foreign investment promotion activities, bringing great efficiency. From 2021 to present, Thanh Hoa has attracted 350 direct investment projects, including 55 FDI projects. ODA and NGO capital sources continue to be mobilized and used effectively. The increasing appearance of large corporations and large projects in Thanh Hoa is proof of Thanh Hoa's right direction in renewing leadership methods, renewing economic thinking, and effectively attracting investment resources for development.

In the strategy for developing the transport system according to the "Thanh Hoa Provincial Planning for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045", Thanh Hoa focuses on developing the transport infrastructure system - the "blood vessels" of the economy with a focus on improving transportation capacity, strengthening the connection of the province's dynamic economic centers with neighboring provinces. Immediately after the North-South Expressway through the province was put into use, Thanh Hoa allocated thousands of billions of VND in budget to invest in key transport works with breakthroughs and great spillover effects, connecting with highway intersections and economic centers, industrial parks. 709.7km of national highways, provincial roads, major and important routes were formed in the period of 2021-2025; Tho Xuan Airport is planned to become an international airport; Thanh Hoa seaport is planned by the Prime Minister to have the potential to become a special port... will be the "nucleus" leading and strongly promoting the socio-economic development of Thanh Hoa with other provinces and cities in the region. Along with transportation, industrial infrastructure, directly the infrastructure of Nghi Son Economic Zone, industrial parks and industrial clusters; infrastructure serving agricultural development; commercial infrastructure; power grid infrastructure; telecommunications infrastructure... are also invested in increasingly synchronously, creating a new appearance and momentum for the development of Thanh land.

Sustainable development requires a balance and harmony between economy and culture. If economy is the material foundation, culture is the spiritual foundation for all development. Economic growth will create a solid foundation for cultural and social fields to continue to progress. During the term, Thanh Hoa had 7 more relics ranked at the provincial level, 16 intangible cultural heritages of the province were recognized as national intangible cultural heritages. High-performance sports achieved 2,722 medals, among the leading provinces and cities in the country. Education and training developed comprehensively, spearhead education was always in the top of the country. Health care and public health care were given attention; by 2025, the indicators of the number of hospital beds per 10,000 people, the number of doctors per 10,000 people, the rate of communes, wards and towns meeting national criteria on health, and the rate of population participating in health insurance all met the congress's goals.

Caring for the material and spiritual life of the people is also identified by the province as a key and continuous task. The good implementation of social security policies, especially for people living on rivers, people living in areas at high risk of landslides, policy families, people in difficult circumstances... has helped disadvantaged people rise up in life. By August 18, 2025, Thanh Hoa province had supported the construction and completion of 14,174 houses for poor households, policy families, and households with housing difficulties, reducing the poverty rate of the whole province to 4.99%, down 1.78% compared to 2021.

Closing 5 years of implementing the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress, Thanh Hoa is gaining unprecedented potential and position. This is both a new driving force, new spirit, and a solid foundation for the Party Committee, government and people of all ethnic groups in the province to steadily move forward, continue to embrace new opportunities and new fortunes to grow strong, worthy of the Central Government's attention and expectations for the heroic land of Thanh Hoa.

Thu Vui

(The data in the article is extracted from the draft Political Report of the 19th Provincial Party Executive Committee for the 2020-2025 term).

Lesson 2: Opening from strategic vision

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/thanh-hoa-5-nam-mot-hanh-trinh-khat-vong-bai-1-tao-the-va-luc-moi-cho-phat-trien-260575.htm