Thanh Hoa province needs to fully capitalize on its advantageous agricultural, forestry and animal husbandry production to assist more poor people, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said.Prime Minister Dung was working with authorities of central Thanh Hoa province on January 26 during which he pointed out that the percentage of poor households in the locality remains high though it was shrunken to 17.3% by late 2012 from 20.37% in 2011.Although boasting advantages in terms of roads, railways, sea and air routes, the province failed to provide infrastructure that meets development requirements, Dung stressed.He advised local authorities to renew investment attraction methods, encourage scientific and technological applications and mechanization in production, and back household economy development to address those existing problems and make the planned economic restructuring efficient.Thanh Hoa also needs to give special attention to social welfare, healthcare, and human resource development for its over 3.5 million population, PM Dung said, asking the province to ensure a warm Lunar New Year festival for all, especially social welfare policy beneficiaries.He told the officials that leaders of ministries and sectors considered and gave specific opinions to the locality’s proposals and suggestions regarding its adjusted socio-economic development plan to 2020, Nghi Son economic zone expansion, and transport, irrigation and dyke projects.Chairman of the Thanh Hoa People’s Committee Trinh Van Chien reported that in 2012, the province tried to weather impacts of prolonged cold spell, floods and poultry epidemic outbreak as well as economic downturn effects.It made a GDP growth rate of 10.3% and a per capita income of over $1,000. Vocational training was given to 62,000 locals and new jobs were created for 59,000 others.For this year, Thanh Hoa has set to achieve a GDP growth rate of more than 11% and a per capita income of $1,180, generate jobs for over 60,000 people and reduce the percentage of poor households by 3%. During his visit to Thanh Hoa, PM Dung visited air regiment 923 of the Air and Air Defense Force to inspect its combat preparedness.He also visited Tho Xuan airport, which will see the launch of a flight route from Thanh Hoa to Ho Chi Minh City on February 5, and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam’s Thanh Hoa branch. (vietnamplus.vn Jan 27)
