Promoting growth through special mechanisms and policies

With a transport infrastructure system that is increasingly complete, synchronized and modern, along with medium- and long-term industrial land reserves near Long Thanh International Airport expanded by more than 2,200 hectares following the construction commencement of three large-scale industrial parks on December 19, Dong Nai province is in dire need of a strong “lever” under the form of special mechanisms and policies to realize double-digit economic growth, enhancing its attractiveness to world-class investors to shape a modern ecosystem of aviation services, logistics and airport-oriented urban development in line with the resolutions of the Provincial Party Congress.

The concretization of action programs aimed at realizing double-digit growth throughout the 2026–2030 period, as set out by the Politburo and the Government, poses a significant challenge for the leadership and governance of the Dong Nai Party Organization and Provincial authorities. This challenge emerges amid increasingly fierce competition for both domestic and foreign investment. The locality therefore expects the Central Government to soon officially approve the “activation” of special mechanisms and policies for immediate implementation in practice, creating new growth drivers. At the core of this strategy is positioning Long Thanh International Airport as a growth pole for the province and a new strategic engine for regional and national development. The urgency of coordinated efforts to design breakthrough strategies and establish a solid foundation for rapid and sustainable growth becomes even more pronounced as the timeline for bringing the “project of the century” into commercial operation by mid-2026 draws closer by the day.

To meet these pressing demands, the Party Committee of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee has recently sought opinions from the Provincial Party Standing Committee on approving and unifying the policy direction for drafting a proposal and outline of a resolution on piloting a number of special mechanisms and policies for Dong Nai’s development. This would allow the province to urgently develop a scheme for submission to the Government for appraisal, before being considered and decided by higher competent authorities. Accordingly, Dong Nai has proactively proposed several special mechanisms and policies to be applied specifically to the province, diverging from current legal regulations, with a focus on seven key areas: Ring Road 3 and local railways under the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model; strategic investors; financial and state budget policies; policies on planning, urban development, natural resources and the environment; policies on science, technology and innovation; policies related to cadres, civil servants and public employees; and the establishment of a Free Trade Zone.

This timely move is grounded in official conclusions from the Party Central Committee’s Office, notably the conclusions of State President Luong Cuong during a working session to provide input on draft documents and personnel proposals for the first Dong Nai Provincial Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term. In particular, it aligns with Notice No. 420 dated November 17, 2025, of the Party Central Committee’s Office on the conclusions of Party General Secretary To Lam at a working session on the Long Thanh International Airport project. The Party leader assessed that the proposals by Dong Nai’s leadership to allow the province to apply certain special mechanisms and policies similar to those granted to Ho Chi Minh City are reasonable, contributing to the removal of obstacles and the unlocking of bottlenecks to maximize the airport’s effectiveness. He also requested the Party Standing Committees of the Government and the National Assembly, along with relevant ministries and sectors, to direct the consideration and resolution of these issues within their authority, promptly addressing matters to ensure that strategic infrastructure connectivity projects and socio-economic development initiatives of Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and surrounding areas are implemented in a synchronized and consistent manner in terms of mechanisms and policies.

If the Central Government swiftly permits an expansion of decentralization and delegation of authority in line with the province’s proposals, transferring certain responsibilities currently under the jurisdiction of the Government, the Prime Minister, and ministries and sectors to local authorities, this would create a framework enabling Dong Nai to flexibly decentralize and delegate authority internally in proportion to current demands and workloads. Such a shift would enhance autonomy and accountability, while optimizing the effectiveness, efficiency and performance of the two-tier local government apparatus, thereby accelerating the realization of high-growth objectives.

By Thu Giang - Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha