Decision No. 123/2006/QD-TTg dated May 29, 2006 of the Prime Minister promulgating the Government's program of action for implementation of the Political Bureau's Resolution No. 53-ND/TW dated August 29, 2005, on socio-economic development and defense and security maintenance in the Eastern South Vietnam and the Southern key economic region up to 2010 and orientations toward 2020

DECISION

PROMULGATING THE GOVERNMENT'S PROGRAM OF ACTION FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLITICAL BUREAU'S RESOLUTION NO. 53-NQ/TW OF AUGUST 29, 2005, ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENSE AND SECURITY MAINTENANCE IN THE EASTERN SOUTH VIETNAM AND THE SOUTHERN KEY ECONOMIC REGION UP TO 2010 AND ORIENTATIONS TOWARD 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the Political Bureau's Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW of August 29, 2005;

At the proposal of the Planning and Investment Minister,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To promulgate together with this Decision the Government's program of action for implementation of the Political Bureau's Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW of August 29, 2005, on socio-economic development and defense and security maintenance in the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region up to 2010 and orientations toward 2020.

Article 2.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in "CONG BAO."

Article 3.- Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of Government-attached agencies, and presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and cities in the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region shall have to implement this Decision.

GOVERNMENTS PROGRAM

OF ACTION FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLITICAL BUREAUS RESOLUTION No. 53-NQ/TW OF AUGUST 29, 2005, ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENSE AND SECURITY MAINTENANCE IN THE EASTERN SOUTH VIETNAM AND THE SOUTHERN KEY ECONOMIC REGION UP TO 2010 AND ORIENTATIONS TOWARD 2020
(Promulgated together with the Prime Ministers Decision No. 123/2006/QD-TTg of May 29, 2006)

The southern key economic region consists of 8 provinces and cities: Ho Chi Minh city, Dong Nai, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Long An and Tien Giang provinces. In order to direct and manage the implementation of the Political Bureaus Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW of August 29, 2005 on socio-economic development and defense and security maintenance in the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region up to 2010 and orientations toward 2020, the Prime Minister promulgated this Program of Action to serve as a basis for administrations of all levels, all branches and enterprises of all economic sectors to orientate their activities, ensuring the fast, efficient and sustainable development of the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region, and closely combining economic development with political stability, social order and safety and firm defense and security maintenance, with the following contents:

I. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM

The basic objectives of the Governments program of action are to create a uniform ground for coordinated actions of administrations of all levels and branches for the successful materialization of the Political Bureaus Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW of August 29, 2005, and to create a leap-and-bound socio-economic development of the region, thus making worthy contributions to the national development in the context of globalization and international economic integration.

1. General objectives

To concentrate investment on the development of branches, domains and products of each zone in the region, which have a comparative edge, and to mobilize to the utmost all resources, mostly internal resources and firstly on-spot resources, in order to efficiently tap the regions potentials and advantages, and create a balanced and harmonious development of the regional provinces as well as sub-zones in each locality, thereby quickly turning the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region into a dynamic region, taking the lead in the national industrialization and modernization in such domains as industry, finance, banking, telecommunications, aviation, commerce, science, technology and tourism, with a high economic growth rate and typical cultural and social development throughout the country; to ensure political stability and firm defense and security; to create a driving force for the development of the whole country in general and the South in particular.

2. Specific objectives:

- The regions GDP by 2010 shall be at least 2.5 times that of 2000 and by 2020 shall be between 2.3 and 2.5 times that of 2010.

- The export value shall double the GDP growth rate.

- The state budget revenues shall increase by 16 - 18%/year.

- The unemployment rate shall be under 5%.

- The average annual technology renewal rate shall be 20 - 25%.

- The percentage of trained laborers shall be over 50% by 2010 and over 70% by 2020.

- Comprehensive solutions to building a modern economic structure shall be adopted to attract in the 2006-2010 period an investment capital amount doubling that in the 2001-2005 period.

To achieve these important objectives, comprehensive, and in-depth reforms should be further carried out in the direction and management work, mechanisms and policies to bring into full play internal resources and attract investment, organization of implementation, administrative procedures and organizational apparatus, improvement of capability of the contingent of officials and civil servants, with a view to promoting the sustainable socio-economic development.

II. SPECIFIC TASKS AND SOLUTIONS

1. Reviewing, adjusting and supplementing the overall planning on socio-economic development, branch development plannings and finalizing the overall planning on socio-economic development up to 2020

On the basis of the overall planning on socio-economic development, branch development plannings and the planning on major products already in place, ministries, branches and localities in the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region shall review, adjust and supplement these plannings, concretizing them into investment programs, projects and plans under their respective management and within the ambit of their functions, then submit them to the Prime Minister in 2006. At the same time, they shall proceed with the elaboration of the overall planning on socio-economic development up to 2020, specifying implementation steps until 2010.

Requirements on the review, adjustment and supplementation of plannings:

- To thoroughly grasp and concretize the contents of Resolution No. 53/NQ-TW; to revise, update and supplement the plannings on the basis of the Prime Ministers Decision No. 146/2004/QD-TTg of August 13, 2004, in order to ensure harmonious development of branches and localities and satisfy the development requirements in the new situation.

- To attach importance to the planning quality, taking into full account the market elements and adopting a long-term vision toward modernity (especially for economic-technical infrastructure planning and urban planning).

- To work out in the overall planning up to 2020 appropriate implementation steps and specific tasks to be performed in each period, clearly stating domains where such steps and tasks should be completed in the next five years (2006 - 2010). To harmonize the socio-economic infrastructure plannings (understood as hard planning) and the plannings on development of services and major products (understood as soft planning).

- To clearly identify objectives and projects crucial to the planning on development of the socio-economic infrastructure system (communication, power, irrigation, industrial parks, schools, medical examination and treatment establishments, cultural works, etc.). Regarding production and business branches, development orientations therefor must be clearly stated and domains in which development investment is concentrated must be identified to serve as a basis for development investment by all economic sectors.

- To clearly determine investment programs and projects in the 2006 - 2010 period, as well as capital demand of, and financial mechanism and policy for, each investment program or project. To select and put important schemes and projects in a priority order before incorporating them in annual plans.

2. Working out implementation plans of branches and localities in the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region for infrastructure construction investment in the 2006 - 2010 period

To attain the socio-economic development objectives, ministries, branches and localities in the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region should sum up and evaluate achievements, efficiency, shortcomings and weaknesses of the infrastructure development investment in the past years. To continue investment to complete key projects in the region from now to 2010; at the same time, to prepare prerequisite for investment in important infrastructures after 2010, with priority given to the development of the traffic network, infrastructures of industrial parks, tourism, clean water supply, waste treatment, environmental protection and housing.

3. Working out implementation plans of branches and localities for the development of major branches and products in the 2006 - 2010 period

The five-year (2006 - 2010) investment program for the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region has set forth the objective of accelerating the economic and product restructuring in order to bring into full play the regions comparative edges by building an advanced economic structure consisting of modernized industries and turning out products which can make a breakthrough, have high competitiveness on the domestic and international markets and bring about great domestic added values and high efficiency.

- For industry: To attach importance to the development of a number of key industries which can make a breakthrough, such as oil and gas exploitation, electronics and software industry; power generation, steel, fertilizer, chemicals, building materials and pharmaceutical production, as well as the development of hi-tech industries, clean technologies and biotechnology. In provinces where exist no conditions for industrial development at a high level, investment should be concentrated on the development of such labor-intensive industries as: agricultural, forestry and aquatic product processing and food industry; production of consumer goods being textiles and garments, leather and footwear, plastics.

To prioritize the development of such basic industries as mechanical engineering, steel working and rolling, machine building, ship building and repair, etc., which shall serve as the foundation for general development and international integration, and strongly develop supporting industries like manufacture of components, spare parts, repair and maintenance, etc.

- For services: To concentrate on the rapid and high-quality development of such services as finance, banking, tourism, entertainment and recreation, technology, telecommunications, international transportation, training, peoples healthcare and scientific research in the region in order to guarantee a high growth rate and comprehensive and sustainable development of the whole region.

- For agriculture, forestry and fishery: To bring into full play the regions advantages in soil, ecosystem and climate for development of commodity agriculture with high productivity and quality, yielding products of high competitiveness and value on a unit of land area, and contributing to the eco-environmental protection.

4. Perfecting mechanisms, policies and institutional framework on management of implementation of Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW

In order to unify the direction and effectively manage operations of the Program of Action, it is a must to expeditiously perfect mechanisms, policies and institutional framework on management and administration of the implementation of Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW; to pay attention to policies on land, finance, market policies, human resource training, waste treatment, water resource exploitation and use, administrative reforms, etc. To strive to build a clean and strong political system and a contingent of capable managerial officials, and adopt a resource mobilization policy which can help accomplish the Programs objectives and tasks.

5. Communication and propagation

The mass media agencies and local administrations shall organize the notification, dissemination and propagation of the Governments Program of Action for the implementation of the Political Bureaus Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW.

6. Tasks of ministries and ministerial-level agencies

Basing themselves on the Political Bureaus Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW, ministries, ministerial-level agencies and Government-attached agencies shall concentrate their efforts on revising and adjusting plannings, concretizing them into plans, proposing mechanisms and policies and adopting implementation plans in 2006.

a/ The Planning and Investment Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and provinces in, studying and elaborating an overall planning on socio-economic development of the region with specific implementation steps up to 2010 and orientations toward 2020.

- To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries and branches and the Peoples Committees of regional provinces and cities in, proposing and submitting to the Government framework mechanisms, policies and regional-level management models for good implementation of plannings and plans of the region and each locality; mechanisms and policies for management and rational distribution of budget capital sources to localities for achievement of the objectives of Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW.

- To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries and branches and the Peoples Committees of regional provinces and cities in, reviewing, adjusting and supplementing the regions planning on industrial parks and export processing zones.

- To formulate policies on attraction of investment, especially investment capital from internal sources, foreign investment, and promotion of investment in industrial production and provision of such services as maritime transportation, post and telecommunications, finance, banking, oil and gas, tourism, and services in industrial parks, export processing zones, commercial zones, entertainment and recreation centers.

- To formulate mechanisms and policies on human resource training.

- To formulate a scheme on reorganization and renewal of state enterprises.

- To formulate mechanisms and policies on cooperation between the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region and other regions throughout the country.

- To work out plans on organization of investment promotion and draw up a list of projects calling for investment in the region, including priority programs and projects with specific commitments, for attracting transnational conglomerates and hi-tech investments.

- To work out an overall planning on socio-economic development of the region and a planning on industrial parks and export processing zones up to 2020 with specific steps till 2010 on the basis of integrating the branch plannings with the overall planning, and to work out plans on investment in the regions infrastructure.

- To formulate a coordination mechanism for the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region.

b/ The Construction Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches, provinces and cities in, reviewing and adjusting the planning on construction of the region and Ho Chi Minh city and the planning on a number of major cities and urban centers, which are likely to develop or have big administrative changes, such as Ba Ria provincial capital administrative center (Ba Ria Vung Tau), Nhon Trach and Long Thanh urban centers (Dong Nai), the new urban center (Binh Duong), new urban centers in Phu My, Long Son and Long Hai (Ba Ria Vung Tau), Di An Tan Uyen (Binh Duong), Tam Phuoc (Dong Nai), and a new urban center (on an area of around 6,000 hectares) lying in the junction of Ho Chi Minh city (Cu Chi district), Tay Ninh province (Trang Bang district) and Long An province (Duc Lai district).

- To attach importance to the planning and plans on building of dormitories for workers in industrial parks and export processing zones, students and trainees of job-training schools.

- To elaborate a planning on the water supply and drainage and wastewater treatment systems, putting an end to the water inundation in cities, especially in Ho Chi Minh city. To elaborate a planning on cemeteries and waste treatment plants (for urban garbage, industrial and medical waste), especially plants for treating solid and hazardous waste for the whole region. To minimize adverse impacts of the process of urban development and construction of industrial parks on the ecological environment in rural and suburban areas.

- To coordinate with the Transport Ministry in elaborating the scheme on development of the regions urban infrastructure network linking to the trans-Asia corridor.

c/ The Industry Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and localities in, studying, reviewing, adjusting and supplementing the master plan on the regions industrial development up to 2020, the planning on development of the power transmission grid and power distribution grid and the planning on development of new and renewable energy sources for the regional provinces and cities.

- To further research into, select and develop key products of such industries as electronics-software technology, manufacturing mechanical engineering, energy, processing of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products, production of consumer goods (textiles and garments, leather and footwear, plastics, civil-use machinery, chemicals, cosmetics, office equipment) and building materials.

- To review the planning on industrial parks of gas-electricity-nitrogenous fertilizer plants and oil refinery and petrochemical plants.

- To attach importance to the development of hi-tech industries, clean industries and supporting industries. To readjust the direction for distribution of industrial establishments in the region.

- To formulate mechanisms and policies for development of hi-tech industries and major products.

d/ The Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the concerned ministries, branches and localities in, studying, reviewing, adjusting and supplementing the planning on agricultural and forestry development and intensive-farming areas for production of commodity farm produce. To reorganize husbandry in association with cattle and poultry slaughtering and processing suitable to the regions conditions; to plan forest development and development of irrigation in service of agricultural irrigation and drainage, supply of daily-life water and development of hydropower and aquaculture.

- To organize the study of the planning on hi-tech agricultural areas. To plan the development of intensive-farming areas for rubber, coffee, pepper, cashew, and such fruit trees as grape fruit, longan, custard apple. To plan intensive vegetable-growing areas around Ho Chi Minh city, in Dong Nai and Ba Ria Vung Tau provinces.

- To study measures to increase the forest coverage, improve the ecological environment and create tourist landscapes. To protect headwater forests and develop coastal protective forests and paper raw material forests. To plan the forestry development so as to green wasteland, bare hills and mountains in Tay Ninh, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc provinces.

- To elaborate a planning on embellishment of rural areas in association with the formation of satellite towns of big cities and district capitals, and the expansion of urban population quarters with construction of industrial parks.

- To formulate mechanisms and policies on development of hi-tech agricultural and forestry areas, and production of agricultural and forest products for export.

e/ The Fisheries Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying, reviewing, adjusting and supplementing the planning on fishing and aquaculture, conservation of aquatic resources in inland waters, development of reservoirs and concentrated aquaculture.

- To formulate and submit to the Government a project on building of aquatic breeding and aquatic-product processing centers; to modernize the aquatic-product processing establishments in Ho Chi Minh city, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Dong Nai provinces, attach importance to the development of fishing, processing and provision of fishery services, concentrate investment on modern offshore fishing ships; to adopt the scheme on expansion and upgrading of fishery job-training schools.

f/ The Transport Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying, reviewing, adjusting and supplementing the planning on development of road, waterway, railway and airway transport networks in the region, especially the system of arterial inter-provincial and inter-regional roads.

- To quickly study and organize the building of a system of general entrepots in association with the improvement of the seaport system in order to satisfy the increasing requirements of the regional development.

- To organize the preparation for investment in projects on construction of expressways and railways linking industrial centers and important traffic hubs. To invest in an expressway from Ho Chi Minh city to Can Tho city, the Ho Chi Minh city - Long Thanh - Vung Tau road and the Ho Chi Minh city - Long Thanh- Dau Giay - Da Lat road.

- To complete and continue upgrading national highways 20, 20B, 50 and route N2 linking the southern key economic region with the Mekong River delta, and adopt plans to create new linking routes.

- To plan the urban traffic systems, especially the traffic systems of Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai province and their vicinities. To plan and invest in the development of mass transit in big cities. To accelerate the construction of bridges spanning rivers, and the sky train and metro system in Ho Chi Minh city.

- To plan the trans-Asia corridor system to satisfy the socio-economic development requirements of the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region.

- To study the scheme on renovation and upgrading of river ports and transport routes in the regions main rivers.

- To study the scheme on construction of the railway from Ho Chi Minh city to Vung Tau, the Mekong River delta and Phnom Penh (Cambodia) up to 2020.

- To complete the modernization of Tan Son Nhat international airport; to study the construction of the second international airport in Long Thanh (Dong Nai), renovate Co Ong and Go Gang airfields (Ba Ria Vung Tau) in service of tourism and socio-economic development, defense and security maintenance.

- To finalize the plan on relocation of port cluster No. 5 on Sai Gon river from inner Ho Chi Minh city. To invest in building Cai Mep and Thi Vai port clusters.

- To formulate mechanisms and policies on investment in the development of various transport modes and major transport works.

g/ The Post and Telematics Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Peoples Committees of regional localities in, studying, formulating and proposing to the Government schemes on:

- Construction of the modern and highly reliable infrastructure of the telecommunications network associated with information technology, especially in Ho Chi Minh city.

- Long-term development of the telecommunications networks infrastructure with the application of modern technologies to serve as a foundation for the development of high technologies. To concentratedly invest in technology in order to make the regions telecommunications and information technology a spearhead economic, technical and service industry.

- It shall assume the prime responsibility for, and urge and supervise the execution of investment projects on development of the post and telecommunications system, ensuring uninterrupted inter-provincial transmission, provision of Internet services and installation of optical-fiber cable system to centers of cities, provincial towns and district townships, and satisfying the demand for information and communication with all communes in the region.

h/ The Science and Technology Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in:

- Concentrating on the development of sciences and technologies in direct service of production, with special importance attached to the science and technology human resource directly engaged in production and the scientific and technological infrastructure in direct service of production; promoting the potentials in basic sciences and research and development in service of production.

- Formulating mechanisms and policies to encourage all economic sectors and foreign investors to develop the science and technology human resource directly engaged in production and the scientific and technological infrastructure in direct service of production, and encourage technological renewal and application of modern technologies. Studying and proposing mechanisms and policies to associate operation of national key laboratories with that of technological zones.

- Working out a planning on building, developing and putting into operation as soon as possible provincial, regional and national technological zones (also referred to as industry-nurturing zones, technological nurseries, enterprise nurseries, hi-tech parks, hi-tech agricultural zones, etc.) to contribute to developing the scientific and technological infrastructure system in direct service of production.

- Building and putting into operation as soon as possible a number of high-quality schools, job-training centers and multi-purpose universities after the model that the training is associated with production activities of factories, thus contributing to the development of the science and technology human resource directly engaged in production.

i/ The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying and proposing to the Government the revised and adjusted land use planning of the regional localities and the whole region up to 2020; organizing the enforcement and inspecting, examining and handling violations of law provisions on environmental protection; planning the general use and protection of water resources in the big rivers basins; formulating a scheme on natural calamity prevention and combat for the whole region and a program on general management of marine resource exploitation and oceanic economy development in the region.

j/ The Trade Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying and proposing to the Government the revised, adjusted and supplemented planning on service infrastructure development.

- To concretize priorities for the regions program on trade promotion and brand development on the basis of the Regulation on formulation and implementation of the national program on trade promotion in the 2006-2010 period (promulgated together with the Prime Ministers Decision No. 279/2005/QD-TTg of November 3, 2005); to build commercial centers and trade fair centers.

- To study and propose projects on construction of commercial infrastructure which require the States investment support, including those on construction and renovation of exhibition and trade fair centers.

- To assume the prime responsibility for formulating and proposing to the Government solutions, mechanisms and policies on modes of farm produce sale, market development and perfection of the operation mechanism of the regions trade sector.

k/ The Foreign Affairs Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for working out a plan on attraction of overseas Vietnamese to take part in the development of the region and a program on propagation of the policy on the regions development.

l/ The Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying, elaborating and submitting to the Government the revised, supplemented and adjusted planning on the network of job-training establishments, calling for new investments or cooperation with foreign investors with greate potentials in finance, techniques and high professional skills in the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region for building high-quality job-training centers to meet the regions technological development demand. These projects shall enjoy the highest preferences according to current regulations.

- To formulate the scheme on assigning the program on job training for laborers to enterprises in order to satisfy the economic development requirements, create jobs and generate incomes for laborers, especially in areas where peasants donate their land for production expansion, development of industrial parks, export processing zones or hi-tech parks.

- To study and submit to the Government particular mechanisms and policies on job training development, job creation, drug detoxification and social welfare for the regional provinces and cities.

- To adopt a plan to provide the industrial parks management boards with guidance on regimes, policies and interests of laborers, organize the propagation among laborers in order to encourage them to voluntarily observe the law, and prevent unlawful strikes and acts of infringing upon property and physical bodies of foreign investors who strictly comply with the provisions of Vietnamese law.

m/ The Education and Training Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, executing projects on development of the regions network of universities, colleges and professional intermediate schools according to planning; investing in the upgrading of material foundations of regional-level national universities. It shall study the scheme on building Ho Chi Minh City National University into a high-quality training center of the region and the whole country, and building specialized universities in neighboring provinces of Ho Chi Minh City.

- To study the program on the school networks, especially the network of preschools and the network of vocational and job-training centers in mountainous districts and islands.

- To work out a plan on development of talents and formulate mechanisms and policies to ensure the socialization of education and training.

n/ The Health Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying, formulating, finalizing and submitting to the Government projects on construction of a regional medical center and high-quality medical centers of international standards (Dong Nai) and building of the grassroots healthcare system in the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region up to 2010, especially the healthcare network in islands and difficulty-hit communes and establishments for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

- To study the scheme on upgrading of infrastructure, facilities and equipment of commune healthcare stations in the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region.

- To formulate mechanisms and policies on socialization of medical activities to serve the medical examination and treatment for people and meet integration requirements.

o/ The Culture and Information Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, formulating and executing projects on cultural development, especially projects on conservation of revolutionary relics; studying the project on improvement of grassroots cultural and information institutions in the regional provinces and cities.

p/ The Defense Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Public Security Ministry and the Peoples Committees of regional localities in, elaborating the general planning on defense establishments: the system of defense industry establishments, ports, warehouses and storing yards, building of border-guard posts and border-patrol routes; and formulating schemes on construction of defense-economic zones.

- To direct the provincial military commands in reviewing, adjusting, supplementing and perfecting defense plans, then submitting them to competent authorities for approval.

- To elaborate a planning on the system of border-guard posts and stations in border areas and islands and the construction of infrastructures in service of defense, security and socio-economic development in land border areas and island districts and communes having strategic positions up to 2010 and with orientations toward 2020, then submit it to the Government for approval.

q/ The Public Security Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying, formulating and submitting to the Government schemes on:

- Coordination among and consolidation of grassroots administrations to prevent and handle activities which affect security, political affairs, economy and social order and safety.

- Proposal on the management mechanism to raise the effectiveness of the prevention and combat of drug addiction, prostitution and cross-border trafficking of women and children.

r/ The Finance Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying and formulating a scheme on financial mechanisms and policies, especially those on budget revenues and regulations, issuance of project bonds, setting up of the infrastructure development fund; and customs mechanisms and policies. At the same time, it shall coordinate with the Construction Ministry in formulating a scheme on support for construction of dormitories for workers in industrial parks.

s/ The Home Affairs Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the regional localities in, working out planning and plans on strengthening of organizational structures of local administrations in the region. It shall coordinate with the Planning and Investment Ministry in perfecting the regional operation coordination mechanisms and models under the approved general planning.

t/ The Justice Ministry shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, reviewing the system of legal documents, management mechanisms and policies on priority for development of difficulty-hit areas in the domains of investment promotion, distribution and management of the States investment capital, market orientation and provision of scientific and technological supports for development and defense and security maintenance in the region.

u/ The Nationalities Committee shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying, formulating and submitting to the Government the scheme on socio-economic development in mountainous and border communes.

It shall study and propose a number of particular mechanisms and policies on socio-economic development suitable to the development level and custom of each ethnic group.

v/ The Population, Family and Children Committee shall assume the prime responsibility for formulating schemes on intensification of family planning, raising of population quality, child protection, care and education.

w/ The State Bank of Vietnam shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying, formulating and submitting to the Government:

- Credit and banking mechanisms and policies applicable to the region, focusing on the review and amendment of mechanisms and policies in order to remove investment and credit difficulties.

- A mechanism of handling risks in favor of poor families in loan repayment.

7. Tasks of Government-attached agencies:

a/ The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and regional localities in, studying, reviewing and adjusting the development planning up to 2020, and elaborating a plan on investment up to 2010, attaching importance to the system of modern and high-quality tourist resorts, and the development of entertainment and recreation centers in economic zones and the region; and adopting a scheme on tourist promotion and advertisement. It shall propose a plan on training of human resource for the region.

b/ The Vietnam Television Station shall study and formulate a scheme on expansion of television broadcasting to mountainous and island districts, and a scheme on investment in upgrading of its television towers to raise the quality of televised programs, then submit them to the Culture and Information Ministry for evaluation before submission thereof to the Government.

c/ The Radio Voice of Vietnam shall study and formulate a scheme on expansion of radio broadcasting to mountainous and island districts, then submit it to the Culture and Information Ministry for evaluation before submission thereof to the Government.

d/ Other ministries and branches shall, within the ambit of their functions, review and adjust their development plannings and relevant issues in the spirit of the Political Bureaus Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW of August 29, 2005, and on the basis of the approved orientations, tasks and solutions for socio-economic development of the eastern South Vietnam and the southern key economic region and the Prime Ministers Decision No. 146/2004/QD-TTg of August 13, 2004, on major orientations for socio-economic development of the southern key economic region up to 2010 and a vision toward 2020.

8. For localities:

Peoples Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries and branches in, reviewing the general plannings on socio-economic development up to 2020 in the spirit of Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW; and concurrently working out their specific investment plans up to 2010, clearly defining priority domains, solutions to mobilization and use of capital for each program or project to be submitted to the Government. They shall update forecasts, reconsider possibilities, re-determine the economic restructure in the direction of bringing into full play local potentials and advantages; associate production with sale of products and ensure sustainable development; publicize the plannings on urban centers and industrial parks, including small-sized industrial parks or industrial clusters and spots, craft villages and areas for production of specialty plants or animals of high yields and quality.

- To review, supplement and perfect the planning on development of general economic zones, industrial parks, export processing zones, commercial zones, entertainment and recreation centers, the system of urban centers and population quarters in their respective provinces in line with the general orientations of the region and the country, clearly stating the investment demand and structure as well as solutions to mobilization of capital for key projects and works to be submitted to the Government for approval.

- To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Defense Ministry and the Planning and Investment Ministry in, executing investment projects on construction of socio-economic infrastructure in communes meeting with particular difficulties, border communes, population clusters and lines in deeply submerged areas and centers of commune clusters along Vietnam-Cambodia border; and to coordinate with the Public Security Ministry in executing the project on additional supply of equipment, means and resources to border communes, ensuring the stabilization of the populations production and daily-life needs in association with the performance of security and defense maintenance tasks. To build up the all-people defense and security posture, especially in strategic and border areas and islands.

9. Implementation schedule:

The ministries, branches, and regional provinces and centrally-run cities shall expeditiously organize the implementation of this Program of Action in the spirit of Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW and perform, within the ambit of their state management functions, their assigned tasks according to the set schedule.

a/ In the first six months of 2006, they shall have to complete the following:

- The regional coordination mechanism;

- The financial, investment, water source use and protection and waste treatment mechanisms and policies;

- The branch and domain plannings, and plannings of provinces and centrally-run cities;

- The list of priority programs and projects calling for investment.

b/ In the last six months of 2006, they shall have to complete the following:

- The overall planning on the regions socio-economic development;

- Organization of investment promotion.

Basing themselves on this implementation schedule, the ministries, branches and regional provinces and centrally-run cities shall closely coordinate with one another, through the Office of the Steering Committee for organization of coordination of development of key economic regions (located at the Development Strategy Institute, the Planning and Investment Ministry, No. 65 Van Mieu Street, Hanoi), in actively organizing the performance of the above-said tasks for scheduled completion, and reporting to the Prime Minister and the Steering Committee for organization of coordination of development of key economic regions on the annual and biannual basis.

III. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. Basing themselves on Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW, the Governments program of action, and their assigned functions and tasks, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of Government-attached agencies and presidents of Peoples Committees of regional provinces and centrally-run cities shall direct the elaboration of programs of action of their respective ministries, branches or localities; execute schemes and projects, supplement and perfect mechanisms, policies and organizational structures according to the Governments assignment.

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of Government-attached agencies and presidents of Peoples Committees of regional provinces and centrally-run cities shall concentrate on directing and intensifying the inspection and supervision of performance of the tasks specified in the Program of Action, promptly propose solutions and policies appropriate to the practical situation and report on performance results to the Prime Minister.

3. The Planning and Investment Ministry is assigned to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Government Office and the Office of the Steering Committee for organization of coordination of development of key economic regions in, urging and supervising the implementation of the Governments Program of Action for implementation of Resolution No. 53-NQ/TW. The Planning and Investment Ministry shall sum up and report on implementation results of this Program to the Prime Minister.