Infrastructure breakthroughs pave the way for development

Dong Nai is gradually turning its aspiration of becoming a civilized, modern and happy city into reality, placing people’s quality of life at the heart of development. Beyond its own development, Dong Nai also aims to become a major growth engine for the Southern region and the country as a whole.

Phuoc An Bridge, connecting Dong Nai City with Ho Chi Minh City, now has its main span fully cast. Photo: Cong Nghia

With its new position, mindset and vision, the city is making every effort to achieve 11% growth and state budget revenue of VND150 trillion in 2026. Achieving these ambitious targets would not only demonstrate Dong Nai’s internal strength and political determination to develop, but also provide the city with greater resources to support stronger development in 2027 and the years ahead.

Significant changes

Dong Nai is gradually regaining the position and growth momentum of a locality with a strong industrial tradition, a track record of attracting investment and major contributions to the Central state budget. Since 2025, Dong Nai has demonstrated a determination to outperform its own previous achievements by proactively striving for results above key targets assigned by the Government. For example, the Government assigned Dong Nai a gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth target of 8.5% for 2025, while the actual growth rate reached 9.63%. Similarly, the state budget revenue target assigned by the Government was VND70 trillion, but Dong Nai collected more than VND100 trillion.

In 2026, Dong Nai has set even more ambitious targets, including 11% GRDP growth and state budget revenue of VND150 trillion. Setting high growth and revenue targets is not about chasing achievements for the sake of appearances. Rather, it creates additional pressure on the entire administrative system to accelerate its efforts to the highest possible level. Failure to achieve these particularly important targets would have a major impact on investment resources for 2027 and subsequent years.

According to Truong Thi Huong Binh, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Director of the Department of Finance, with the ambitious targets assigned by the Standing Board of the City Party Committee and the determination of the entire political system, the economy has maintained positive growth momentum. Dong Nai’s GRDP grew 10.21% in the third quarter of 2026 and 10.01% in the first nine months of the year. This was also the city’s highest quarterly growth rate in many years. Meanwhile, state budget revenue in the first nine months exceeded VND78.2 trillion, while FDI attraction reached approximately USD2.5 billion. Cultural and social sectors continued to receive attention, while national defense and security were maintained. These results provide a foundation for the city to continue striving to achieve its 2026 targets.

Identifying personnel work as a “key factor” of decisive importance to success or failure across all fields, at the fifth conference of the City Party Executive Committee on October 2, Vu Hong Van, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the City Party Committee, Head of the city’s delegation of National Assembly deputies, stressed: “Officials must be assessed based on their outputs, progress, quality and work efficiency; KPI criteria must be tailored to each position rather than applied mechanically or uniformly. Officials who fail to meet requirements, show stagnation or avoid responsibility must be promptly reassigned or replaced in accordance with regulations. At the same time, proactive and creative officials acting in the common interest must be protected and encouraged. The city must prepare a pool of young officials and personnel with strategic thinking, management capabilities, and expertise in science, technology and digital transformation.”

Dong Nai’s development is reflected not only in “telling” figures but also in major improvements in infrastructure, particularly transport infrastructure, which has been a major bottleneck for many years. The city is urgently working to complete a series of multitrillion-VND transport projects in 2026. Notable examples include Roads 25B and 25C, which provide direct connections to Long Thanh International Airport. The city is also coordinating with relevant agencies to put the final section of the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway, which connects with the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway and the expanded Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway section, into operation, further strengthening connectivity with Long Thanh Airport.

Expectations for stronger growth

Dong Nai is entering a crucial stage of development that could generate major breakthroughs in the years ahead, as a series of nationally significant infrastructure projects are taking shape and gradually being put into operation. A prime example is Long Thanh Airport, which is expected to officially begin operations by the end of this year, together with a series of connecting transport projects. Site clearance, a critical factor determining the progress of infrastructure projects, has also been facilitated. This is expected to enable Dong Nai to make a breakthrough in transport infrastructure, a vital artery of the economy.

Road 25B, which connects with the Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3, is being urgently completed.

Huynh Van Tao, a long-time resident of Dai Phuoc Commune, said: “I have lived in this area for more than half a century, and I have never witnessed such major changes in infrastructure. Expressways and new bridges are being built rapidly, with heavy traffic connecting Dong Nai with Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta. People are especially delighted that ground was finally broken for the Cat Lai Bridge, which had remained on paper for more than 20 years, connecting the area with Ho Chi Minh City and replacing the noisy ferry services that have operated day and night and frequently caused traffic congestion.”

From an investor’s perspective, Le Nu Thuy Duong, Vice Chairwoman and General Director of KN Holdings Group, said the group is accelerating the development of two new-generation industrial parks: KNIC Nam Long Thanh and KNIC Dong Long Thanh, each covering 1,000 hectares in the first phase. Following the launch of the projects in 2025, the company began infrastructure construction in May this year and expects to complete the projects by the end of 2026 to attract high-tech investors.

During a recent visit by City Party Committee leaders to Long Duc Industrial Park in Binh An Commune, Ishii Hiroyuki, General Director of Long Duc Investment Co., Ltd., expressed confidence in the city’s new development prospects. The company is therefore accelerating development of Long Duc 3 Industrial Park, located in Binh An Commune and Long Thanh Ward, covering 244 hectares. The new industrial park has already attracted the interest of more than 50 investors and is expected to attract total investment of approximately USD3.5 billion. Most of the capital being sought by the company for investment in Dong Nai is directed toward high-tech sectors capable of generating substantial value added and making significant contributions to the city’s budget.

By Cong Nghia - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha