Decision 316/QD-TTg 2023 approving Master Plan of Lao Cai province for 2021-2030

DECISION

Approving the Master Plan of Lao Cai province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050^[1]

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government; and the November 22, 2019 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Organization of the Government and the Law on Organization of Local Administration;

Pursuant to the November 24, 2017 Planning Law;

Pursuant to the June 15, 2018 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of Eleven Laws concerning Planning;

Pursuant to the November 20, 2018 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of Thirty-Seven Laws concerning Planning;

Pursuant to the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 61/2022/QH15 of June 16, 2022, on further improvement of effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation of planning policies and laws and a number of solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles in, and accelerate the formulation and improve the quality of, master plans for the 2021-2030 period;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 37/2019/ND-CP of May 7, 2019, detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the 2017 Planning Law;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 11/NQ-CP of February 5, 2018, on organization of the implementation of the 2017 Planning Law;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 119/NQ-CP of September 27, 2021, on tasks and solutions to improve the quality and accelerate the formulation of master plans for the 2021-2030 period;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 96/NQ-CP of August 14, 2022, promulgating the Government’s Plan of Action to implement the Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 11-NQ/TW of February 10, 2022, on orientations for socio-economic development and assurance of national defense and security in the northern midland and mountainous region through 2030, with a vision toward 2045;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1804/QD-TTg of December 13, 2019, approving the task of formulating the Master Plan of Lao Cai province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050;

Pursuant to Appraisal Report No. 2269/BC-HDTĐ of April 6, 2023, of the Council for Appraisal of Provincial Master Plans regarding the Master Plan of Lao Cai province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050;

At the request of the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province in Report No. 03/TTr-UBND of January 15, 2023, requesting approval of the Master Plan of Lao Cai province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050, and Document No. 855/UBND-TH of March 6, 2023, on completion of the dossier of the Master Plan of Lao Cai province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050; and opinions of the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Document No. 1478/BKHDT-QLQH of March 3, 2023, on the overall review of the dossier of the Master Plan of Lao Cai province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050.

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the Master Plan of Lao Cai province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050 (below referred to as the Master Plan), with the following principal contents:

I. PLANNING SCOPE AND BOUNDARIES

The planning scope and boundaries cover the whole Lao Cai province with a total area of 6,364.03 km², including 9 district-level administrative units, namely: Lao Cai city, Sa Pa town and 7 districts. Lao Cai province borders Ha Giang province to the east, Yen Bai province to the south, Lai Chau province to the west, and Yunnan province of the People’s Republic of China to the north. The province’s geographical coordinates are from 21°40’56” to 22°50’30” north latitude and from 103°30’24’’ to 104°38’21’’ east longitude.

II. DEVELOPMENT VIEWPOINTS, OBJECTIVES AND BREAKTHROUGHS

1. Development viewpoints

a/ The Master Plan aims to build and develop Lao Cai province into a growth pole and a center of trade exchange between Vietnam as well as ASEAN countries and the southwestern area of China, ensuring conformity with the general development viewpoint and policy for the northern midland and mountainous region and the whole country, making important contributions to promoting socio-economic development, and ensuring national defense, security and external activities of the region and the whole country.

b/ To bring into full play the province’s potential, advantages and resources for its rapid, sustainable, inclusive and comprehensive development; to arrange spaces for efficient and sustainable socio-economic development on the basis of development of 1 (one) driving-force axis, 2 (two) development poles, 3 (three) economic areas, and 4 (four) pillars of economic development, and performance of 5 (five) key tasks for efficient exploitation of the province’s potential and advantages for its overall development.

c/ To proactively grasp and make efficient use of opportunities brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution along with the international integration process in order to restructure the economy, develop digital government, digital economy and digital society, regarding people as the center and the most important development resource, and science-technology and innovation as important driving forces; to improve productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness and continuously create new comparative advantages to improve the competitiveness of the province’s economy.

d/ To combine economic development with assurance of social progress and justice, poverty reduction and higher quality of material, cultural and spiritual life for the people; to protect the eco-environment; to conserve cultural heritages; to exploit and efficiently and sustainably use natural resources; to proactively adapt and respond to climate change.

dd/ To expand external relations and take the initiative in carrying out international integration to create a favorable environment for socio-economic development cooperation; to take the initiative in making reviews, drawing experiences and proposing to central authorities the guidelines and policies on socio-economic development in border areas in the direction of ensuring “peace, cooperation and development”.

e/ To closely combine economic development with consolidating the potential and firmly maintaining national defense and security, in which the task of national defense and security assurance is a prerequisite and economic development is the focus; to strive for the target that Lao Cai will be a model province in building a solid defensive zone in terms of national defense and security and a line of international economic cooperation and competition and maintenance of political stability and social order and safety.

2. Development objectives up to 2030, vision toward 2050

a/ General objectives up to 2030

To bring into full play the province’s potential, advantages, resources and the human factor for its fast, sustainable and comprehensive development on the pillars of economy, society, environment, national defense and security assurance and external relations; to rapidly and sustainably improve the provincial competitiveness based on attracting investment in the development of socio-economic infrastructure systems, promoting comprehensive digital transformation and improving the quality of human resources; to develop border economy, processing and manufacturing industry, tourism and commodity agriculture as driving forces for the province to become a growth pole and a center of trade exchange between Vietnam as well as ASEAN countries and the southwestern area of China. By 2030, per-capita gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of Lao Cai province will be among the country’s top 10 provinces and cities with high per-capita GRDP; and per-capita income will be among the country’s top 30 provinces and cities with high per-capita income; and the province will become a center of the region and the country in terms of tourism, border economy, services and processing and manufacturing industry.

b/ Specific targets up to 2030

- Economically:

+ The average GRDP growth rate in the 2021-2030 period will surpass 10% per year.

+ Economic structure by 2030: The agro-forestry-fisheries sector will account for 7.7%; industry-construction, 50.6%; services-trade, 36%; and taxes less subsidies on products, 5.6%.

+ Per-capita GRDP will surpass VND 260 million per year, and per-capita income will surpass VND 145 million.

+ The average growth rate of social labor productivity in the 2021-2030 period will surpass 7.5% per year.

+ The province will be able to self-balance its budget funds by 2030. The total investment capital of the entire society for the 2021-2030 period will reach around VND 754 trillion.

+ The urbanization rate will surpass 45%.

+ The rate of communes meeting national standards on new-style countryside will surpass 90% and the rate of districts meeting new-style countryside standards will surpass 70%.

+ By 2030, the province will have more than 15,000 enterprises, of which over 70% will operate efficiently.

+ Tourist arrivals to the province will surpass 13 million, and the ratio of the tourism industry’s contribution to the province’s total GRDP will surpass 20%.

+ The value of goods imported and exported via border gates will surpass USD 15 billion.

- Socially:

+ The natural population growth rate will be 1-1.2% per year.

+ The rate of households hooked to the national power grid will reach 98%.

+ The rate of schools meeting national standards will surpass 80%; the rate of young people of law-prescribed age who reach upper secondary education level or equivalent will surpass 90%.

+ There will be 46 patient beds and 16.5 medical doctors per 10,000 people.

+ The rate of poor households classified according to national poverty standards will drop by an average of 2-3% per year.

+ The rate of trained workers will reach 80%, of whom more than 45% possess diplomas or certificates.

+ Eighty percent of cultural institutions in the province will be consolidated and have their operational quality improved to meet the people’s demand for cultural enjoyment.

- Regarding environmental protection:

+ The forest coverage rate will surpass 60%.

+ All urban residents will be supplied with clean water and all rural residents will be supplied with hygienic domestic water.

+ The rate of communes meeting environmental criteria in new-style countryside building will reach 90% by 2030.

+ The rate of collected domestic wastes will reach 97% in urban areas and 95% in rural residential areas; all domestic-waste treatment facilities and landfills will satisfy sanitation requirements; all hazardous wastes will be collected, temporarily stored and treated up to standards.

+ The rate of municipal wastewater volumes collected and treated through the centralized wastewater treatment system will surpass 85%; all newly formed industrial parks and cottage industry zones will have wastewater treatment systems.

- Regarding national defense and security: All communes, wards and townships will satisfy criteria for comprehensively strong establishments; to associate socio-economic development with consolidation of the national defense and security posture; to build an increasingly firm defensive zone; to ensure order and discipline in socio-economic activities.

c/ Vision toward 2050

By 2050, to build Lao Cai into a developed province and a development center of the northern midland and mountainous region and the whole country; an important hub on the Kunming-Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh economic corridor between China, Vietnam, ASEAN and Europe with a complete, modern and integrated infrastructure system; to ensure creative, green and clean economic development of Lao Cai province; and the province will be one of the major cultural centers in the northwestern region with strengths in conserving and promoting cultural values of ethnic minority areas; to ensure harmony between economic development and environmental protection, and rational and efficient use of natural resources.

3. Breakthrough stages, key tasks and development priorities in the planning period

a/ Breakthrough stages in the planning period

To build a complete and modern socio-economic infrastructure system, focusing on key traffic works, large urban infrastructure, border-gate infrastructure and digital infrastructure facilities.

To develop, and intensify the application of, science, technology and innovation, and accelerate the digital transformation.

To develop service sectors with advantages and high content of knowledge and technology such as border economy, tourism, education-training and health.

b/ Key tasks in the planning period

To focus on performing key tasks to create a foundation for development: (i) Improving institutions and policies, (ii) Developing human resources and labor resources, (iii) Completing infrastructure facilities, focusing on transport and digital infrastructure facilities, (iv) Developing agriculture and rural areas and stabilizing the population, and (v) Preserving and promoting the cultural identity of Lao Cai province’s people.

c/ Development priorities in the planning period

Development priorities: one dynamic axis, two development poles, three economic areas, and four pillars of economic development, specifically as follows:

- To form one dynamic economic axis along the Red River with the development of the urban axis of expanded Bat Xat township, Lao Cai city, Tang Loong township, and expanded Pho Lu township (embracing Son Ha and Son Hai), and the new urban centers of Bao Ha - Tan An, Trinh Tuong and Vo Lao; to develop processing and manufacturing industry, mineral deep processing industry, light industries, and agricultural product deep processing industry; to attract investment in the construction of logistics zones, inland container depots, and commercial infrastructure facilities serving border economy, industrial parks and cottage industry zones; to develop tourism, cultural-spiritual tourism and entertainment service areas. The dynamic economic axis will link the development spaces of two development poles and three economic areas of the province, ensuring inter-provincial connection and connection of the whole country with the southwestern area of China based on three platforms, including: socio-economic infrastructure, cultural and historical values and enterprises.

- To form two development poles, namely: (i) The northern pole embracing Lao Cai city, Bat Xat district, Sa Pa town, Bac Ha district and part of Bao Thang district where border economy, trade, urban areas, tourism, industry and agriculture will be developed; this pole will be directly connected to the southwestern area of China; and (ii) The southern pole embracing Bao Yen and Van Ban districts where urban areas, industry, tourism and agro-forestry will be developed; this pole will connect Lao Cai province with the provinces of the northern midland and mountainous region and connect the northern delta region with ASEAN.

- To form three economic areas, namely: (i) The low area embracing Van Ban and Bao Yen districts; (ii) The highland area embracing Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai and Muong Khuong districts, Sa Pa town, and the western area of Bat Xat district; and (iii) The central area embracing Lao Cai city, Bao Thang district, and the downstream area of Bat Xat district along the Red River.

- To form four pillars of economic development, namely: (i) Development of border economy and services; (ii) Development of the processing and manufacturing industry; (iii) Development of tourism; and (iv) Development of agro-forestry-fisheries economy.

III. DEVELOPMENT ORIENTATIONS FOR IMPORTANT SECTORS AND FIELDS AND PLANS ON ORGANIZATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

1. Development orientations for important sectors of the province

a/ Tourism development

To develop Lao Cai province’s tourism into a spearhead and breakthrough economic sector, gradually becoming a key economic sector, and a driving force for socio-economic development; the province will have complete and modern tourism infrastructure and service facilities which are rich in cultural identity, and will serve as an eco-wellness tourism center capable of competing with major tourist centers in the country and the region, and meeting national and international tourism standards; to develop Sa Pa national tourist zone up to international standards; to build Y Ty tourist zone (Bat Xat district) and Bac Ha as unique tourist zones and then national tourist zones; to develop the Bao Ha area (Bao Yen district) and Tan An area (Van Ban district) into a cultural-religious tourism center of regional level then national level; to prioritize investment, exploitation and development of natural and cultural tourism resources in the province; to promote the province’s role as a bridge for domestic and international tourism development; to build at least 3 luxury resorts with casinos; to build green, smart and attractive tourist products of high competitiveness.

b/ Development of border economy

To build Lao Cai border-gate economic zone into a large and the most important logistics center of the country, a trade exchange center connecting ASEAN countries with the southwestern market of China and with Europe, in which the cross-border economic cooperation zone serves as the core; this zone will be a multi-sector economic zone capable of gathering and distributing goods and providing low-cost logistics services; to build and develop commercial infrastructure systems, logistics zones, inland container depots, marketplaces, industrial parks, cottage industry zones, and complete and modern technical infrastructure facilities at border gates; to ensure connection with the Hanoi - Lao Cai expressway as a connection axis, the Hai Phong-Hanoi-Lao Cai railway as a driving force for growth, and the border waterway route on the Red River and Sa Pa airport as the development impetus.

c/ Development of the processing and manufacturing industry

To develop industries toward processing and deep processing, heightening the province’s position and role in the industrial production chain of the whole country; to expand and intensively develop the group of industries following metallurgy, chemical and fertilizer production industries in association with the exploitation of minerals with large reserves such as apatite, copper, iron and rare earths; to prioritize the development of the processing and manufacturing of products that have a high content of technology and are environmentally friendly; to develop the agro-forestry-fisheries product processing industry in combination with the development of raw-material zones and outlets; to develop such modern industries as biopharmacology, electronics and information technology on the basis of getting the best of opportunities brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution; to attract investment to develop industries capable of creating more jobs.

d/ Development of ago-forestry-fisheries economy

To focus on transforming agriculture into commodity production and from agricultural production to agricultural economy development; to organize agricultural development in combination with the value chain of agricultural products; to improve the quality of agricultural products in parallel with raising the value and reputation of local agricultural product brands; to promote local comparative advantages to develop key agro-forestry products; to link agricultural commodity production with processing industry to meet the market demand and adapt to climate change; to effectively implement policies to support agricultural production for ensuring social stability and social security and raising the people’s living standards in deep-lying, remote and ethnic minority areas; to step by step develop commodity agriculture in deep-lying, remote and ethnic minority areas.

To develop environmentally-friendly organic agriculture linked to the value chain, meeting the market demand; to focus on developing OCOP products bearing the province’s brand and geographical indications; to develop agricultural production in association with tourism.

To ensure exploitation and sustainable use of production forest areas; to vigorously develop forestry economy and carry out intensive planting of forests for increasing the economic value on production forest areas; to build and develop afforestation areas up to sustainable forest management standards, creating raw materials for the forest product processing industry; to support the development of the carbon credit market and expand the program on payment of forest environmental service charges; to effectively implement policies on leasing of the forest environment for economic, tourism and service development.

To form, and organize effective production of, concentrated agro-forestry production areas, hi-tech agriculture and aquaculture areas; to link agro-forestry production and aquaculture areas with value chains, processing industry and outlets.

2. Development orientations for other sectors and fields

a/ Development of trade and services

To develop diverse types and methods of modern trade and services in parallel with upgrading and renovating traditional types of trade and services; to build Lao Cai province into a regional and international service and finance center; to build border trade infrastructure facilities and commercial areas in border-gate economic zones under the master plan of Lao Cai province’s border-gate economic zone; to build, upgrade and renovate traditional marketplaces; to plan, and attract investment in, a network of trade centers, supermarkets, convenience stores and other modern trade and service models, giving priority to those in urban centers and tourist zones; to facilitate e-commerce development; to make plans on, and facilitate the formation of, warehouses and logistics zones in urban areas, economic zones, border gates and industrial parks; to attract investment in the development of various types of logistics services for production industries.

b/ Development of education and training

To raise the quality of education universalization at all education levels, thus creating fundamental and comprehensive changes in the quality and effectiveness of education and training, and consolidate and develop the system of semi-boarding and boarding general education schools for ethnic minority people; to renovate the education system in the direction of openness, flexibility and permeability between education levels, training levels and education modes in conformity with local reality, making education quality in highland areas of Lao Cai province approach that of top localities in the country; to continue reviewing and rearranging the network of education institutions to ensure suitability, standardization and modernization of physical facilities; to build a number of key schools up to quality requirements; to attract investment in international schools at all education and training levels of the education system, mainly in Lao Cai city, Sa Pa town, and Bao Thang, Bac Ha, Van Ban and Bao Yen districts.

To develop a complete, focused and streamlined vocational education system with a reasonable structure in training degrees and disciplines; to establish national key vocational training centers up to international standards in Lao Cai city, Sa Pa town, and Bao Thang, Bat Xat, Bac Ha and Van Ban districts; to prioritize the formulation and development of national and international key vocational training programs to meet requirements of the training of high-quality human resources up to international or regional standards; to intensify the attraction of capital sources other than state budget funds for investment in and upgrading of physical foundations and equipment for teaching and research activities.

To upgrade and expand infrastructure facilities; to expand, and improve the training and research capacity of, higher education institutions in Lao Cai city; to upgrade Thai Nguyen University’s Branch in Lao Cai province into Lao Cai University.

c/ Development of the health and people’s health care system

To improve the people’s physical and spiritual health, stature, life expectancy and quality of life; to build or expand physical foundations, modernize equipment, and improve the medical examination and treatment capacity and quality of health establishments in the province; to study building more provincial-level treatment facilities, departments and functions; to build a complete grassroots health network and improve its capacity so as to meet requirements on improvement of the medical examination and treatment quality; to step up the effective implementation of preventive medicine activities under regulations.

To promote the development of the non-public health network to meet the people’s medical examination and treatment needs; to call for investment in and construction of international hospitals; to organize inter-agency connection mechanisms to facilitate the information provision and digital transformation of public and non-public health systems.

d/ Development of culture, arts, physical training and sports and entertainment

To build and develop Lao Cai province’s culture and people in a comprehensive manner in conformity with the current global trend; to build a healthy cultural environment in all spheres of social life; to develop various types of culture, arts and entertainment to meet the needs of spiritual life and create inspiration and confidence for the people to actively participate in socio-economic construction and development activities; to focus on operations of provincial-level cultural and sports institutions toward forming service connection chains capable of organizing performances and hosting cultural and sports events of national and international scale and serving as attractive tourist destinations of the province, focusing on building Sa Pa National Sports Training Center; to upgrade the province’s sports complex to the Northwestern Olympic Sports Village; to build a regional-level traditional arts performance theater.

To promote the development of cultural industry in parallel with maintaining cultural and artistic activities serving the people in deep-lying, remote, border and ethnic minority areas; to pay attention to the development of mass culture and arts in association with the conservation and promotion of cultural identities of ethnic groups.

To build, conserve, and promote the value of, relics and scenic spots; to concentrate investment resources on the conservation and promotion of the value of relics and scenic spots in areas with potential for tourism development, such as Sa Pa town, Lao Cai city, and Bac Ha, Bat Xat, Bao Yen, Van Ban and Muong Khuong districts; to research, conserve and promote the value of intangible cultural heritages on the list of national-level intangible cultural heritages, intangible cultural heritages recognized by the UNESCO, and other cultural and historical heritages; to create typical cultural symbols, contributing to the building of cultural and tourism brands of Lao Cai province; to compile and submit dossiers to competent authorities for recognition and ranking of special national relics, or national- or provincial-level relics, scenic spots or intangible cultural heritages for relics and scenic spots of the province; to plan and build prominent cultural spaces in a number of localities in association with cultural characteristics of ethnic groups of the province; to combine conservation with promoting the value of heritages to serve the socio-economic development, particularly tourism.

dd/ Development of science and technology

To develop scientific and technological physical foundations, equipment and human resources serving the development of economic sectors, with priority given to resources for scientific and technological development to serve the development of key and breakthrough sectors and fields and digital transformation; to intensify the acquisition and transfer of science and technology with a view to improving the production efficiency.

e/ Development of information and communications

To develop information and communications and digital transformation synchronously on 3 pillars, namely: digital government, digital economy and digital society; to ensure smart city development, cyberinformation security, and develop digital human resources and human resources with digital skills; to improve operational capacity and service quality of units and establishments operating in the field of information and communications; to develop key press and media agencies of the province and grassroots information systems; to carry out digital transformation in, and manage, and improve the efficiency of, press, publication, radio, television, electronic information and external information activities to meet the people’s needs for accessing and using information, creating social consensus, promoting the image of Lao Cai province to the whole country and the world, while attracting investment and promoting socio-economic development.

g/ Development of social security and social assistance

To develop the system of social security and social assistance establishments in the direction of ensuring coverage and increasing welfare benefits for social policy beneficiaries; to develop and improve a multi-tier, flexible, inter-linked system of social security and social assistance establishments which are capable of supporting one another; to expand, and improve the quality of, the social care system.

To build and expand infrastructure facilities of public social protection establishments and social assistance establishments and improve living conditions for social protection and social assistance beneficiaries; to promote the development of non-public insurance and social assistance services and non-public social assistance establishments so as to meet the people’s increasing demand for services.

To promote the healthy development of the labor market in the province; to properly manage labor recruitment and employment activities in the province; to implement overall solutions to create jobs and increase incomes and welfare for workers; to properly implement policies on support for employers and employees.

h/ National defense and security

To build the province’s strong armed forces with high combat readiness, meeting task requirements in all circumstance; to build the province’s solid defensive zone as the core of the all-people’s national defense; to build the people’s security posture in close combination with the all-people’s national defense posture; to maintain political security and social order and safety; to prioritize the construction of a complete system of border patrol roads and river and stream embankments and landmarks in border areas.

3. Orientations for organization of socio-economic activities

a/ Development orientations for economic axes and dynamic zones

To develop the dynamic economic axis along the Red River as the province’s main economic axis on the basis of linking the following chain of urban centers: expanded Bat Xat urban center, Lao Cai city, Tang Loong urban center, Bao Thang urban center, and the newly formed urban centers of Trinh Tuong, Vo Lao, Bao Ha - Tan An, and those in Gia Phu, Thai Nien and Cam Con areas; to develop mineral deep processing industry, light industries, supporting industries, and agricultural product deep processing industry; to attract investment for building logistics zones, commercial infrastructure facilities serving border economy, industrial parks, cottage industry zones, tourism, cultural-spiritual tourism and entertainment service areas; to connect spaces of two development poles and three economic areas, ensuring intra-region connection, inter-region connection and connection of the whole country with the southwestern area of China.

Development of dynamic zones:

- The province’s central dynamic economic zone, which constitutes part of the Kunming - Lao Cai - Hanoi economic corridor, located along the Red River, and embraces the following urban centers: Lao Cai city, Trinh Tuong, Bat Xat, Tang Loong, Pho Lu, Vo Lao, Bao Ha - Tan An, and those in Gia Phu, Thai Nien, Son Ha, Son Hai and Cam Con areas; in this zone, to focus on development of urban economy, industry, tourism, services, infrastructure, logistics and inland container depots.

- Lao Cai border-gate economic zone as the dynamic zone of the province’s border corridor in which the cross-border economic cooperation zone is the core; in this zone, to focus on developing border economy, trade, services, industry, logistics, and inland container depots.

- Sa Pa town, which serves as the driving-force zone in the west of the province; in this zone, to focus on developing tourism, services, urban economy, and agriculture.

- Y Ty tourist urban center, which serves as the driving-force zone in the west of Bat Xat district; in this zone, to focus on developing tourism, trade and services.

- The expanded Bac Ha township area, which serves as the driving-force zone of the province’s northeastern highland economic area; in this zone, to focus on developing tourism, service and trade centers.

- Muong Khuong, Si Ma Cai, Pho Rang and Khanh Yen urban centers, which serve as the driving-force urban centers of district areas.

b/ Development poles

- The northern development pole, which is the entire northern border line, embracing Si Ma Cai and Muong Khuong districts, Lao Cai city, Bat Xat district, some areas in Bac Ha district, Sa Pa town, and part of the administrative boundaries of Bao Thang district; this pole serves as a bridge connecting ASEAN and the whole country with the southwestern area of China and with Europe, in which the cross-border economic cooperation zone is the core; in this development pole, to focus on developing border economy, urban economy, industry and logistics.

- The southern development pole, embracing Bao Yen, Van Ban and Bao Thang districts and the southern area of Lao Cai city, which is connected with the Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway, Vietnam-China international railway, and roads connected to the eastern provinces (Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang), the western provinces (Lai Chau, Dien Bien and Son La), the southern provinces (Yen Bai and Phu Tho), the northern provinces, Hanoi capital, Hai Phong city, and Quang Ninh province.

c/ Development of 3 (three) economic areas, including:

- The lowland area, embracing Van Ban and Bao Yen districts: To focus on developing agricultural commodity production areas and forest economy, building value chains of agro-forestry products, and developing tourist products based on local advantages, such as: spiritual tourism, ecotourism, community-based tourism, cultural tourism, sports tourism, agricultural tourism and other tourist products; to attract investment in the construction of logistics zones, and commercial infrastructure facilities linked with the dynamic economic axis along the Red River and Sa Pa airport, and the Noi Bai - Lao Cai expressway; to develop industrial parks.

- The highland area, embracing Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai and Muong Khuong districts, Sa Pa town, and the western area of Bat Xat district: To develop endemic agricultural products of temperate zones and medicinal herbs; to develop various types of tourism with Sa Pa national tourist site as the center, and in highland areas of Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai, Muong Khuong and Bat Xat districts; to implement policies on social security and sustainable poverty reduction policies, stabilize lives of people of all ethnic groups, and firmly safeguard the national border sovereignty.

- The central area, embracing Lao Cai city, Bao Thang district, the lower area of Bat Xat district along the Red River: To develop border economy, border trade, services, tourism, logistics, and hi-tech processing and manufacturing industry, which will serve as an important link in the value chain of agro-forestry products; to attract, and promote the value of, high-quality financial and human resources; to promote innovation and digital transformation, and carry out transformation for “green” economic development of Lao Cai province.

d/ Plans on development of difficulty- or extreme difficulty-hit areas

For difficulty-hit areas: To build transport, power supply, petrol and oil, trade-service, education-training and health infrastructure facilities under reasonable roadmaps; to properly implement national target programs, policies and regimes for eligible subjects; to provide preferential credit.

For extreme difficulty-hit areas: To properly implement national target programs; to attract aid and international development assistance for poverty reduction, livelihood creation and infrastructure construction; to select and assign capable cadres to act as commune leaders; to properly implement agricultural, forestry and industrial extension policies; to support business households to form linkage chains for sustainable economic development; to coordinate with the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies and credit institutions in providing preferential credit; to mobilize ethnic minority people to abandon backward customs and practices and focus on economic development; to support the realization of gender equality and help ethnic minority women get out from backward customs; to create development opportunities for women of all ethnic groups.

IV. PLANS ON SYSTEMS OF URBAN CENTERS, RURAL AREAS AND FUNCTIONAL ZONES

1. Plans on the urban system

To build, upgrade and develop the urban system so that by 2030, Lao Cai province will have 16 urban areas, including: 1 grade-I urban center; 1 grade-III urban center; 6 grade-IV urban centers; and 8 grade-V urban centers; to develop the urban infrastructure system to be complete, modern, green, smart and sustainable; to plan the building of urban centers along the dynamic economic axis along the Red River in order to create a chain of interconnected urban centers to provide auxiliary and logistics services, proceeding to develop airport cities.

(Details are provided in Appendix I to this Decision.)

2. Plans on rural areas

To plan and build a system of rural residential quarters of a size suitable to conditions of each area; to plan the system of rural residential quarters with complete functional works and technical infrastructure and social infrastructure facilities; to build new rural residential quarters under master plans/plans approved by competent authorities. The land use coefficient, height and architecture of construction works must comply with master plans approved by competent authorities; to respect, and encourage the building of, works with architecture suitable to ethnic culture in each locality and work complexes with architecture suitable the landscape and space of the whole area.

3. Plans on functional zones

a/ Development of border-gate economic zones

To build Lao Cai border-gate economic zone to become a center for trade exchange between Vietnam and the ASEAN countries and the southwestern area of China and Europe; a multi-sector and multi-field border-gate economic zone, serving as a point of economic breakthrough for Lao Cai province and the northern midland and mountainous region; one of the economic hubs and a trade, service, tourism, logistics, urban and industrial center of the northern midland and mountainous region which is capable of connecting with localities in the Kunming-Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh economic corridor so as to form a dynamic trade - tourism service route of the northern midland and mountainous region linked with the provinces of the Red River delta; to build a cross-border economic cooperation zone consisting of the following functional zones: a non-tariff zone; border-gate area; industrial park and cottage industry zone; entertainment zone, tourist site, urban center, residential area and other functional zones with complete technical and socio-economic infrastructure facilities; to develop Lao Cai border-gate economic zone in association with industrial parks, urban centers and dynamic economic zones of the province.

b/ Development of industrial parks and cottage industry zones

To stabilize the area and complete infrastructure facilities of the existing industrial parks of Tang Loong and Dong Pho Moi; particularly, Bac Duyen Hai industrial park will continue operating until its relocation (under the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1627/QD-TTg of November 23, 2018, approving the general master plan on construction of Lao Cai border-gate economic zone by 2040, with a vision toward 2050); to establish new industrial parks of Vo Lao, Coc My-Trinh Tuong, Ban Qua, and Cam Con (phase 1). By 2030, the province will have 7 industrial parks.

To attract investment in, and fill existing cottage industry zones; to establish 15 new cottage industry zones. By 2030, the province will have 20 cottage industry zones.

(Details are provided in Appendices II and III to this Decision)

c/ To develop spaces in 3 key tourism areas: Area I - the northwestern area, covering Sa Pa town, Bat Xat district, and Lao Cai city; area II - the northeastern area, covering Bac Ha, Muong Khuong and Si Ma Cai districts; and area III - the southern area, covering Bao Yen, Bao Thang and Van Ban districts. To set orientations for expanding the tourism space in Sa Pa connected to Y Ty and the border-gate economic center of Lao Cai city; at the same time, to develop new tourism spaces in Bao Ha, Nghia Do (Bao Yen), Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai, Muong Khuong, Bao Thang, Van Ban, etc.; to create a system of diverse tourism products for the domestic and international markets and form a system of typical tourism products in 3 key tourist areas.

d/ Spatial distribution for agricultural, forestry and fisheries development

Concentrated crop production areas:

- To focus on building concentrated rice-growing areas toward intensive farming in areas where controlled irrigation can be applied in Van Ban, Bao Thang, Bao Yen, Bat Xat and Muong Khuong districts.

- Safe vegetable areas in Sa Pa town, Bat Xat, Bac Ha, Bao Thang, Bao Yen, Si Ma Cai, Muong Khuong and Van Ban districts, and Lao Cai city; corn intensive farming areas mainly in the districts and towns of Bao Thang, Muong Khuong, Van Ban, Si Ma Cai, Sa Pa and some areas of Bao Yen district.

- Concentrated tea-growing areas in Muong Khuong, Bao Thang, Bao Yen, Bac Ha and Bat Xat districts; organic tea-growing areas in Bac Ha, Muong Khuong and Bat Xat districts; concentrated medicinal plant-growing areas in the districts and towns of Bac Ha, Sa Pa, Bat Xat, Si Ma Cai and Van Ban.

- Concentrated banana-growing areas in Muong Khuong, Bat Xat, Bao Thang and Bao Yen districts; concentrated pineapple-growing areas in Muong Khuong, Bao Thang and Bat Xat districts; key areas for cinnamon growing in Bao Yen, Bao Thang and Van Ban districts and lowland communes of Bac Ha, Muong Khuong and Bat Xat districts.

Concentrated livestock production areas:

- Concentrated pig-farming areas shall be arranged in the lowland areas, covering Bao Thang, Bao Yen and Van Ban districts, lowland communes of Bat Xat and Bac Ha districts and the outskirts of Lao Cai city; in the highland areas, covering Bac Ha, Muong Khuong, Van Ban, Bat Xat and Si Ma Cai districts and highland communes of Bao Thang and Bao Yen districts.

- Concentrated cattle-farming areas shall be arranged in lowland communes of Bao Thang, Bao Yen and Van Ban districts and highland communes of Muong Khuong, Si Ma Cai, Bac Ha and Bat Xat districts and Sa Pa town.

- Concentrated poultry-farming areas shall be arranged in communes having animal feed sources and lowland communes of Bao Thang, Bao Yen, Van Ban and Bat Xat districts.

- Concentrated hi-tech livestock production areas: Concentrated hi-tech pig and poultry-farming areas shall be arranged in Bao Thang, Bao Yen, Van Ban and Bat Xat districts and some communes of Bac Ha district and Lao Cai city; concentrated hi-tech cattle-farming areas shall be arranged in Bao Yen, Si Ma Cai, Muong Khuong and Bac Ha districts and communes having appropriate ecological conditions and sufficient land areas.

Hi-tech agricultural production areas:

- To develop hi-tech vegetable production areas in Bac Ha, Bao Yen, Bat Xat, Muong Khuong, Bao Thang and Van Ban districts and Lao Cai city; to limit the building of net houses and hi-tech farms in wards of Sa Pa town so as to ensure spaces for tourism development.

- To develop hi-tech flower production areas in Sa Pa town, Bac Ha, Bao Yen, Muong Khuong and Bao Thang districts, and Lao Cai city; to develop hi-tech tea production areas in Muong Khuong, Bao Yen, Bac Ha, Bat Xat and Bao Thang districts and Sa Pa town.

- To develop hi-tech fruit tree areas in Bac Ha, Bat Xat, Muong Khuong, Si Ma Cai, Bao Thang and Van Ban districts, Sa Pa town and Lao Cai city; to  develop hi-tech medicinal plant-growing areas in Sa Pa town and Bat Xat, Bac Ha, Muong Khuong, Si Ma Cai and Van Ban districts.

Concentrated forestry production areas: To build and develop concentrated forestry production areas in Bao Yen, Bao Thang, Van Ban, Bat Xat and Bac Ha districts; to enhance forest management and exploitation according to forest management standards suitable to the consumption market; to promote silvopasture and production of non-timber forest products in order to improve the efficiency of the forestry economy.

Aquaculture areas: To develop aquaculture on natural and man-made rivers, streams and lakes/reservoirs in the province; to focus on developing cold-water fish farming areas in areas with favorable natural conditions, such as Sa Pa town, Bat Xat, Bac Ha and Van Ban districts, and concentrated aquaculture areas on large hydropower reservoirs.

dd/ Spatial organization for trade and service development

To plan and build trade zones associated with border-gate economic zones and border-gate areas; to develop modern trade and service spaces in Lao Cai city, Sa Pa town, central townships of districts and areas planned for urban construction; to plan and build central areas of ​communes into trade and service centers of the region; to plan and build infrastructure facilities to serve trade development.

e/ Spatial arrangement for assurance of national defense and security

To reserve sufficient land areas to meet requirements of the performance of national defense tasks in cities, towns and districts; to manage areas prioritized for performance of national defense tasks, and ensure favorable conditions for operation of national defense forces when necessary.

To maintain political security, border security and maximum safety for key targets, works and political events. By 2030, to complete the construction of border patrol and protection routes, border river and stream embankments, and national security and defense works along the borderline.

V. PLANS ON DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES

1. Plans on development of the transport network

a/ Plans on development of internationally connected national transport infrastructure facilities

- Roads: To develop national transport infrastructure facilities under relevant master plans. Until 2025, to complete the building of Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway; complete the building and upgrading of national highways No. 70, 4, 4D, 4E and 279 as grade-IV or grade-III roads; to build bypasses or expand national highway sections running through urban areas under master plans on urban centers; to study and plan the building of mountain tunnels and overpasses or tunnels at railway crossings to ensure traffic safety; to build rest stops along highways; to plan and build border bridges, bridges spanning over the Red River and other rivers and streams to serve cross-border trade and facilitate transportation and economic development.

- Railways: To reach consensus on the plan on connection and building of a railway section between Lao Cai station (Lao Cai province, Vietnam) and Hekuibei station (Yunnan province, China); to build a standard-gauge (1,435 mm) railway line from Lao Cai through Hanoi to Hai Phong before 2030; to renovate the Pho Lu-Cam Duong railway, and relocate the Cam Duong-Dong Ho ore transport railway out of the inner-city areas.

- Airways: To complete the building of Sa Pa airport up to 4C standard, which will become an international airport; to study the building of helipads in Bac Ha and Bat Xat districts, Sa Pa town, and Lao Cai city for tourism and salvage and rescue purposes.

- Waterways: To build wharves on Chay river’s Bao Nhai - Coc Ly section and in the Bac Ha lake area; to call for investment in, and build, a grade-III inland waterway route on the Red River from Yen Bai province to Nam Thi confluence (Lao Cai city) to serve tourism development and freight transportation, and build 2 hydropower spillways with boat locks on the route; to build Luc Cau (Kim Thanh), Pho Moi, Pho Lu, Bao Ha cargo port clusters and other ports.

- Inland container depots: To build inland container depots and clusters of the province with a total cargo throughput capacity of over 1,500,000 TEUs by 2030 in Lao Cai city, Kim Thanh-Ban Vuoc area, Sa Pa airport and other ports when necessary.

b/ Plans on development of provincial-level transport infrastructure facilities

To concentrate investment in building complete and modern transport infrastructure facilities to form an uninterrupted traffic network conveniently and quickly connecting the province with other provinces in the region and connecting the region with the whole country and the world; to basically upgrade provincial roads up to grade-IV or grade-III mountain road standards and at least grade-V mountain roads for road sections built under difficult conditions; to build urban bypasses and roads connecting urban centers and tourist areas with major traffic axes and traffic hubs; to upgrade and expand a number of roads connecting Lao Cai province with neighboring provinces basically up to grade-IV and grade-III mountain road standards; to complete and renovate urban roads, prioritizing investment in major axes in urban areas; to build new road bridges spanning over the Red and Chay rivers under master plans; to renovate and upgrade existing bus stations and build 26 new ones in districts, cities and towns under master plans.

Urban roads and rural roads must comply with local master plans. To complete the building of border patrol routes up to at least grade-V mountain road standards.

(Details are provided in Appendices IV, V and VI to this Decision)

2. Plans on development of the power supply network

By 2030, the total output of power plants in the province will be around 1,800 MW. To attract investment in the development of hi-tech renewable electricity generation and other forms of power generation,

To build, renovate and upgrade transformer stations and high-voltage transmission lines of 500 kV, 220 kV, and 110 kV; to build electricity works connecting power plants to the power system; to increase the power supply capacity and invest in improving the stability and reliability of the power transmission system; to attract investment and build renewable energy projects in potential areas.

To build, upgrade, renovate, and improve the reliability of, medium- and low-voltage power networks to ensure that by 2030, the power supply capacity in the province will reach at least 1,150 MW, reducing the rate of power loss to 2.7%.

(Details are provided in Appendices VII and VIII to this Decision)

3. Plans on development of the information and communications network

To develop information and communications infrastructure, digital infrastructure, smart cities, and accelerate the digital transformation based on all 3 pillars of digital government, digital economy and digital society.

To develop postal and delivery infrastructure facilities and services; to gradually shift from traditional post to digital post; to develop infrastructure facilities and services related to digital government, digital economy and digital society, and supporting and logistics services for e-commerce; to promote the operation of international postal service points and customs clearance points for postal items at border gates; to develop smart post offices and establish digital address platforms associated with national digital maps.

To develop, and improve the quality of, telecommunications network infrastructure facilities and services, new-generation telecommunications networks, transmission infrastructure facilities, mobile information infrastructure facilities, intra-provincial and inter-provincial fiber-optic networks, fiber-to-the-home networks, specialized data transmission networks for Party and State agencies; Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure facilities, and telecommunications service points; to lay underground the telecommunications cable network.

To develop information technology infrastructure facilities, data centers, smart operation centers, local-area networks, wide-area networks, digital infrastructure, digital platform, digital data; information systems, shared-use and specialized databases and open data; cyber safety and security, digital human resources; to attract investment in concentrated information technology industrial parks; to implement a roadmap to digitalize other essential infrastructure facilities to serve the digital government, smart city, digital economy and digital society.

To develop radio and television transmission and broadcasting networks; digital radio and television transmission and broadcasting systems capable of providing high-quality programs and value-added services; to develop key press and media agencies toward convergence, multimedia and multi-platform in conformity with development trends; to modernize operation facilities and infrastructure for press, radio and television, publishing, printing and distribution, electronic information, external information and grassroots information activities; to carry out the digital transformation in press, publishing, radio and television, grassroots information, electronic information and external information activities; to apply Internet-based radio and television broadcasting modes and smart mobile device apps, etc.

(Details are provided in Appendix IX to this Decision)

4. Plans on development of hydraulic work, water supply and drainage and wastewater treatment networks

a/ Plans on development of the hydraulic-work network

To build complete and modern hydraulic structures to supply water for agricultural production and rural residential areas, focusing on investment in ethnic minority areas and areas with difficult economic conditions; to develop hydraulic structures applying high technologies to irrigate terrestrial crops and agricultural crops of high economic value; to invest in works for surface water accumulation and storage in the rainy season so as to regulate and supply water for production activities and residential areas suffering water shortage during the dry season.

(Details are provided in Appendix X to this Decision)

b/ Plans on development of the water supply network

Urban domestic water supply: To strive for the target that by 2030, the entire urban population will have access to clean water up to standards; to reduce the rate of clean water loss to 15% or lower; to renovate and increase the capacity of existing water supply works; to invest in building new water supply works in urban areas of grade V or higher grade, ensuring that the water supply capacity of the whole urban system will reach about 155,000 m³/day by 2030.

Rural water supply: To strive for the target that by 2030, the entire rural population will be supplied with hygienic domestic water, at least 70% of whom  will have access to hygienic water from concentrated water supply works; 70% of households will have access to water up to technical standards; to plan and build a system of water supply works in rural areas, ensuring that the total water supply capacity of the whole system will reach about 122,700 m³/day by 2030.

Industrial water supply: By 2030, to renovate and upgrade existing industrial water supply works in existing industrial parks and build new ones in new industrial parks, ensuring that each industrial park will have at least 1 industrial water supply work and the total industrial water supply capacity will reach around 73,000 m³/day.

(Details are provided in Appendix XI to this Decision)

c/ Plans on development of water drainage and wastewater treatment infrastructure facilities

To improve the wastewater collection system, step by step separating the wastewater collection system from the rainwater collection system in urban areas of grade V or higher grade; to build wastewater treatment facilities in urban areas, giving priority to areas with large amounts of wastewater: Lao Cai city, Sa Pa town, urban centers, industrial parks, and cottage industry zones; to build the water drainage system and decentralized wastewater treatment facilities in new urban areas and concentrated residential areas.

To build industrial wastewater treatment facilities in synchrony with infrastructure facilities of industrial parks.

(Details are provided in Appendix XII to this Decision)

5. Plans on development of waste treatment facilities

To build, and raise the waste receiving and processing capacity of, provincial-level waste treatment facilities, waste treatment facilities and landfills in rural districts, towns and cities; to build at least 3 provincial-level waste treatment complexes; to implement policies to support the development of waste collection and treatment activities.

To build industrial solid waste and hazardous solid waste treatment plants in Tang Loong industrial park and Phu Nhuan commune, Bao Thang district.

(Details are provided in Appendix XIII to this Decision)

6. Plans on development of the fire prevention and fighting and salvage and rescue system

To arrange offices and barracks for fire brigades and salvage and rescue forces close to residential areas, urban centers, industrial parks, cottage industry zones, craft villages, tourist areas, ports, airports and places prone to fire or accidents; to meet requirements regarding the area and convenience in connecting to traffic routes; to build offices and barracks of fire brigades and salvage and rescue police units in districts, towns and cities; to provide them with equipment and communication systems that meet specialized technical standards in conformity with their assigned tasks; to arrange and set up fire protection water supply systems in conformity with fire prevention and fighting requirements in each locality.

VI. PLANS ON DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES

1. Plans on development of the health and health care network

The provincial-level health system by 2030:

- Medical treatment system: The province will have at least 6 provincial-level hospitals, including the provincial General Hospital, Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, Traditional Medicine Hospital, Endocrinology Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital and Lung Hospital; to develop provincial-level medical establishments with improved infrastructure facilities, expanded scale, and modernized equipment; to study the establishment of provincial-level specialized hospitals when needed and call for investment in building an international hospital.

- Preventive medicine system: The province will have 5 preventive and specialized medical centers, including the Center for Disease Control, Center for Medical Testing, Center for International Health Quarantine, Center for Medical Assessment, and Forensic Medicine Center; to build new headquarters for the International Health Quarantine Center so as to ensure conditions for the performance of assigned tasks and disease control in border areas.

District- and commune-level health systems: To maintain the stability of district- and commune-level health systems; to renovate, upgrade, expand and modernize physical foundations and equipment, and improve the quality of human resources of the health sector; to relocate and build a new general hospital in Lao Cai city, build new district health centers in districts that have yet to receive investment; to renovate degraded regional polyclinics and commune health stations. By 2030, the district- and commune-level health network will include:

- Medical treatment system: There will be at least 9 district-level general hospitals; at least 18 regional polyclinics under general hospitals; to establish Si Ma Cai District General Hospital, Bao Ha Regional Hospital under Bao Yen District General Hospital, Y Ty Regional Hospital under Bat Xat District General Hospital.

- Preventive medicine system: There will be 9 district-level health centers.

- The system of commune-level health stations.

To encourage and support the development of a system of non-public medical establishments and services to meet the people’s medical examination and treatment needs and serve tourism.

(Details are provided in Appendix XIV to this Decision)

2. Plans on development of the network of education and training institutions

Early childhood education, general education, and special education: To continue reviewing and reorganizing the network of schools and classrooms in the direction of streamlining and reducing focal points while increasing the number of students in order to concentrate investment and improve the overall education quality; to prioritize and promote the development of non-public educational institutions and international schools at all levels of the education system. By 2030, the province will have at least 593 schools, including 198 early childhood schools; 167 primary schools; 187 primary-cum-lower secondary and lower secondary schools; and 41 lower secondary-cum-upper secondary schools and upper secondary schools; to establish education institutions for people with disabilities and support inclusive education.

Vocational education: To develop, and improve the quality of, the province’s public vocational education institutions to become key and high-quality vocational education institutions of the region and the country; to attract investment in and develop non-public vocational education institutions to meet employers’ demands; by 2025 Lao Cai College will provide high-quality training of up to national and international level in 8-10 occupations; to attract investment and establish 3-5 non-public vocational education institutions; to promote forms of job training association and cooperation.

Higher education: To upgrade the Lao Cai-based division of Thai Nguyen University into a center for research and transfer and application of science and technology in the province and the region which will be developed into a university.

(Details are provided in Appendices XV and XVI to this Decision)

3. Plans on development of science and technology infrastructure

To build, upgrade and modernize physical foundations of public non-business science and technology units for them to be able to effectively perform their functions; to build physical foundations and space for startups, including science and technology research and application, investment promotion, technology transfer and science and technology enterprise incubators; to form 4 technology incubators; to plan and set up 1 or 2 hi-tech agricultural zones.

4. Plans on development of social security and social protection infrastructure

To build and renovate functional works of social protection establishments, ensuring the performance of functions and tasks; to upgrade and repair items of the Provincial Social Affairs Center and the Nursing Center for National Devotees in Sa Pa town; to build 2 new public social assistance establishments (general social protection establishments) in Sa Pa town and Bac Ha district; to build Lao Cai province’s Job Placement Center; to build the second branch of the Lao Cai Nursing Center for National Devotees; to study the investment in nursing homes and upgrade, renovate and repair drug addiction treatment establishments.

(Details are provided in Appendix XVII to this Decision)

5. Plan on development of cultural, physical training and sports infrastructure

Developing cultural and artistic infrastructure:

- To plan and build Lao Cai province’s Traditional Arts Theater and other auxiliary works.

- To build and improve the system of district-level cultural institutions, ensuring that all district-level administrative units will have Culture-Sports Centers or multi-purposed cultural houses and at least 30% of district-level administrative units will have youth centers or children’s culture houses or children’s cultural palaces.

- To build a system of commune-level cultural institutions, ensuring that all commune-level administrative units will have cultural houses and public amusement areas up to the standards for residential quarters.

- Library infrastructure: To build Lao Cai Provincial Library applying the model of traditional library associated with digital library, ensuring that at least half of district-level libraries will have their own offices; to invest in physical foundations for digital transformation, interconnection and linkage in the library system and combine traditional libraries and digital libraries.

- Museum infrastructure: To complete the building of permanent and outdoor display areas of the Lao Cai Museum; to build and attract investment in developing a network of private museums; to develop other museums to serve tourism, education, research and conservation.

Developing physical training and sports infrastructure:

- To gradually complete works of the provincial Sports Complex which will become the Northwest Olympic Sports Village; to complete the construction of the Sa Pa National Sports Training Center.

- To plan, build and upgrade the system of district-level sports facilities, striving for the targets that all districts, towns and cities each will have at least 2 basic sports facilities, of which at least 30% of districts, towns and cities each will have 3 sports facilities: a stadium, a swimming pool and a standard multi-purposed training and competition house up to standards and capable of hosting provincial cultural and sports events.

- To establish communal sports centers, striving for the targets that at least 60% of commune-level administrative units will have sports centers and all commune-level administrative units will have cultural, sports and media centers.

Developing park infrastructure, cultural works, public amusement areas:

- To continue building and completing a system of provincial-level public parks, amusement areas and public spaces; to build 2 works: Tran Hung Dao monument and Ho Chi Minh monument.

- To build and attract investment so as to form a system of parks and amusement areas and create spatial highlights in Lao Cai city, Sa Pa town and districts, ensuring that all districts, towns and cities will have public parks and amusement areas to serve the people.

(Details are provided in Appendix XVIII to this Decision)

6. Plans on development of trade, service, fair and exhibition infrastructure

a/ Developing infrastructure of border gates, crossings, and customs clearance passages for import and export

To upgrade and complete infrastructure of Lao Cai-Hekou international road border-gate area (Ho Kieu II bridge and Kim Thanh bridge), Lao Cai-Hekou international railway border gate; to upgrade, expand and complete infrastructure of Muong Khuong and Ban Vuoc border-gate areas; to develop customs clearance passages and pairs of border markets suitable with reality and effectively control crossings.

b/ Developing markets, supermarkets and trade centers

To upgrade and expand markets in the center of districts, towns and cities or build new grade-I markets; to renovate, upgrade and build new grade-III markets in commune-level administrative units; to build wholesale markets in concentrated commodity production zones in convenient locations.

To build supermarkets in districts where no supermarkets are available in order to improve the enjoyment of people in rural and mountainous areas of the province; to build trade centers and supermarkets in Lao Cai city, Sa Pa town, Bao Thang, Bac Ha and Bat Xat districts, Bao Ha-Tan An area, and Sa Pa airport to serve locals and tourists; to attract investment in building supermarkets and trade centers with appropriate scales in the center of communes and other rural areas; to build a provincial exhibition center.

(Details are provided in Appendix XIX to this Decision)

c/ Plan on development of petroleum and gas establishments

Petroleum depots: To expand and upgrade the petroleum depot in Dong Pho Moi industrial park in Lao Cai city for it to have a storage capacity of around 6,000 m³. After 2030, to attract investment to build at least 1 more petroleum depot with a storage capacity of over 5,000 m³ in a suitable location.

Petroleum retail stations: To increase the safety of the existing petroleum distribution system; to attract investment to build at least 60 more petroleum stations; to encourage investment in petroleum stations in rural, remote and isolated areas.

Liquefied petroleum gas filling stations: To attract investment to build at least 1 liquefied petroleum gas filling station with a minimum capacity of around 2,000 tons/year. After 2030, to attract investment to build at least 1 more liquefied petroleum gas filling station.

Liquefied petroleum gas stores: To attract investment to build at least 100 new liquefied petroleum gas stores. After 2030, to attract investment to build at least 100 more liquefied petroleum gas stores.

(Details are provided in Appendix XIX to this Decision)

d/ Plan on development inland container depots, logistics centers and warehouses

By 2030, to build the system of Lao Cai inland container depots  and inland container depot clusters with a total cargo handling capacity of over 1,500,000 TEUs in Lao Cai city, Kim Thanh-Ban Vuoc zone, the inland container depot associated with Sa Pa airport and other deports when needed.

To build new, and expand the scale of and effectively operate, logistics zones, warehouses and bonded warehouses associated with urban areas, industrial parks, border-gate areas and customs clearance passages; to raise logistics service quality in order to effectively exploit the province’s geo-strategic location and turn Lao Cai into a logistics service center of the region and the whole country.

To build a new warehouse system in Lao Cai city, Sa Pa town and districts to meet the demand for goods transshipment and storage in each area.

(Details are provided in Appendix XX to this Decision)

dd/ Developing general service, entertainment and golf resorts

To plan 4 new golf and general service, entertainment resorts, including 2 in Lao Cai city, 1 in Sa Pa town, and 1 in Bao Yen district; to plan 1 golf course in Bat Xat district and 1 golf course in Van Ban district when the province is allocated additional land use targets. After 2030, to plan new golf courses when needed.

(Details are provided in Appendix XXI to this Decision)

VII. PLANS ON LAND ALLOCATION AND ZONING

1. To ensure that land resources of the economy are surveyed, evaluated, put in statistics, inventoried, quantified and accounted and planned for use in an efficient, reasonable, economical and sustainable manner with a long-term vision so as to  serve socio-economic development, national defense and security, education, culture and sports development, environmental protection and climate change adaptation, and create a driving force for the province’s development; to ensure reasonable land allocation and use on the basis of balancing the demand for land of sectors and fields in conformity with the targets set under the national land-use master plan for the 2021-2030 period.

2. Plans on allocation of land use targets

By 2030, the total natural land area of Lao Cai province will be 636,425 ha, in which the agricultural land area will be 560,697 ha, making up 88.10% of the natural land area, an increase of 35,097 ha compared with the 2020 figure; non-agricultural land area will be 50,832 ha, making up 7.99% of the natural land area, an increase of 13,951 ha compared with the 2020 figure; and unused land will be 24,896 ha, making up 3.91% of the natural area, a reduction of 49,049 ha compared with the 2020 figure.

3. Plans on land repurposing in the planning period

To convert 15,987 ha of agricultural land into non-agricultural land.

To change the structure of agricultural land with regard to an area of 14,856 ha.

To repurpose 230 ha of non-agricultural non-residential land to residential land.

4. Plans on land recovery in the planning period

The land area to be recovered in the planning period will be 22,651 ha, including  15,358 ha of agricultural land and 7,293 ha of non-agricultural land.

5. Plans on putting of unused land into use during the 2021-2030 period

In the planning period, to put 49,842 ha of unused land into use for assorted purposes will be, of which 48,442 ha will be used for agricultural purposes and 1,400 ha for non-agricultural purposes.

(Details are provided in Appendix XXII to this Decision)

VIII. PLANS ON DEVELOPMENT OF INTER-DISTRICT AND DISTRICT AREAS

Plan on construction of inter-district areas

To plan the province into four inter-district areas, including:

- The inter-district area 1, covering Lao Cai city and Bao Thang district, will be developed with the focus being developing and expanding the urbanization of Lao Cai city and urban areas of Bao Thang district in order to form the central urban area of the province and create an impetus for the economic axis along the Red River; developing urban economy; developing and raising the quality and competitiveness of various types of services; building and developing logistics and trade zones, industrial parks, and cottage industry zones so as to turn the area into an international trade exchange center; and attracting investment in developing various industries, processing and manufacturing industries.

- The inter-district area 2, covering Sa Pa town and Bat Xat district, shall be developed with the focus being developing green, smart, attractive and highly competitive tourism; building, developing and improving the quality of Sa Pa, Y Ty, Bat Xat, and Trinh Tuong urban areas; strongly developing logistics, trade and services at Ban Vuoc border gate; and developing ecological, high-quality and high-value agriculture.

- The inter-district area 3, covering Van Ban and Bao Yen districts, shall be developed with the focus being developing Pho Rang and Khanh Yen urban areas, investing in building Bao Ha - Tan An and Vo Lao areas to reach urban standards; developing intensive mineral processing industry, manufacturing and processing industry, agro-forestry product and food processing; developing forestry and agricultural economy with increased agro-forestry output and products’ value; and achieving the new-countryside development goals.

- The inter-district area 4, covering Muong Khuong, Bac Ha and Si Ma Cai districts, shall be developed with the focus being building and improving the quality of Bac Ha, Muong Khuong and Si Ma Cai urban areas; developing and improving tourism service quality; building new countryside; developing agriculture toward commodity production and improving quality and value of agricultural products in association with value chains for agricultural products; developing the agro-forestry product processing industry; and ensuring social security for ethnic minorities, consolidating the defense posture and ensuring security, social order and safety.

IX. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION; EXPLOITATION, USE AND PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES; DISASTER PREVENTION AND CONTROL AND RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

1. Plan on environmental protection, natural and biodiversity conservation

a/ Environmental protection

The province will be divided into 3 zones for environmental protection, including:

- Strictly protected zone, covering strictly protected sub-zones and ecological restoration sub-zones of Hoang Lien National Park; strictly protected sub-zones and ecological restoration sub-zones of Hoang Lien - Van Ban Nature Reserve; strictly protected sub-zones and ecological restoration sub-zones of Bat Xat National Park; landscape protection zones; sanitary protection zones of water intake areas of domestic water supply works in the province; protected area No. 1 of national historical-cultural relics in the province.

- Low-emission zone, covering administrative and service sub-zones and buffer area of Hoang Lien National Park; administrative and service sub-zones and buffer zone of Hoang Lien-Van Ban Nature Reserve; administrative and service sub-zones and buffer zone of Bat Xat National Park; water source protection corridor of water supply facilities in accordance with the law on water resources; concentrated residential areas in urban centers, including inlying areas of grade-V urban centers including existing urban centers and those to be established in the 2021-2030 period.

- Other environmental protection zones, covering the whole area outside the strictly protected zone and low-emission zone.

To carry out environmental protection work in conformity with environmental protection requirements in each environmental protection zone.

(Details are provided in Appendix XXIII to this Decision)

b/ Nature and biodiversity conservation

To upgrade Bat Xat Nature Reserve into a national park; to focus on conservation associated with sustainable use and promotion of the value of Hoang Lien National Park, Hoang Lien-Van Ban Nature Reserve and Bat Xat National Park; to set up new landscape protection zones and biodiversity conservation facilities; to conserve and restore endangered wild species, particularly endangered, precious and rare fauna species prioritized for protection, and migratory species; to enhance the conservation of genetic resources, manage access to genetic resources, share benefits from, and protect traditional knowledge on, genetic resources; to evaluate and promote the benefits of biodiversity for sustainable development; to effectively control activities with adverse impacts on biodiversity.

c/ Natural resources and environment monitoring

To maintain and upgrade the existing monitoring system; to build and arrange an environmental monitoring network comprising monitoring points and automatic monitoring stations for soil, water and air component in the province; to improve capacity of laboratories and the environmental analysis and environmental monitoring data and figure management system; to link provincial environmental monitoring networks, databases and data with national environmental monitoring networks, databases and data, and regional environmental monitoring networks; to make inventory and assessment of water resources in the province on a periodical basis; to raise disaster warning capacity, build a flashflood warning and landslide monitoring system, upgrade the automatic monitoring station for Red river surface water and hydro-meteorological stations in Lao Cai province.

d/ Sustainable forest development

To protect and sustainably use special-use forests, protection forests and forest areas in Hoang Lien National Park, Hoang Lien-Van Ban Nature Reserve, and Bat Xat Nature Reserve; to support, facilitate livelihoods for and promote self-governance of residential communities living in the buffer zones of the national park and nature reserves; to support related parties in planting and protecting landscape forests for tourism development and environmental protection; to raise capacity for, and enhance coordination among, law enforcement agencies in managing, supervising and handling violations.

Orientations for forestry development in lowland areas: To develop forestry economy in association with forest protection and sustainable development; to restructure plants toward planting multi-purpose trees, focusing on intensive forestry associated with processing of forest products and harvest of non-timber forest products. Orientations for forestry development in upland areas: To step up the protection and development of natural forests, special-use forests and protection forests in association with tourism development; to select ecological indigenous plants and non-timber forest plants; to promote the provision of forestry services and forest environmental services, and develop the carbon market.

To implement comprehensive solutions to increase the forest coverage rate to over 60% by 2030.

dd/ Arrangement of cemeteries

To plan the building of cemeteries and crematoriums mostly in urban centers according to urban master plans; to build funeral homes in urban centers in conformity with urban grading; to renovate and further use cemeteries that are not fully occupied; to expand cemeteries in accordance with land-use master plans; to relocate cemeteries that fail to meet environmental requirements in accordance with district-level master plans.

2. Plans on protection, exploitation and use of natural resources

a/ Mineral resources exploration, exploitation, use and protection areas

To step up the exploration and approval of mineral reserves; to maintain activities of mines with valid licenses; to increase investment in intensive processing and improve the recovery coefficient, product quality and value; to apply advanced modern environmentally friendly technologies. It is allowed to self-adjust and allocate land for mine auxiliary works based on the mine size.

To license and manage the exploitation of minerals for use as construction materials in conformity with demands of localities; to promote investment in ground sand processing facilities.

b/ To identify mines, areas and locations with minerals that are yet to be exploited, are banned from exploitation and need to be protected in the planning period, for each type of mineral.

(Details are provided in Appendix XXIV to this Decision)

3. Plans on exploitation, use and protection of water resources; prevention, control and remediation of water-caused harms

a/ Function-based zoning of water sources

Water sources shall be zoned into functional areas as follows: Ngoi Phat and adjacent areas shall supply productive and domestic water for Bat Xat district; Nam Thi and adjacent areas shall supply productive and domestic water for Muong Khuong district and part of Bao Thang district; Ngoi Dum and adjacent areas shall supply productive and domestic water for Sa Pa town and part of Lao Cai city; Ngoi Bo and adjacent areas shall supply productive and domestic water for Sa Pa town and parts of Bao Thang district and Lao Cai city; Suoi Nhu and adjacent areas shall supply productive and domestic water for Van Ban district and part of Bao Thang district; riparian area of the Red River shall supply productive and domestic water for Lao Cai city and parts of Bat Xat, Bao Thang, Bao Yen and Van Ban districts and water for waterway transport; the upstream area of Chay river shall supply productive and domestic water for Si Ma Cai and Bac Ha districts and parts of Muong Khuong and Bao Thang districts; and the midstream area of Chay river shall supply productive and domestic water for Bao Yen district.

b/ Allocation of water resources

By 2030: the province’s total usable groundwater will be around 174 million m³ and total usable surface water will be around 1,161 million m³ in which per annum:

- Around 23 million m³ of surface water shall be allocated for domestic use; around 34 million m³ for industrial purposes; around 424 million m³ for agricultural purposes; 6.7 million m³ for animal husbandry; around 30 million m³ for fisheries; around 9 million m³ for commercial, service and tourism purposes; and around 14 million m³ for health, education and environmental purposes.

- Around 4 million m³ groundwater shall be allocated for domestic use; around 6 million m³ for industrial purposes; around 75 million m³ for agricultural purposes; around 2 million m³ for commercial, service and tourism purposes; and health, around 3 million m³ for education and environmental purposes.

c/ Prevention, control and remediation of water-caused harms

To build hydropower projects in combination with flood regulation and water supply for irrigation systems; to rectify a number of river and stream sections to ensure flood drainage, natural disaster prevention and control associated with irrigation.

To maintain and upgrade existing river embankments of the Lung Po, Red, Nam Thi, Ba Ket, Xanh and Chay rivers; to complete the building of embankments that are under construction; to build new anti-erosion embankments to protect the border along the Red, Nam Thi and Chay rivers; to build anti-erosion embankments at key points along inland rivers and streams to ensure flow stability; to prioritize investment in anti-flood and anti-erosion works in border areas.

To devise and implement flood prevention and control plans for reservoir systems and downstream areas of reservoirs.

(Details are provided in Appendix XXV to this Decision)

4. Plans on natural disaster prevention and control and response to climate change

a/ Risk zoning for each type of natural disaster in the province

The area at high risk for flash floods, mud and rock fall, landslides: A number of communes in Van Ban district, Sa Pa town, and Muong Khuong, Bat Xat, Bao Yen, Bac Ha and Si Ma Cai.

The area hit by extreme cold weather: Communes, wards and townships in the Hoang Lien Son range, the northeastern area of Bac Ha plain and valleys along the Red and Chay rivers.

The area highly prone to forest fires: Communes in Hoang Lien National Park and a number of areas in Bat Xat, Bao Thang, Bac Ha, Si Ma Cai and Van Ban districts, Sa Pa town and Lao Cai city.

b/ Plans on natural disaster prevention and control and response to climate change

To implement the “4 on-the-spot and 3-ready” motto: on-the-spot command, on-the-spot forces, on-the-spot supplies and on-the-spot logistics, and ready to take the initiative in prevention, ready to take timely response and ready to remedy consequences.

To shift to plant varieties and animal breeds that are resilient to harsh weather and epidemics and adaptable to climate change; to develop and apply biotechnologies and advanced technologies in agriculture; to devise and implement plans on sustainable forest management, protection and exploitation.

To build and consolidate irrigation infrastructure and embankments; to consolidate transport, power and water supply, and drainage works; to prioritize construction of natural disaster prevention and control works at key points, urban centers and densely populated areas; to gradually complete the construction of natural disaster warning and forecasting, and climate change monitoring systems.

X. LIST OF PROJECTS PRIORITIZED FOR INVESTMENT

(Details are provided in Appendix XXVI to this Decision)

XI. SOLUTIONS AND RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN

1. Solutions on mobilization and use of resources

a/ Total development investment capital demand for the 2021-2030 period

The investment capital demand for the 2021-2030 period is about VND 774 trillion, of which about VND 260 trillion is for the 2021-2025 period and about VND 514 trillion for the 2026-2030 period. It is estimated to mobilize about VND 80 trillion from the state budget, about VND 6 trillion from ODA, VND 6 trillion from government bonds, about VND 290 trillion from foreign direct investment (FDI), about VND 122 trillion from enterprises, and about VND 270 trillion from local residents.

b/ Solutions and policies for mobilization and effective use of investment capital to meet the province’s development requirements

For capital from the state budget: To aggregately mobilize development investment capital from the provincial and central budgets; to continue to take advantage of supports from the Government, ministries, central sectors and donors to attract capital from the central budget, ODA and other capital sources for investment in large projects on transport infrastructure and hydraulic structures and investment projects on building social infrastructure.

Sources other than the state budget: To prioritize and call on large economic groups with financial potential and enterprises on the list of Vietnam’s 500 largest enterprises (VNR500) to implement investment projects in various fields, especially tourism, industry, commerce, and services, in the province. To continue to improve investment environment and increase competitiveness of the province; to create advantages in attracting direct and indirect investment capital from abroad; to attract enterprises and partners that bring along advanced technologies, high technologies and modern management systems to create positive spillover effects on the province’s economic development; to diversify forms of capital mobilization. To enhance investment capital mobilization in the form of public-private partnership (PPP).

Mobilization of funds from land repurposing: To review and adjust land-related financial policies to regulate the market; to review and arrange for effective use of land areas currently managed by administrative and non-business units and state enterprises located in the province.

Solutions for improvement of investment efficiency: To increase the management of  all stages in the investment and construction process; to combine inspection and examination with investment monitoring and evaluation; to improve work quality and investment efficiency, strictly manage project implementation process, prevent waste and loss, improve the authority and personal responsibility of project owners and consultancy units; to orient and issue criteria for applying the selective investment attraction policy in the new situation in line with the objectives of rapid and sustainable development.

2. Human resource development solutions

To formulate a strategy for human resource development in conformity with the common development trend of the region and the whole country; to carry out a number of programs/projects on development of human resource training in the province, including a program on quality improvement of early childhood education and general education, a program on quality improvement of vocational education and higher education, and a program on human resource training for state management agencies.

To formulate a scheme on employment to identify changes in the labor market and employment issues, and a scheme on human resource training and retraining in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

For entrepreneurs: To focus on, prioritize, and support provision of training for entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized business owners.

To focus on developing high-quality human resources; to closely associate human resource development with the development and application of science and technology in service of economic restructuring and growth model transformation, contributing to quickly increasing productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness of the economy.

3. Environmental protection solutions

To continue to study, supplement, and improve the system of guidelines and policies on environmental protection, ensuring synchronism and consistency with the general legal system, keeping abreast of reality and keeping up with the process of development and international integration of the country and rapid developments and complexity of environmental issues.

To build capacity of state management agencies in charge of environmental protection from provincial to district levels so as to meet environmental protection requirements and tasks that become bigger and bigger and more and more complicated. To review and clearly define management functions and tasks, arrange organizational apparatuses, and strengthen management capacity of environmental management officials at all levels, especially in localities, with priority given to district and commune levels, ensuring the consistency and synchronism from provincial to grassroots levels.

To increase and diversify investment capital sources for environmental protection, especially investment in waste treatment, pollution treatment and environmental rehabilitation of polluted and degraded areas. To speed up the building of centralized waste treatment facilities and plants.

4. Solutions on development of science, technology and innovation

To implement the Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 52-NQ/TW of September 27, 2019, on a number of guidelines and policies to actively participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To study and apply achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to the province’s socio-economic development, first of all, in the province’s political system such as: building an e-government toward a digital government.

To continue to promote scientific and technological research and application in the production, preservation and processing of key and typical agricultural products of the province. To support the creation, management and development of industrial property rights for agricultural products of the province.

To apply science and technology to production and trading of key products so as to improve productivity and quality, meet VietGap and GlobalGap standards and strive to export and join the global value chain.

To continue to invest in improving the quality of human resources and developing physical foundations and scientific and technological equipment of science and technology organizations, science and technology research and application centers, and science and technology-applying and science and technology service-providing organizations. To develop a network of organizations providing diversified technology consultancy, support and transfer services, meeting demands of enterprises, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, and of agriculture and rural areas.

5. Solutions on mechanisms and policies for setting up linkages for development

To study and promulgate mechanisms and policies applicable to various fields so as to attract more resources for development, including: specific mechanisms and policies for the Sa Pa National Tourist Area and Lao Cai Border-Gate Economic Zone for breakthrough development; mechanisms and policies for key economic zones to promote socio-economic development of the province and of the region and promote linkages between dynamic economic areas and other areas in the province; to invest in connecting transport infrastructure, electricity, water, etc., for industrial parks and cottage industry zones to attract investors with quality and synchronous infrastructure, contributing to improving competitiveness of, and attracting investment in, the province; to develop and improve the quality of urban development in the direction of synchronism, modernity, green-oriented  and sustainable development; to create attractiveness for, and develop, service industries; to develop a healthy real estate market based on real demands; to develop eco-friendly product-manufacturing industries such as waste collection and processing, wastewater treatment, products made from eco-friendly materials, etc.; to support business startups, innovation, technology renewal, eco-friendly products, digital transformation, and digital economy; to develop small- and medium-sized enterprises; to concentrate land areas for agricultural production so as to attract enterprises to invest in production, processing and sale of agricultural products.

To regularly review administrative procedures in each department, sector, and locality and disclose administrative procedures. To build and develop digital government; to promote the development of digital economy and digital society.

To improve the operation quality of the Provincial Public Administration Center in handling administrative procedures related to enterprises and investors; to develop a mechanism to inspect and supervise the implementation of administrative procedures by departments, sectors, districts and cities.

6. Solutions on management and control of urban and rural development

To build and improve a system of land information and cadastral records after a modern, centralized, unified and integrated model. To direct concerned agencies to allocate or lease land for implementation of socio-economic development projects through auction of land use rights and bidding of land-using projects in a strict, public and transparent manner.

To strictly control the use of forest land, resources, environment and forest coverage rate, and balance and repurpose part of the existing agricultural land areas in urban centers for construction to serve urban development, economic growth, and social development.

XII. LIST OF MAPS OF THE MASTER PLAN

The list of maps attached to the Master Plan is composed of 25 maps.

 (Details are provided in Appendix XXVII to this Decision)

Article 2

1. After relevant national-level and regional master plans are approved by competent authorities, the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province shall review, update, adjust and supplement the Master Plan under regulations.

The Master Plan shall serve as a basis for the formulation of urban and rural master plans, technical and specialized master plans of the province in accordance with relevant laws.

In the process of studying and implementing specific projects, the boundaries of planned locations, area, scale and capacity of works and projects shall be adjusted in accordance with the project implementation progress, practical situation and laws.

2. To assign the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province to perform the following tasks:

a/ To announce and publicize the Master Plan after it is approved by the Prime Minister in accordance with the planning law.

b/ To formulate and submit to competent authorities for promulgation the Plan on implementation of the Master Plan; to organize the implementation of the Master Plan in association with the implementation of socio-economic development tasks in the province; to evaluate the implementation of the Master Plan in accordance with the Planning Law.

c/ To study, develop and promulgate according to its competence, or submit to competent authorities for promulgation, mechanisms, policies and solutions to attract investment, ensure financial resources, social security, and national defense and security, develop human resources, science and technology, and protect the environment so as to fulfill the objectives, tasks and orientations identified in the Master Plan.

d/ To implement environmental protection contents specified in the Master Plan’s strategic environmental assessment report during the implementation of the Master Plan; to organize environmental monitoring, surveillance and management; to archive databases and share information and environmental databases to serve the digital transformation process during the implementation of the Master Plan.

dd/ To review and report to the Prime Minister for consideration of and decision on adjustment of the Master Plan to ensure consistency with the national-level and regional master plans decided or approved by competent authorities under Point c, Clause 1, Article 2 of the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 61/2022/QH15 of June 16, 2022.

e/ To report to competent authorities for approval of investment ahead of schedule, for projects planned for investment after 2030, if it is needed to make investment in these projects to serve socio-economic development and possible to mobilize resources to implement these projects.

3. The People’s Committee of Lao Cai province shall take full responsibility before law for the accuracy of contents, information, data, documents, maps, and databases included in the Master Plan’s dossier; and the appendices on sectoral development plans, plans on development of functional areas, technical and social infrastructure facilities and the list of projects prioritized for investment in the planning period promulgated together with this Decision.

4. The Chairperson of the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province shall take full responsibility before the Prime Minister and before law for the Master Plan’s contents that are adjusted or not inherited from previous master plans (if any), and resolve conflicts and overlaps between the Master Plan and other master plans (if any).

5. The approval of or decision on investment policy and the implementation of investment projects in the province must comply with Article 1 of this Decision and other relevant master plans, ensuring compliance with regulations on order, procedures and competence, and relevant current regulations.

In the course of implementation of specific projects, agencies competent to approve or decide on investment policy shall take full responsibility before law for the determination of project location, areas, scale and capacity and investment phasing, ensuring the conformity with the province’s practical conditions and development requirements in each period and in accordance with relevant current regulations.

Article 3. Related ministries and sectors shall, within the ambit of their assigned functions and tasks, guide the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province in implementing the Master Plan; and when necessary, coordinate with the province in studying, developing or submitting to competent authorities for promulgation a number of appropriate mechanisms and policies in order to mobilize and efficiently use resources for the implementation of the Master Plan.

Article 4. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 5. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, the Chairperson of the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province, and related units shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
TRAN HONG HA

* The Appendices to this Decision are not translated.