Developing Dong Nai into a modern, civilized, compassionate and livable city: Top leader To Lam

On May 18, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and a Central working delegation held a working session with the Standing Board of Dong Nai City Party Committee.

Also attending the meeting were Politburo members and Party Central Committee (PCC)’s Secretariats, including Nguyen Duy Ngoc, Head of the PCC’s Organization Commission; Tran Sy Thanh, Chairman of the PCC’s Inspection Commission; Trinh Van Quyet, Head of the PCC’s Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation; Le Minh Tri, Head of the PCC’s Commission for Internal Affairs; Nguyen Thanh Nghi, Head of the PCC’s Commission for Policies and Strategies; and Bui Thi Minh Hoai, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

The meeting was also attended by General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense; General Luong Tam Quang, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security; PCC’s Secretariat and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra; along with PCC members Nguyen Khac Dinh, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA), Nguyen Hai Ninh, Chief of the PCC Office, and leaders of central ministries, agencies and sectors.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam speaks at the working session with the Standing Board of Dong Nai City Party Committee. Photo: Cong Nghia

Representing Dong Nai City at the meeting were Vu Hong Van, PCC member, Secretary of the City Party Committee (CPC) and Head of Dong Nai NA Deputies’ Delegation; Ton Ngoc Hanh, PCC member, Standing Deputy Secretary of the CPC and Chairwoman of the City People’s Council; Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the CPC and Chairman of the City People’s Committee; Vo Tan Duc, Deputy Secretary of the CPC; Huynh Thi Hang, Deputy Secretary of the CPC and Chairwoman of Dong Nai Fatherland Front Committee; Thai Bao, Deputy Secretary of the CPC and Head of the CPC’s Organization Commission, along with members of the Standing Board of Dong Nai CPC, leaders of departments, agencies and several wards and communes.

Vu Hong Van, PCC member, Secretary of the Dong Nai City Party Committee and Head of Dong Nai NA Deputies’ Delegation, speaks at the working session. Photo: Cong Nghia

Determined to fulfill double-digit growth goals

According to the Standing Board of Dong Nai City Party Committee, the city regards its double-digit growth target for 2026-2030 not only as an economic objective but also as a strategic political mission contributing to national growth. The goal carries particular significance as the newly established Dong Nai City has been positioned as a strategic gateway, a multifunctional growth pole and a new driver of national development. The target was set out in the Resolution of the first Congress of the Dong Nai City Party Committee for the 2025-2030 term, which aims for average GRDP growth of 10-12% per year.

Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the City People’s Committee, presents recommendations at the working session. Photo: Cong Nghia

Despite persistent challenges facing the global and regional economies in 2025, Dong Nai still recorded encouraging economic results. Its GRDP expanded by 9.63%, marking the city’s highest growth rate in the past decade. State budget revenue surpassed VND103 trillion for the first time, ranking fourth nationwide, while foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows reached USD4.23 billion, also placing fourth nationwide. These results provided an important foundation for the city to enter 2026 with a targeted growth rate of 10%.

Continuing its strong growth momentum in the first four months of 2026, Dong Nai posted encouraging economic results. In the first quarter of 2026, GRDP growth reached 9.76%, ranking seventh nationwide and the highest in southern Vietnam. State budget revenue was estimated at VND42 trillion, equivalent to 42% of the assigned target, while import-export activities maintained positive growth momentum.

During the first four months of the year, domestic investment attraction was estimated at around VND18 trillion, while FDI inflows reached USD1.26 billion. Dong Nai City also pushed ahead with a series of key infrastructure projects, launching and opening eight key transport projects to technical traffic.

National defense, border security and external affairs continued to be strengthened, while anti-corruption, anti-wastefulness and anti-negative efforts were further intensified.

At the same time, Dong Nai remained focused on effectively implementing social welfare policies associated with job creation and improving living standards. National target programs were carried out in a synchronized and effective manner.

Under the two-tier local government model, Dong Nai completed the administrative restructuring of 33 wards and 62 communes. The administrative apparatus has been streamlined and is operating smoothly, ensuring uninterrupted services for residents and businesses.

The restructuring of the administrative system toward a leaner model with fewer intermediary layers has improved the effectiveness of direction and governance, strengthened grassroots proactiveness and contributed to noticeable improvements in public services and investment environment.

After nearly one year of implementation, decentralization and delegation of authority have delivered positive results, enhancing governance capacity at all levels while improving service quality for both citizens and enterprises. The administrative procedure settlement rate has remained above 99%, placing Dong Nai among the country’s leading localities since July 2025.

Looking ahead, Dong Nai City will continue to thoroughly implement and concretize the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the first Congress of the Dong Nai City Party Committee.

The city will formulate action programs and plans aligned with identified breakthrough tasks, ensuring practical implementation with clear objectives, responsibilities and solutions in order to achieve the 10% economic growth target for the 2026-2030 period. It will also continue implementing the Politburo’s strategic resolutions in a synchronized and effective manner.

Priority will be placed on nine major groups of tasks, including long-term development planning for Dong Nai City; building a new growth model; developing strategic transport infrastructure; strengthening investment resource mobilization; training high-quality human resources; advancing culture, education, healthcare and social welfare in a comprehensive manner; further improving the quality of the leadership contingent; ensuring national defense, security and social order; and enhancing the effectiveness of external affairs.

At the working session, Dong Nai also submitted several proposals to the Central Government concerning institutional mechanisms and development policies for the city, investment in inter-regional infrastructure linking Ho Chi Minh City and Long Thanh International Airport, agricultural and environmental fields, as well as human resources development. These proposals are aimed at helping the locality achieve its double-digit growth ambitions and become a new national growth engine as Vietnam advances into a new era.

Promptly turning resolutions into practical and effective action

Speaking at the working session, Vu Hong Van, PCC member, Secretary of the CPC and Head of the City’s NA Deputies Delegation, said the Standing Board of Dong Nai City Party Committee is fully aware that the road ahead will continue to present numerous difficulties and challenges. However, with a spirit of solidarity, dynamism, innovation and a strong aspiration for development, together with the close leadership and guidance of the Politburo, the CPC’s Executive Committee, Dong Nai remains confident that the city will continue achieving significant breakthroughs in its new development phase. The Standing Board of the City Party Committee pledged to further promote unity, consensus and decisive innovation in leadership, direction and implementation, while mobilizing all available resources and effectively tapping into new potential and emerging advantages to successfully realize its double-digit economic growth target.

Concluding the working session, General Secretary and State President To Lam acknowledged and highly praised the efforts made by the Party Committee, authorities and people of Dong Nai City.

Despite ongoing global uncertainties and challenges, Dong Nai has maintained a strong growth momentum while ensuring national defense and security, social welfare and people’s livelihoods. He also recognized the city’s initial achievements in operating the two-tier local government model.

However, the General Secretary and State President noted that amid major development opportunities, Dong Nai must candidly recognize its limitations and adopt fundamental solutions to accelerate growth. He called on Dong Nai to focus on several key tasks.

The city must effectively implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, the Central Committee’s strategic resolutions and the Resolution of the first Congress of the Dong Nai City Party Committee. These resolutions, he stressed, must be swiftly translated into practical and effective action through clearly defined programs, projects and concrete development initiatives.

He also emphasized the importance of promoting the private economy and helping Dong Nai enterprises grow stronger. At the same time, greater attention should be paid to cadre affairs, with the ability to tackle difficult issues serving as a benchmark for protecting officials who dare to think, dare to act and work for the common good. Conversely, weak officials or those who avoid responsibility must be firmly replaced.

Another major requirement is to create new growth drivers and help Dong Nai move beyond the limits of a traditional industrial center. With its new status as a city, Dong Nai is expected to develop on the basis of technological productivity, knowledge intensity and innovation capacity.

Long Thanh International Airport should serve as the nucleus for restructuring development. Centered on Long Thanh, Dong Nai should develop an integrated ecosystem encompassing an airport city, aviation services, trade, finance and other high-value services. He urged the city to soon formulate a comprehensive master plan for developing the Long Thanh Airport urban area and surrounding zones. Dong Nai’s planning must be long-term, practical and feasible enough to drive development while reorganizing urban space along a multi-center model.

General Secretary and State President To Lam and the Central delegation pose for a photo with the Standing Board of Dong Nai City Party Committee. Photo: Cong Nghia

Alongside economic development, social and cultural progress must remain people-centered. Dong Nai must develop into a modern, civilized, compassionate and livable city, where economic growth goes hand in hand with environmental protection, social welfare and cultural identity. He also called for fostering the people of Dong Nai in the new era with a spirit of discipline, responsibility and compassion. In addition, Dong Nai should accelerate digital transformation and operate the two-tier local government model in a streamlined and effective manner. The new governance model, he noted, must bring about substantive improvements in public administration.

At the working session, central agencies largely expressed support for several proposals put forward by Dong Nai City, including backing a NA Resolution on special mechanisms and policies for Dong Nai’s breakthrough development, prioritizing resources for Phase 2 of the Long Thanh Airport Project, and developing a new administrative center for the city.

By P. Tung – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha