Special hallmarks of 2025: Foundation for Dong Nai to make breakthroughs and accelerate growth in 2026

The year 2025 closed with many important milestones in Dong Nai province’s development journey. Despite the implementation of administrative unit reorganization and the operation of the two-tier local government model, Dong Nai maintained impressive growth momentum, reaffirming its role as an economic locomotive of the Southeast region. These results are clear evidence of the province’s resilience, dynamism and adaptability, while laying a solid foundation for a greener, more modern and sustainable development path ahead.

Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee

On the occasion of the New Year 2026, Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, spoke with Dong Nai Newspaper and Radio, Television about the province’s outstanding achievements in 2025, as well as its goals and acceleration tasks for 2026.

Hallmarks in economic growth targets

2025 marked many important developments for Dong Nai. How do you assess the most notable results the province has achieved?

2025 was a pivotal year, both accelerating and making breakthroughs to complete the targets of the 2021–2025 term, while laying the groundwork for the next development phase. Amid ongoing global and domestic difficulties and challenges, the province focused on decisive and synchronous direction, achieving many positive results across most sectors.

Most prominent was economic growth. The province’s GRDP growth rate reached 9.63%, exceeding the Government-assigned target of 8.5% by 1.13 pecentage points. With this result, Dong Nai ranked first nationwide in terms of target fulfillment, seventh nationwide in GRDP growth rate, and continued to lead the Southeast region. Economic scale reached nearly VND 678 trillion, with GRDP per capita exceeding VND 150 million. The economic structure continued to shift in the right direction, with industry-construction and services serving as the main growth drivers.

Industrial production and construction recovered strongly, with the industrial production index rising by more than 15%. Trade and services grew well, with total retail sales and service revenue increasing by over 18%. Export turnover was estimated at more than USD 34 billion, up over 19% compared to 2024, while the trade surplus reached about USD 8.4 billion, making a positive contribution to the national trade balance.

Investment attraction remained a bright spot, with total domestic investment exceeding VND 163 trillion and foreign direct investment surpassing USD 3 billion. Notably, in 2025, provincial state budget revenue exceeded the VND 100 trillion mark for the first time, a milestone of great significance for Dong Nai’s development.

Many key transport infrastructure projects with regional and inter-regional connectivity were accelerated, opening up new development space for the province. Among them, Long Thanh International Airport is a national key project with special importance for Dong Nai’s long-term socio-economic development.

Cultural-social affairs and social security received comprehensive attention; the labor market remained stable, with urban unemployment kept at a low level; education, healthcare and tourism continued to record positive results. Administrative reform, digital transformation and the operation of the two-tier local government model have proven effective, helping enhance state management efficiency and strengthen the confidence of residents and businesses.

2025 also marked a milestone as Dong Nai completed the reorganization and officially operated the two-tier local government model. Could you share insights into its implementation and the notable changes it has brought?

From July 1, 2025, along with the rest of the country, Dong Nai implemented the two-tier local government model. This was an important step in administrative reform aimed at streamlining the apparatus, improving state management efficiency and service quality for the people.

Recognizing this as a major policy with far-reaching impacts on organizational structures and daily life, the province implemented it proactively, cautiously and in a controlled manner. The consistent viewpoint was to ensure that organizational restructuring would not disrupt governance, administration or the handling of procedures for residents and businesses. Based on resolutions and conclusions of the Central Government, the province focused on consolidating the organizational apparatus, arranging appropriate personnel, and promoting decentralization and delegation to create a legal corridor for the stable operation of the two-tier model.

At the same time, the commune-level apparatus was reorganized in a synchronized manner to ensure sufficient capacity to perform assigned tasks. Newly formed units issued regulations on functions and duties within their authority. Importantly, Dong Nai does not view organizational restructuring as the end goal, but defines the effectiveness of the two-tier model by administrative reform outcomes and the satisfaction level of residents and businesses. This is the core criterion for substantively evaluating the new model’s performance.

Initial implementation has shown clear and positive changes. Governance and administration have become more streamlined, direct and effective, with clearer delineation of authority and responsibility between levels. In the early stage of operation, 100 percent of communes and wards generated and processed dossiers on the administrative procedure information system, which the Government Office assessed as among the most effective nationwide.

Administrative discipline and public service responsibility have improved markedly, especially at the commune level where officials directly handle citizens’ affairs. Decentralization tied to accountability has enabled officials to be more proactive and decisive, reducing buck-passing and delays.

Notably, service quality for residents and businesses has improved significantly: the rate of online payment dossiers rose from 43% to 98%; the rate of digitized dossiers and results increased from 39%to 92%; and the rate of reuse of digitized data rose from 15% to 79%. Satisfaction among residents and businesses reached 96%, helping Dong Nai rank third out of 34 provinces and cities, up 12 places compared to the initial stage of operation.

In 2025, many national key projects in the province achieved important progress. How do you assess their significance for Dong Nai’s socio-economic development?

2025 marked very important progress in implementing national key projects in Dong Nai, notably Long Thanh International Airport, the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway, and Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3. These are not only large-scale infrastructure works but also have long-term strategic significance for the socio-economic development of the province, the Southern key economic region and the country as a whole.

On the occasion of the New Year 2026, what message would you like to convey to officials, civil servants, public employees, the business community and the people of Dong Nai?

On behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, the People’s Council, the People’s Committee and the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front, I extend New Year wishes of good health, happiness and success to all officials, civil servants, public employees, the business community and the people of Dong Nai.

First of all, provincial leaders sincerely acknowledge and commend the sense of responsibility and dedication of officials and public employees over the past year. Their contributions ensured smooth administrative operations and timely services for residents and businesses, laying a solid foundation for socio-economic development.

Entering 2026, I would like to send two important messages to officials, civil servants and public employees. 

First, continue to maintain resilience, constantly learn and self-improve to meet task requirements in the new context. Second, continue to uphold the spirit of dedication to the province’s development. The province is committed to fully and promptly implementing Central regulations, while flexibly applying appropriate local incentive mechanisms to ensure income stability and living conditions, enabling officials to work with peace of mind and devote themselves wholeheartedly to serving the people.

For the business community, Dong Nai always values and is committed to accompanying enterprises. The province believes businesses will continue to promote dynamism, creativity and initiative, accelerate digital transformation, innovate technologies and pursue sustainable development, making important contributions to economic growth, job creation and social security.

For all residents of the province, the provincial leaders hope each person will continue to uphold traditions of solidarity, compassion, diligence and creativity, joining hands with the Party Committee and authorities to build a fast-growing, sustainable, civilized and modern Dong Nai, with continuously improving material and spiritual living standards.

With new confidence, renewed momentum and strong determination, provincial leaders expect Dong Nai to continue making strong breakthroughs, successfully achieving set goals and living up to the trust and expectations of the people.

Long Thanh International Airport, in particular, is a nationally important aviation infrastructure project identified as a future international aviation hub. The on-schedule implementation of key items in Phase 1 during 2025 provides a solid foundation for putting the airport into operation in 2026 as required by the National Assembly and the Government. Once operational, the airport will open up new development space for Dong Nai, strongly promoting logistics, services, tourism and international trade, while enhancing the province’s position in regional and global value chains.

The Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway is a strategic transport route directly connecting major economic and industrial centers with the Cai Mep–Thi Vai deep-water port system. Accelerating the project in 2025 is particularly important for reducing pressure on National Highway 51, shortening cargo transport time, cutting logistics costs, and enhancing business competitiveness and the provincial investment environment.

Meanwhile, Ring Road 3 of Ho Chi Minh City, passing through Dong Nai, is a key inter-regional connector in completing the Southeast transport network. The technical opening of sections in 2025 not only helps ease congestion and improve traffic distribution in the central urban area, but also creates favorable conditions for forming new urban, industrial and service development spaces along the route.

It can be affirmed that these national key projects are important growth drivers and a foundation for Dong Nai to make strong breakthroughs in the 2026–2030 period and beyond, contributing positively to the province’s fast and sustainable development goals and the successful implementation of orientations set out in the Resolution of the Provincial Party Congress.

A foundation for breakthroughs in the next period

The Resolution of the first Provincial Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term sets the goal of building Dong Nai into a green, prosperous, civilized and modern province, striving to meet basic criteria of a centrally governed city by 2030. What key tasks should the province focus on to realize this goal?

To realize this goal, the province will synchronously implement many tasks and solutions. First is building a clean and strong Party organization and political system, along with developing a contingent of officials, especially leaders and managers at all levels, with firm political will, readiness to think, act and take responsibility, innovate and act for the common good. At the same time, inspection and supervision will be strengthened, discipline tightened, and corruption, waste and negative practices resolutely prevented and combated.

Administrative reform linked with digital transformation will be accelerated, building a digital and smart government. The two-tier local government model will continue to be refined and operated effectively in a streamlined, efficient manner to better serve residents and businesses and enhance modern local governance capacity.

The province will focus on economic development driven by two main engines. The first is industrial development, with a core focus on attracting strategic, new-generation investors, filling existing industrial parks and continuing to attract investment to potential ones. The second is service development, centered on the integrated airport service urban area of Long Thanh International Airport, including a free trade center and an aviation–logistics–trade–tourism service ecosystem.

Institutional improvement and planning work will be prioritized. The provincial master plan for 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, will be adjusted to ensure consistency with national development strategies and regional spatial planning. New growth areas will be effectively exploited, development space expanded, and resources and land used efficiently.

In addition, strategic, synchronized and modern infrastructure systems will be completed, especially multimodal transport, logistics, urban and digital infrastructure. Intra-provincial, inter-regional and international connectivity will be strengthened, linked with the development of airport cities, riverside eco-urban areas and modern new rural areas.

Finally, special emphasis will be placed on cultural development and the people of Dong Nai, ensuring social security, improving education and healthcare quality, training high-quality human resources, while maintaining national defense and security, social order and safety, and firmly safeguarding sovereignty to create a stable environment for fast and sustainable development.

The above-mentioned tasks are the key and long-term priorities that the province will focus on leading and decisively implementing throughout the 2025–2030 term, in order to realize its development aspirations and achieve the goals set out in the Resolution of the First Provincial Party Congress

Adjusting the provincial master plan for 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, is a current key task. Could you outline the major orientations, key objectives and implementation approaches to ensure the adjustment both fits reality and opens sustainable development space for future stages?

Adjusting the provincial master plan is an especially important task with long-term strategic significance, particularly as development space has expanded and requirements have been raised to a higher level. The long-term goal of this adjustment is to ensure consistency and synchronization with the national socio-economic development strategy, national and regional plans, while promptly updating new practical requirements to create room and momentum for fast and sustainable development.

Vu Hong Van (second from left) Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Provincial National Assembly delegation, together with leaders of central ministries and Dong Nai province, press the button to launch the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh Expressway expansion project. Photo: Cong Nghia

On this basis, the province will restructure development space to maximize the potential and comparative advantages of each area, ensure focused and balanced development, and closely link economic growth with environmental protection and national defense and security. The adjusted plan must truly become an effective tool to unlock resources and remove bottlenecks in infrastructure, land use and investment attraction.

The adjusted plan will focus on forming and developing four new key zones to fully exploit advantages in industry, logistics, trade, services, tourism, agriculture-forestry and mineral resources. These include: the southern urban-industrial zone linked with Long Thanh International Airport, Phuoc An Port and the urban areas of Tran Bien, Long Thanh and Nhon Trach; the northern industrial-urban zone linked with Hoa Lu Border Gate Economic Zone, Hoang Dieu Border Gate and the urban areas of Binh Phuoc, Dong Xoai, Chon Thanh and Binh Long; the western lakeside economy and riverside urban-eco economy linked with Bien Hoa, Tan Trieu, Long Hung and Dai Phuoc; and the northeastern high-tech agriculture, large-scale modern livestock and green eco-tourism zone linked with Bu Gia Map, Phuoc Long, Bu Dang, Ta Lai and Nam Cat Tien.

The province affirms that the planning adjustment will be carried out in a scientific and synchronized manner, closely linked with the formulation and adjustment of construction, urban, underground space and sectoral plans. The process will enhance decentralization, promote proactiveness and creativity of all levels and sectors alongside improved state management effectiveness, while mobilizing the participation of experts, scientists, the business community and residents to ensure practicality, feasibility and long-term vision.

The province believes this planning adjustment will not only meet current development requirements but also lay a solid foundation and open up sustainable development space for future stages, contributing to the successful realization of the goal of building Dong Nai into a green, prosperous, civilized and modern province, striving to meet basic criteria of a centrally governed city by 2030.

By Hoang Loc - Translated by Thuc Oanh, Thu Ha