Dong Nai concretizes three strategic breakthroughs

The orientation of paving the way with institutions, accelerating with human resources, and taking off with infrastructure, as outlined in the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, is being urgently concretized by Dong Nai Province to optimize resources and achieve breakthrough development.

The Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway project section through Dong Nai is being urgently constructed under an emergency mechanism. Photo: Cong Nghia

Nguyen Thi Hong Trang, Provincial Party Committee member, Standing Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilization, emphasized that the three strategic breakthroughs - institutions, human resources, and infrastructure- are of critical importance to Dong Nai, especially institutions. She noted that institutions are the “bottleneck of bottlenecks,” and once addressed, they will unlock the province’s full potential and drive rapid development.

Milestones in concretizing the resolution into reality

Following the 14th National Party Congress and with the Politburo's approval in principle, Dong Nai has moved swiftly to implement institutional breakthroughs. The province is developing a proposal to submit to the National Assembly for the establishment of Dong Nai City, along with special mechanisms to support development. If approved, this initiative would mark a historic turning point, particularly after the merger of Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai, which has significantly increased the province’s size, population, and economic scale, placing it among the leading localities nationwide.

With institutions closely aligned with practical realities, many infrastructure projects are being fast-tracked, including Long Thanh International Airport (Long Thanh Airport), Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Project, and Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3 Project. The Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway Expansion Project is being built under an emergency mechanism. In early 2025, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City also broke ground on three cable-stayed bridges, namely Cat Lai, Long Hung, and Phu My 2, under special mechanisms to ease congestion and strengthen connectivity to Long Thanh Airport.

After many years of advising Dong Nai on mechanisms and policies, we have never seen such a great opportunity for breakthrough development as we do now. In addition to institutions, human resources, and infrastructure, the key factor is the political determination of the provincial leaders, matched by concrete action. When major policies are considered by the Politburo, this will be a "golden opportunity" for Dong Nai to take off into a new era.

Dr. Dinh Cong Khai, Deputy Director of the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City

According to Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, following the direction from General Secretary To Lam during a visit to the Long Thanh Airport project in November 2025, the Government has assigned the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee as the competent authority to implement the extension of Metro Line No. 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) from Ho Chi Minh City to the province’s new administrative center, connecting to Long Thanh Airport. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City will implement a metro line from Thu Thiem to Long Thanh Airport. Both projects are being executed under emergency procedures to shorten timelines and administrative processes.

Comrade Nguyen Kim Long said that, in implementing the direction of the Party Central Committee member, Provincial Party Secretary, the working group led by Deputy Provincial Party Secretary, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Ut, and Deputy Provincial Party Secretary Vo Tan Duc is currently studying experience in railway development in China. In the coming period, the province will continue to send delegations to Japan and other advanced countries. The province will acquire modern urban railway technology, in line with the General Secretary's directive to shorten travel time from Long Thanh Airport to the center of Ho Chi Minh City.

Creative application, seizing opportunities

After more than a year of renewed leadership and direction in socio-economic development, national defense and security, and Party building, Dong Nai has achieved many important results. The province has resolved several long-standing project bottlenecks, including legal obstacles at the Aqua City urban area, land clearance for the functional conversion of Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Zone, and site clearance for the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Component Project section passing through Dong Nai.

Looking ahead, Dong Nai aims to contribute to national milestones such as the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2030 and the 100th founding anniversary of the country in 2045. The province strives to become a modern and prosperous locality among the nation’s leaders through decisive actions, synchronized infrastructure, and open policies to mobilize maximum resources, especially from the business community.

Dong Nai is urgently moving to complete the Long Thanh Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Project, covering more than 8,200 hectares and estimated to cost about 16 billion USD. The free trade zone is adjacent to Long Thanh Airport and Phuoc An Port. This complex has four main functions: high-tech manufacturing, logistics, commercial services, and innovation, thereby creating new growth momentum for the Southern region.

Dong Nai has recently approved adjustments to its master plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, and approved the task of preparing the 1/2,000 subdivision plan for the concentrated digital technology zone in An Phuoc and An Binh communes. On March 16, the Provincial People's Committee approved component projects 1 and 2 of the Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 4 Project (with a total length of nearly 160km, including more than 46km passing through Dong Nai), with the goal of starting construction by the end of June 2026.

Regarding human resource breakthroughs, Provincial Party Committee member and Director of the Department of Education and Training Truong Thi Kim Hue stated that the province has streamlined its education and vocational training system to improve efficiency. The Department is advising the Provincial People's Committee to submit a policy to the Provincial People's Council to attract high-quality human resources to Dong Nai University. The province has allocated the former administrative center headquarters in Binh Phuoc ward to open campus 2. Universities and colleges in the area are also urgently innovating training in line with the province's trends.

According to Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van Ut, concretizing the 14th National Party Congress requires the province to proactively change its mindset and uphold individual responsibility in regional economic planning and management. First and foremost, it is necessary to anticipate and compete to attract green investment capital and modern technology. The province will continuously review and improve the business environment to enhance core competitiveness. With practical, well-aligned solutions, Dong Nai is well-positioned to achieve its strategic goals and contribute to the country’s target of double-digit economic growth.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho