Dong Nai’s top ten events in 2010

(ĐN)- Dong Nai Journalists Association has selected the ten most outstanding events in Dong Nai in 2010 as follows.

1. The 9th Dong Nai provincial Party Congress was held successfully and achieved defined objectives, such as continue to raise the leadership and combative capacity of the provincial Party Committee; promote the strength of the great national unity bloc; develop the province’s economy in a fast and sustainable manner; further improve the living conditions of local people; maintain socio-political stability; speed up the industrialization and modernization process of the province in combination with environmental protection and provide a foundation to basically turn Dong Nai into a modern industrial province by 2015.

2. The adjustment of administrative boundaries of Long Thanh district for the expansion of Bien Hoa city was adopted. Accordingly, four communes of Long Thanh district were handed over to the city. After the expansion, Bien Hoa covers an area of 26.407 ha with a population of 784,398 people. The event has great significance in the province’s socio-economic development orientation, creating conditions for Bien Hoa city to further promote its role as a cultural-economic-political center as well as communication hub of the southern key economic region.

3. Dong Nai attracted VND52 trillion in domestic investments in 2010, increasing 2.08 times against the year’s target. Dong Nai is currently home to 251 valid domestic projects with a combined capital of more than US$7 billion. This year, over 2030 new privately owned enterprises have been established in Dong Nai with a total registered capital of VND20 trillion, up 80 percent compared to the year’s plan.

4. Construction of the third bidding package of the HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay highway, part of North-South Expressway project, was kicked off. The HCM City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay highway have a total length of 55 km with eight lanes. It is expected to facilitate socio-economic development in HCM City , Dong Nai province and the whole eastern southern key economic triangle after it open to traffic in 2013. The project is capitalized at VND18,884 billion.

5. Construction of the DOFICO industrial-agricultural complex began in Xuan Loc district, Dong Nai province in September. This is the country’s first modern complex to be built with a self-contained production chain meeting international standards that will contribute to raising agricultural products’ quality and value. The complex will serve as one of the venues through which farm produce from Dong Nai and its adjacent provinces can penetrate the world market, thus helping to promote the trademarks of hi-tech agricultural products. The VND1.96 trillion complex comprises five areas for husbandry, cultivation, food processing, hi-tech agriculture and trading. It is expected to be operational in five years.

6. Lac Hong University won the championship at Robocon Vietnam 2010 and came in the second place in the 2010 Asia-Pacific Robocon contest.

7. The Prime Minister issued decisions on the establishment of Dong Nai University and Nguyen Hue University, first public universities in Dong Nai. The universities are established on the basis of upgrading Dong Nai Teachers Colleges and the Infantry Officers’ Training College No 2. This year, Dong Nai General Hospital and Thong Nhat Regional General Hospital were also upgraded.

8. Vedan Vietnam signed agreements to pay a combined compensation amount of nearly VND220 billion (over US$11.2 million) for farmers in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai and HCMC for its untreated water discharge after prolonged negotiations. This victory is a lesson for those enterprises that violate environmental regulations. Surveys by local authorities, scientists and environment agencies indicate the pollution caused by Vedan’s untreated wastewater discharged via a hidden pipeline has hijacked the livelihood of more than 7,000 farming households in the three localities. The case attracted public attention this year.

9. The deaths of elephants and a rare Javan rhino and threats to other rare animals and forest creatures are critical issues for Dong Nai province in particular and Vietnam in general.

10. Dong Nai police busted two criminal gangs. Accordingly, about 300 people were arrested for storing and using military weapons illegally, gambling and organized gambling.