Decision 995/QD-TTg 2023 Master Plan of Soc Trang province for 2021-2030 period

DECISION

Approving the Master Plan of Soc Trang 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 continued improvement of the effect and effectiveness of implementation of planning policies and laws and a number of solutions for tackling difficulties, addressing problems, and accelerating the formulation and improving the quality of master plans for the 2021-2030 period;

Pursuant to the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 81/2023/QH15 of January 9, 2023, on the National Overall Master Plan for the 2021-2030, with a vision toward 2050;

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

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 287/QD-TTg of February 28, 2022, approving the Master Plan of the Mekong River Delta for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 567/QD-TTg of April 27, 2020, approving the task of formulating the Master Plan of Soc Trang province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050;

At the request of the People’s Committee of Soc Trang province in Official Letter No. 49/TTr-UBND of June 8, 2023, Official Letter No. 86/TTr-UBND of July 14, 2023, requesting the approval of the Master Plan of Soc Trang province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050; Appraisal Report No. 9606/BC-HDTD of December 30, 2022, of the Council for Appraisal of Provincial Master Plans for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050, for the Master Plan of Soc Trang province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050 and its strategic environmental assessment report; opinions of the Council for Appraisal of Provincial Master Plans in Document No. 4213/CV-HDTD of June 5, 2023; and opinions of the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Document No. 4784/BKHDT-QLQH of June 21, 2023, on overall review of dossiers of the Master Plan of Soc Trang province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050.

DECIDES:

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

I. SCOPE AND BOUNDARIES OF THE MASTER PLAN

The scope and boundaries of the Master Plan embrace the whole mainland territory of Soc Trang province and the marine space determined in accordance with the 2012 Law of the Sea of Vietnam and the Government’s Decree No. 40/2016/ND-CP of May 15, 2016, detailing a number of articles of the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment.

II. DEVELOPMENT VIEWPOINTS, OBJECTIVES, VISIONS AND BREAKTHROUGHS

1. Development viewpoints

a/ The Master Plan must conform to the development guidelines and line of the Party and the State; objectives and orientations of the national socio-economic development strategy and national strategy for green and sustainable growth; conform to national overall master plans and plans, national sectoral master plans and plans, and master plans and plans of the Mekong River Delta, and related master plans; and ensure democracy, compliance, continuity, succession, stability and development.

b/ To effectively take the advantage of the province’s important coastal strategic location and inter-regional transportation infrastructure to develop Soc Trang into a main gateway to the East Sea of the Mekong River Delta and a regional hub in terms of agriculture, industry, services and logistics with the center being an offshore seaport out of the Tran De estuary. To economically, efficiently and sustainably use water and natural resources with a focus on marine and coastal resources; to protect the environment and conserve biodiversity and marine ecosystems; to proactively adapt to climate change and sea level rise.

c/ To accelerate the urbanization process, ensuring the connection between dynamic urban areas with industrial parks, cottage industry and service zones and hubs; to connect marine space with the mainland; to form economic corridors connecting new development spaces and important economic corridors of the region and the country; to effectively implement the national target program on building new-style countryside.

d/ To renew growth models, concentrating all sources for developing potential and advantageous sectors and fields and attaching importance to development of green economy, circular economy and digital economy; to carry out administrative reform and digital transformation; to improve investment environment and quality of human resources, apply scientific and technological advances and boost creativity and innovation to raise productivity, quality and competitiveness.

dd/ To promote the combined strength of the entire political system and build the great national unity bloc; to closely combine economic development with enhancement of national defense and security and firm protection of maritime sovereignty; to ensure political security and social order and safety; to expand diplomatic relations and proactively integrate into the world. To conserve and promote heritage, cultural and historical values; to combine economic development with realization of social progress and justice, poverty reduction and improvement of the quality of people’s spiritual and material lives.

2. Development objectives by 2030

a/ General objectives

To strive for the objectives that by 2030, Soc Trang will become one of the fairly developed provinces of the Mekong River Delta with developed industrial, trade and service sectors and modern and sustainable agriculture; to form an offshore seaport out of the Tran De estuary with a synchronous and gradually modern infrastructure system; to develop a system of green, smart and sustainable urban centers; to be capable of adapting to climate change; and to assure national defense and security, social order and safety, and a prosperous, civilized and happy life for local people.

b/ Specific targets

- Economic targets:

+ The province’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth rate will be 8.5%/year on average; and the per-capita GRDP (at current prices) will reach VND 124 million.

+ The proportion to the GRDP of agro-forestry-fisheries, industry-construction, services, and taxes less subsidies on products will be about 27%, 35%, 30%, and 8%, respectively;

+ The province’s state budget collection will be about VND 14,000 billion.

+ Digital economy will account for 20% of the province’s GRDP.

+ The contribution of total factor productivity (TFP) to the GRDP will reach 45%.

- Social targets:

+ The urbanization rate will be about 40-45%.

+ To complete the task of new-style countryside building, with 80/80 communes meeting new-style countryside standards, 40 communes meeting advanced new-style countryside standards, 16 communes meeting model new-style countryside standards, and 10 district-level units meeting new-style countryside standards or completing the task of new-style countryside building of which at least 4 districts meet advanced new-style countryside standards.

+ To reduce the poverty rate by 2-3%/year on average; and by 3-4%/year for Khmer households.

+ The rate of trained workers will reach 70% of whom 32.5% will possess diplomas or training certificates.

+ The rate of schools meeting national standards will be 90%.

+ The health insurance coverage will surpass 95%, the number of hospital beds and medical doctors per 10,000 population will be 33 and 11, respectively.

- Environmental targets:

+ The rate of domestic solid waste collected and treated will reach 98-99% in urban areas industrial parks and service areas, and 75% in rural residential areas and craft villages.

+ All operating industrial parks and cottage industry zones will have centralized wastewater treatment systems up to environmental standards.

+ The rate of urban inhabitants accessing to clean water through centralized water supply systems will reach 98-100%.

+ The rate of rural inhabitants accessing to clean water up to standards will reach 75%.

+ The forest coverage rate will be 3%.

3. The vision toward 2050

Soc Trang province will become a dynamic development area of the Mekong River Delta in association with the development of Tran De seaport; the province’ economy will be fairly developed compared to the national economy as a whole with  socio-economic activities carried out by the mode of digital government, digital economy and digital society and smart manufacturing and service industries operating after the models of digital economy, green economy and circular economy; social fields will be harmoniously developed; the environment and natural landscape will be preserved; national defense and security, social order and safety will be assured; and local people will have a prosperous and happy life.

4. Development breakthroughs

a/ To mobilize and use efficiently and economically all sources, prioritizing investment in building an infrastructure system of strategic importance and spillover effect with the focus on transport infrastructure (East-West and North-South expressways), seaports; infrastructure of coastal economic zones, industrial parks, cottage industry zones, urban areas, information technology, and digital transformation.

b/ To carry out administrative reform with the focus on strongly reforming administrative procedures and improving the capacity of professional cadres, striving to basically complete the synchronous and comprehensive digital transformation in the province by 2030; to improve the business investment environment.

c/ To develop human resources in association with science and technology application and innovation, especially human resources to serve the development of sectors that have the potential for creating development breakthroughs such as energy, tourism, seaport development, logistics, urban development, services, and digital transformation and agro-fisheries and seafood processing sectors.

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

To restructure the economy in association with vigorous innovation of the growth model based on increasing productivity and applying scientific and technological advances, innovation and digital transformation; to prioritize the development of a number of sectors and fields that have potential, advantages and large room in new development space; to balance and harmonize economic development with cultural and social development and national defense and security assurance; in which:

1. Development orientations for important economic sectors

a/ Agricultural sector

- To develop agriculture to be green, sustainable and modern in association with the program on building new-style countryside, thus meeting domestic and foreign market requirements. To form specialized farming areas for the province’s key advantageous commodity items at an appropriate scale.

-  To apply science, technology and innovation, digital transformation in agricultural and forestry production, freshwater and saltwater aquaculture and fishing; to improve and develop plant varieties, livestock and aquatic animal breeds that are adaptive to climate change and soil conditions and suitable to market demand. To develop the value chain of the province’s key agricultural products in association with processing industry and energy; to continue promoting the development of products under the one commune-one product (OCOP) program; to carry out brand building and positioning for the province’s key agricultural products; to develop diverse consumer markets in association with tourism.

- To develop and implement programs and projects to support sustainable agricultural development, focusing on brackish water aquaculture, fruit trees, specialty rice and cow farming.

b/ Industrial sector

To develop industry toward green growth and high competitiveness, creating a breakthrough to improve productivity and rapidly increase the proportion of contribution of the processing and manufacturing industry of high added value, in which:

- To develop the processing and manufacturing industry to become a major pillar of the economy. To diversify industries, especially supporting industries.

- To develop eco-friendly energy industry and industries in association with marine economy.

c/ Service sector

To rapidly develop and diversify services of all types, high-quality products and services of high added value toward modernity, ensuring the supply-demand balance in the market, in which:

- To develop logistics service to become an important economic sector of the province; to establish logistic centers capable of receiving and transshipping goods, connecting provinces in the Mekong River Delta with domestic and international markets.

- To develop commercial infrastructure with priority given to those that have spillover effects and strong impacts on supporting production and circulation. To focus on developing logistic infrastructure, especially transportation infrastructure, warehouse infrastructure and application of new technologies in logistics, prioritizing investment in Tran De seaport.

- To strengthen the application of information technology solutions and boost e-commerce. To actively and proactively integrate into the international economy; to diversify export markets.

- To develop tourism to become an important economic sector with key tourism products and supplementary ones based on the province’s potential and strengths such as cultural, culinary, spiritual and festival tourism, garden and marine ecotourism, and leisure tourism in combination with sports, entertainment and urban areas; to connect tourism products of the province with those of other provinces in the region. To attract the development of accommodation and catering services; and services supporting the province’s key agricultural production.

- To diversify types of services of high added value such as logistics, finance, banking, insurance, information technology and communications, healthcare, skill education and vocational training.

2. Development orientations for other sectors and fields

a/ Science, technology and innovation

- To accelerate the research, application and acquisition of achievements of science, technology and innovation, prioritizing the research, application and transfer of technologies in the fields of high-tech agriculture, selective breeding, farm produce processing and preservation, processing industry, marine economic development, renewable energy, digital transformation, medicine and pharmacy, and climate change adaptation.

- To increasingly apply artificial intelligence (AI) software in production management and automatic sectoral supply-demand connection (especially in agriculture); to renew technology to improve the efficiency of rice processing and milling products; to develop value-added products from rice of ST varieties.

- To support enterprises in technology renewal and innovation startup, improve productivity, product quality and competitiveness.

b/ Information, communications and digital transformation

- To renew the State’s management and administration, build digital administration; to develop digital economy and digital society and promote production and business activities in the direction of applying digital technology.

- To strongly develop assorted types of media and press, paying attention to developing e-information; to apply Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data technologies in information collection and processing and program retrieval; to strengthen management of digital platform-based communications.

c/ Education and training, human resource development

- To fundamentally and comprehensively renew education toward sustainable and balanced development in terms of quantity, quality and reasonable and effective structure; to pay attention to training and further training of administrators and teachers; to invest in physical and technical facilities and schools meeting national standards. To pay attention to education in areas with difficult economic conditions and ethnic minority areas. To mobilize social resources for investment in education and training development.

- To carry out vocational training in association with socio-economic development, attaching importance to training of professional and highly skilled workforce, and workers in technical, services and new industrial sectors in association with career change and economic restructuring. To provide occupation training based on demand of the labor market and employers in association with employment generation, ensuring that trained workers have jobs and stable income; to create conditions for workers to go abroad to work as guest workers, contributing to boosting labor mobility, promoting sustainable employment and creating a skilled and high-quality labor source when these laborers return home. At the same time, to research and carry out joint-vocational training between domestic and foreign schools.

- To develop a system of vocational education and specialized education institutions for people with disabilities and inclusive education development support centers.

d/ Health and people’s healthcare

- To develop the health sector meeting the people’s increasing demand for health protection and care; to harmoniously combine specialized healthcare and intensive healthcare with universal healthcare; disease prevention with medical examination and treatment, and rehabilitation; traditional medicine with modern medicine. To improve the People’s physical and mental health, stature, longevity and quality of life.

- To build and develop a network of modern and synchronous healthcare facilities, meeting the requirements for, improving the quality of medical examination and treatment and of, preventive medicine work; to enhance the capacity and quality of healthcare at the grassroots level and upgrade healthcare facilities at higher levels to be more specialized and capable of providing services for their regions or areas. To encourage the development of non-public healthcare; to diversify healthcare products and services such as beauty care, family doctor, etc.

dd/ Culture and sports

- To preserve and embellish typical historical and cultural relics; to inherit and promote fine traditions and values of national culture; to promote and preserve local culture in association with tourism development.

- To take care of the people’s cultural and spiritual lives; to build healthy cultural environment in all areas of the society; to develop culture to become a firm spiritual foundation of the society, an internal strength and important driving force for socio-economic development.

- To develop physical training and sports to improve the people’s physical and mental health. To invest in physical facilities and human resources to develop physical education and sports at school; to develop mass physical training and sport movements; to carry out selective investment in high-performance sports. To encourage the mobilization of social resources for the development of physical education and sports.

e/ Social security

- To fully and promptly implement regimes and policies for people with meritorious services to the country. To implement sustainable poverty reduction in association with socio-economic development, especially in areas with a large number of ethnic minority residents; to support people to have sustainable livelihoods through training and career change, and improvement of people’s intellectual standards. To strengthen social assistance and protection, child protection, and gender equality.

- To pay attention to fully implementing policies on ethnicity and religion; programs, projects and policies on support and improvement of people’s material and spiritual lives, especially people of ethnic minority groups; to create conditions for people of ethnic minority groups in particular and people in general to exercise belief- and religion-related rights in accordance with law.

g/ National defense and security

To build the province’s armed force to be strong with a high level of combat readiness, meeting requirements in all situations, serving as the core force in building the all-people national defense; to arrange land for national defense and security in conformity with socio-economic development strategies. To build the people’s security posture in close combination with the all-people national defense; to maintain political security and social order and safety.

3. Orientations for organization of socio-economic activities

a/ Economic corridors

- The North-South economic corridor includes: (i) the Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho-Soc Trang-Ca Mau (National highway 1) route, which shall act as the main route for interprovincial transportation of goods; (ii) the Can Tho-Soc Trang-Ca Mau route (Quan Lo-Phung Hiep road) and (iii) the Can Tho-Soc Trang (National highway 91B) route, which shall serve the collection of raw materials for the processing industry and expansion of regional gateway for the Tran De seaport area; (iv) the Soc Trang-Bac Lieu route, which shall connect Soc Trang province with Bac Lieu province through the coastal road; (v) national highway No. 60, which shall connect Nga Nam town, Thanh Tri, My Tu, Chau Thanh districts, Soc Trang city, and Long Phu district with Tra Vinh province.

- The East-West economic corridor includes: (i) the Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang expressway, which shall connect Tran De deepwater seaport with the western provinces of the Mekong River Delta and the Kingdom of Cambodia; (ii) provincial road No. 937B, connecting Nga Nam town, Thanh Tri, My Xuyen districts and Vinh Chau town; (iii) and provincial road No. 934B, which shall be one of the development axis of the province connecting Soc Trang city with Tran De district.

b/ Socio-economic areas

To organize 4 socio-economic areas, including:

- The coastal area, embracing the entire mainland area of Soc Trang city and the mainland and marine space of Vinh Chau town and Tran De district. This is the driving force area and development center with spillover effect where economic development will be carried out in an integrated and multi-sectoral direction, covering urban development, industry, trade and logistics services, tourism, agriculture and fisheries in association with marine economy and seaports.

- The area along the Hau river, embracing the entire area of Chau Thanh, Ke Sach and Long Phu districts where economic development will focus on high-efficient agriculture, industry, urban development and services.

- The mainland area, embracing the entire area of Nga Nam town, and Thanh Tri, My Tu and My Xuyen districts where economic development will be carried out in the direction of taking advantages of favorable conditions for agricultural production in association with industry, urban development and services (sources of materials for processing industry).

- Cu Lao Dung area, embracing only Cu Lao Dung district which is oriented mainly for development of tourism in association with urban development, trade, services and agricultural models. This is a special area, a key tourist area of the province with a vision of becoming a high-class worth-living place for people inside and outside the province.

c/ Orientations for marine space development

To develop marine space in conformity with the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam’s marine economy through 2030, with a vision toward 2045, promulgated under   the 12^th Party Central Committee’s Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW of October 22, 2018.

To focus on developing strategic and important marine economic sectors such as maritime economy; freshwater and saltwater aquaculture and fishing; renewable energy; industry and services in association with marine economy; marine mineral resources.

Economic development must ensure efficient and sustainable use of marine and island resources on the basis of harmoniously combining economic and social benefits, protection of natural resources and eco-environment, and creation of sustainable livelihoods for the people. To firmly protect national defense, security and sovereignty over seas and islands; and ensure security and order at seas and properly implement search and rescue activities.

IV. PLAN ON THE SYSTEM OF URBAN CENTERS AND RURAL AREAS, INTER-DISTRICT AND DISTRICT AREAS AND PLANS ON DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL AREAS, HERITAGE CONSERVATION AREAS, CENTRALIZED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION ZONES, MILITARY AREAS, SECURITY AREAS, AREAS FOR BUILDING FIRE PREVENTION AND FIGHTING AND SALVAGE AND RESCUE FACILITIES

1. Plan on the urban system

a/ Plan on development of the urban system: When fully satisfying the specified conditions and criteria, to strive for the target that by 2030, Soc Trang province will have a system of 25 urban centers, including 1 grade-I urban center; 2 grade-III urban centers; 9 grade-IV urban centers; and 13 grade-V urban centers with the urbanization rate of between 40% and 45%. By 2050, the province will have a system of 31 urban centers, including 1 grade-I urban center; 1 grade-II urban center; 2 grade-III urban centers; 9 grade-IV urban centers; and 18 grade-V urban centers with orientations for a number of key urban centers as follows:

- Soc Trang city will be the economic center of the East Sea coastal sub-region; an agriculture-fisheries processing and clean energy center, a cultural and historical tourist center. The city will serve as the administrative center of the province and be a political, economic, cultural and social, medical, educational, scientific and technological, security and defense center. Its administrative boundary will be considered for expansion to create favorable premises for it to fundamentally satisfy criteria of provincial grade-I urban centers.

- Vinh Chau urban center will be one of the central urban centers of Soc Trang province’s coastal area. Vinh Chau town will be an urban center of trade, industry, service, landscape eco-tourism, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and marine economic sectors such as offshore wind power, saltwater/brackish aquaculture and marine logistics services. In addition, to consider developing and expanding urban areas toward creating functional areas and sea encroachment urban areas with characteristics and scales suitable to natural, topographical, geological and hydrological conditions and ensuring connectivity with infrastructure built under orientations for development of the town.

- Nga Nam town will be the hub of the inland region in southwestern Soc Trang province; a trade, service and tourism urban center associated with development of agriculture based on the application of scientific and technological advances, orchard eco-tourism, river tourism and traditional floating markets.

- According to orientations toward 2030, Tran De will fundamentally satisfy criteria of grade-IV urban centers and be a provincial town with orientations for development into a town. Its major development spaces will be directed toward Soc Trang city and the area along the Hau river. It will be a marine economic center of Soc Trang province; be strongly developed in the sectors of industry, trade, seaport logistics services, transport and maritime and have industrial production zones, coastal areas reserved for renewable energy generation and marine tourism, and coastal urban centers; be connected with the seaport at the Tran De gateway, Tran De coastal economic zone and Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang expressway; and be an aquaculture, fishing and fisheries service center for the coastal region.

b/ To develop the system of remaining urban centers to be commensurate with the province’s potential based on the urban center grading and upgrading plan for each urban center in the province’s master plan, on the basis of efficiently exploiting the advantages of each urban center and general advantages of the province that boasts a coastline of over 72 kilometers and a section of roughly 70 kilometers of the Hau river; to optimize the combination of renovation and embellishment of existing urban areas with the development of new urban centers that have synchronous functional trade and service areas, social infrastructure, technical infrastructure and housing areas; to study the development of urban-general service-relaxing centers in coastal, sea encroachment and riverside areas; to exploit tourism potential associated with urban development in Dung islet, sandbars on the Hau river and coastal alluvial areas.

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

2. Plan on arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units for the 2023 - 2030 period

To continue implementing Resolution No. 37-NQ/TW of December 24, 2018, on  arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units, the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 48-KL/TW and the National Assembly Standing Committee’s Resolution No. 595/NQ-UBTVQH15 of September 12, 2022, on further implementing the policy on arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units.

By 2025, to arrange district- and commune-level administrative units with a land area and a population of under 70% of the specified standards; district-level administrative units with a land area and a population of under 20% and 200% of the specified standards, respectively; and commune-level administrative units with a land area and a population of under 20% and 300% of the specified standards, respectively.

By 2030, to rearrange the remaining district- and commune-level administrative units with a land area and a population of under 100% of the specified standards, district-level administrative units with a land area and a population of under 30% and 200% of the specified standards, respectively; and commune-level administrative units with a land area and a population of under 30% and 300% of the specified standards, respectively.

To adjust administrative boundaries of a number of district-level administrative units to meet requirements of the province’s socio-economic development.

Land area and population standards of administrative units must comply with the National Assembly Standing Committee’s Resolution on standards on administrative units and grading of administrative units. In addition to standards land area and population standards, when formulating and implementing the master plan on arrangement of district- and commune-level administrative units for the 2023 - 2030 period, it is required to take into account results of the arrangement of administrative units in the previous period, administrative units that have long existed, are located in isolated places and have special conditions, and rural administrative units that have been planned for development into urban administrative units.

The specific boundary of each district- or commune-level administrative unit must conform to each development stage of the province’s planning period.

3. Plan on organization of rural areas

a/ To develop rural areas in association with building of a new-style countryside, meeting the requirements of industrialization and modernization; to make the fullest use of natural conditions and use land in an economical and effective manner; to ensure sustainability, long-term settlement, climate change adaptation, and mitigation of latent damage caused by natural disasters.

b/ To expand and arrange rural residential areas suitable to transport, electricity supply, water supply and drainage infrastructure, taking into account access to social, educational and medical services.

c/ To develop tourism in residential areas in association with the protection of the space and landscape of religious and belief relics and valuable spaces of rural areas; to address causes of environmental pollution.

d/ To conserve and develop craft villages associated with tourism, commercial services and OCOP development.

dd/ To plan the development of areas with difficult conditions

Economic development: To speed up the implementation of the Program on building a new-style countryside and the National Target Program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; to expand sustainable, effective and appropriate poverty reduction models so as to improve production and business capacity of poor and near-poor households; to create favorable conditions for poor and near-poor people to access policies and resources in the capital; labor; land; science, technique and technology; and input and output markets, striving toward production and service development and income increase, gradually improving material and spiritual lives of poor and near-poor people.

Infrastructure development: To invest in building the system of rural roads, connect rural transport systems with district and provincial roads; to dredge hydraulic works; and to expand the clean water supply system.

Cultural and social development: To invest in completing the medical network and improving the medical examination and treatment capacity; to upgrade and build new educational infrastructure facilities at all levels; to properly implement social security policies (insurance, healthcare, education and finance), and preferential policies toward residents in areas with difficult conditions; to improve the quality of human resources, conserve and promote national identity values.

4. Plan on construction of inter-district and district areas

a/ Plan on construction of inter-district areas

To study the formulation of master plans on inter-district areas in conformity with the province’s development orientations under regulations.

b/ Plan on construction of district areas:

- The Tran De district area: By 2030, the area will be built with an urban technical infrastructure system meeting standards on grade-IV urban centers and connected with Soc Trang city and the area along the Hau river; to form a seaport at the Tran De gateway; to study the development of industrial parks, logistics centers and port logistics service functional areas.

- The Thanh Tri district area will be one of the province’s important districts in terms of agricultural production, particularly rice cultivation; to develop centralized agricultural production zones and specialty rice propagation and production zones, and build smart rice fields; to restructure agriculture toward sustainability, form combined hi-tech agricultural areas for vegetable and non-rice food crop farming and cattle farming; to develop cottage industry zones for supporting agricultural production.

- The Chau Thanh district area will be planned for integrated development in multiple sectors and fields, including industrial production and cottage industry, trade, services, tourism, transport, urban development and hi-tech agricultural development; to make use of the area’s advantages in terms of transport connectivity and its location adjacent to Soc Trang city to develop the area with industrial parks, cottage industry zones, trade-service areas, tourist areas, urban centers, agricultural material zones; concurrently study the sustainable agricultural development along the direction of enhancing the application of high technologies in production, thus turning Chau Thanh district into a new modern rural district.

- The Ke Sach district area will be planned for integrated development in multiple sectors and fields, including industry, trade, services, urban tourism and agriculture-fisheries associated with the Hau river’s advantages; and the province’s fruit material zones; to develop industrial parks, cottage industry zones, trade-service areas, and tourist areas supporting and serving agricultural development; develop hi-tech agriculture, digital agriculture, smart agriculture and organic agriculture; and develop the tourism economy on the basis of combining with other tourist routes in the Mekong River delta.

- The My Tu district area will be planned for development of diversified forms of agricultural production and aquaculture combined with industrial, service and urban development in the area adjacent to Soc Trang city and historical and cultural tourism. To develop intensive agricultural production zones; shift to value chain-based agricultural production models; to build and develop a number of hi-tech agricultural zones; to build industrial parks and service-urban areas to tap the district’s advantages in terms of transport and its location adjacent to Soc Trang city; to develop services, particularly tourist services, and utilize all potential and strengths of local historical relics.

- The Long Phu district area will be planned for integrated development of industry, trade, services, tourism, urban development, logistics and agriculture-fisheries in association with its advantage of being a hub for trade activities between two economic corridors along national highways 91B and 60. To invest in developing industrial parks and cottage industry zones according to the province’s industrial development orientations, complete the construction of Long Phu 1 thermal power plant; to focus on agricultural development and form concentrated high quality, fragrant and specialty rice cultivation zones; and to develop fruit tree growing zones and concentrated cattle and poultry husbandry zones.

- The My Xuyen district area will be an area with strengths to develop comprehensive agriculture, combining rice cultivation, animal husbandry and aquaculture; a large and stable material zone for development of the agricultural and aquatic product processing industry. It is planned to relocate the district’s administrative center to Hoa Tu 1 commune; to develop cottage industry zones to take advantage of local agricultural and aquatic material resources; to accelerate the development of specialty rice and high-quality rice of all varieties, organize rice and vegetable and non-rice food crop farming in the direction of developing industrial clusters and value chains; to build Vuon Co trade-service-tourist zone combined with development of community-based tourism models.

- The Cu Lao Dung district area, embracing island communes, will be a key district-level area for tourism development with services and high-class leisure tourism and become a worth-living place for people in and outside the province. To form functional areas serving tourism, services and leisure tourism development; to develop urban areas suitable to specific conditions; to develop hi-tech agricultural economy in the direction of application of high technologies combined with the development of orchard eco-tourism, coastal eco-tourism and forest canopy eco-tourism.

5. Plan on development of functional zones

a/ Economic zones

To consider the establishment and development of Tran De coastal economic zone in the area along the Tran De estuary and coastal areas of Soc Trang province with a projected total land area of around 40,000 hectares. It is planned to be a multi-sector multi-functional economic zone in order to comprehensively and effectively tap and take advantages of the Tran De deep-water seaport when norms of land use master plans and plans are supplemented and/or adjusted and conditions are satisfied under regulations on management of industrial parks and economic zones.

b/ Industrial parks

- To develop and establish 3 new industrial parks and expand 1 industrial park in locations easily accessible by roads, waterways, seaports and having technical and social infrastructure facilities; the total land area of industrial parks must conform with norms of the 2021-2030 land use mater plan and plans; to develop multi-sector industrial parks focusing on processing and manufacturing industries, hi-tech industries, supporting, auxiliary and eco-friendly industries.

- To study the development and establishment of 5 new industrial parks and expand one industrial park if norms of Soc Trang province’s land use master plans and plans are supplemented and/or adjusted and the province satisfies the conditions specified in the law on industrial zones and economic zones; to review industrial parks so as to ensure that the number and land areas of industrial parks in this period suit the province’s investment attraction capacity. Every investment industrial park occupying a land area exceeding 500 hectares must be phased out with each phase covering at most 500 hectares as specified at Point a, Clause 2, Article 9 of Decree No. 35/2022/ND-CP.

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

c/ Cottage industry zones

To develop cottage industry zones for each district-level unit, excluding Cu Lao Dung district (where cottage industry zones are not planned for development), to accommodate at least 1 cottage industry zone; to plan 8 new cottage industry zones, bringing the total number of the province’s cottage industry zones to 18.

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

d/ Tourist zones

To combine the development of tourist zones with general services, recreation and sports; to consider building leisure eco-resorts together with recreation, physical training and sports and urban zones, including golf, coastal urban zone and cable car projects, in a number of districts, towns and cities, particularly Long Phu, Tran De and Cu Lao Dung districts and Vinh Chau town.

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

6. Plan on development of concentrated agricultural production zones

- To form concentrated agricultural production zones in areas with favorable natural conditions and infrastructure; to develop agro-forestry farms into multi-functional production zones (agriculture, forestries, tourism and energy); to gradually invest in completing the infrastructure system serving separate production zones, meeting the requirements of agricultural mechanization and modernization.

- To formulate and implement programs and projects on support for development of comprehensive and sustainable agriculture and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that are suitable for each ecological zone of the province and effectively serve aquaculture, fruit tree, rice and vegetable and non-rice food crop farming, animal husbandry, etc., and effectively combine them with central budget-invested programs and projects.

7. Plan on development of conservation areas and heritages

To preserve, embellish and restore national and provincial conservation areas and relics and areas where exist historical-cultural relics and scenic landscape that need to be preserved, embellished and restored; to conserve and promote the values of intangible cultural heritages; to set orientations for conservation and promotion of the values of 10 national relics, 50 provincial relics, 12 festivals, 10 national intangible cultural heritages, and the Khmer and Hoa (Chinese) cultural spaces.

8. Plan on development of military and security areas

To build military and security areas to ensure national defense posture in the province’s solid defense zones and zones ready for serving the performance of national defense tasks, meeting the requirements of the tasks of assuring security and maintaining social order and safety in each area of the province.

The arrangement for sites for construction of national defense and security works in the locality must comply with zoning plans and detailed construction plans approved by competent authorities. The location of defense and security zones and the use of land in such zones must comply with allocated norms and practical reality.

V. TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

1. Plan on development of the transport network

To follow the orientations set in national-level master plans to develop the transport infrastructure system of the province, ensuring completeness, modernity, interconnectivity, and promotion of regional linkage.

a/ Roads

- National Roads: To comply with the Master Plan on the road network under the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1454/QD-TTg of September 1, 2021, and the Master Plan on the Mekong River delta in the Government’s Decision No. 287/QD-TTg of February 28, 2022 (Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang expressway; Ho Chi Minh City-Tien Giang-Ben Tre-Tra Vinh-Soc Trang expressway; Ha Tien-Rach Gia-Bac Lieu expressway; national highway 1; national highway 60; national highway 61B; national highway 91B (southern Hau river road); Quan Lo-Phung Hiep road; coastal road).

- Local roads:

+ Provincial roads are planned to be at least grade-III delta roads, ensuring synchronous  connectivity among areas in the province. To invest in road sections running through urban areas under approved urban construction master plans.

+ Important district roads will be upgraded to be at least grade-VI or grade-V roads according to current standards. To prioritize the upgrading of unsolidified routes and road sections, striving for the target that all district roads will be solidified.

b/ Inland waterways

To invest in waterway infrastructure development in conformity with national-level sectoral master plans and regional master plans; to form inter-provincial and inter-district waterway routes (inland waterway routes managed and operated by the provincial authority will reach grade-III, -IV or -IV standards), including:

- National inland waterway routes: Dinh An estuary-Cambodia, Ho Chi Minh City-Ca Mau, and Can Tho-Ca Mau, etc.

- Local inland waterway routes: To form 3 local inland waterway, including Ke Sach-Chau Than -My Tu, Long Phu-Tran De-Vinh Chau, and Nga Nam town-My Tu-Thanh Tri-My Xuyen.

- To develop passenger and cargo ports, including Soc Trang, Long Hung, Nga Nam, Cai Con and Tran De with priority given to the mobilization of social resources for investment.

c/ Aviation

To study the development of a specialized airport in Tran De area to meet the demand for private flights as well as for tourism and salvage and rescue activities.

d/ Maritime

- To invest in developing the seaport system with priority given to the attraction of investment in building and developing Tran De seaport’s wharf suitable with investors’ capacity and socio-economic development requirements in order to become a special seaport as stated in the Politburo’s Resolution No. 13-NQ/TW of April 2, 2022 on orientations for socio-economic development and assurance of national defense and security in the Mekong River delta through 2030, with a vision toward 2045, and the Government’s Resolution No. 78/NQ-CP of June 18, 2022, promulgating the Government’s Action Program to implement the Politburo’s Resolution No. 13-NQ/TW of April 2, 2022.

- To develop public maritime infrastructure facilities under specialized master plans, ensuring connectivity between areas and meeting the people’s travel and cargo transport needs; to upgrade and renovate navigational channels in order to ensure stable operation in conformity with handling capacity of the seaport system, focusing on the renovation and upgrading of main channels, including navigational channels for large tonnage ships to enter the Hau river and Tran De navigational channel.

dd/ Other transport infrastructure facilities

- To strive for the target that each district, town or city will have at least 1 coach station; to study the location and scale of the provincial coach station in either Soc Trang city or an adjacent area to be connected with national highways.

- To develop centralized cargo terminals, including Cu Lao Dung, Vinh Chau 1, Vinh Chau 2, Long Phu, Ke Sach 1, Ke Sach 2, My Xuyen and Thanh Tri terminals.

- To form cargo and passenger wharves. River ports will be formed together with the province’s tourist zones, industrial parks and cottage industry zones, investment attraction projects and practical development.

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

2. Plan on development of the power supply network

a/ Power sources

To maintain existing power generation sources; to operate Long Phu 1 thermal power plant with a capacity of 1,200 MW; to develop renewable energy sources, including solar power plants with a combined total capacity of around 850 MWp (self-consumed power source); to promote the development of rooftop solar power for factories; to generate around 3,000 MW of wind power to the national grid; to promote the development waste-to-energy plants (with a combined total capacity  of around 25 MW) and biomass-to-energy plants (with a combined total capacity of around 25 MW).

b/ Power grid

- The 220-500 kV high-voltage power grid:

+ The 500 kV power grid: To build Long Phu 500 kV transformer station with a capacity of 1,500 MVA (the existing distribution yard at Long Phu Power Center), in Long Phu district to release capacity from regional power sources.

+ The 220 kV power grid: To build 2 new transformer stations with a combined total capacity of 1,000 MVA; to upgrade existing power lines and build new ones with a total length of around 82 kilometers.

- The 110 kV high-voltage power grid:

+ By 2030, the province will have 21 transformer stations with a combined total capacity of 1,721.5 MVA and Tran De 100 kV switching station (planned to be the distribution yard of the Tran De 220 kV station), of which 2 transformer stations with a total capacity of 191 MVA will be kept intact; 7 transformer stations will be renovated and after renovation, will have a total capacity of 652 MVA, and 12 new transformer stations with a total capacity of 878.5 MVA will be built.

+ To build 23 110 kV power lines with a total length of around 262.2 kilometers; to renovate and increase the cross-section of 7 power lines with a total length of around 185.2 kilometers.

- Medium-voltage power grid:

+ To invest in building outcrops of 110 kV stations, increase the cross-section and loop connections of medium-voltage trunk lines to efficiently exploit 110 kV transformer stations.

+ To develop power grids for industrial parks, cottage industry zones, residential areas, urban centers, and other socio-economic establishments in the province.

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

c/ Orientations for the 2031-2050 period: To build new 110 kV transformer stations and upgrade and renovate existing ones with a total capacity of 1,334 MVA, to build 20 new kilometers of 110 kV power lines. Accurate figures on the volume of the power grid in the 2031-2050 period will be provided in master plans for the next period.

3. Plan on development of information and communication networks

- To develop interconnected, synchronous and modern information technology, communications, digital infrastructure, and Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure facilities to serve the comprehensive a digital transformation, building of digital government and development of digital economy and society, thus creating breakthroughs in information technology and communications infrastructure and application; to strive for the target that by 2030, the information and communications infrastructure facilities of Soc Trang province will meet requirements for digital transformation, stable development, and testing of new technologies and models, thus fundamentally and comprehensively reforming authorities’ management and administration and adapting to new lifestyles and working styles in a safe digital environment.

- To provide level-4 online public services (full process); to develop the province’s data center up to level-3 data center standards with backup capabilities; to develop the province’s data center to be interconnect with regional and national data centers; to convert the Internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) to version 6 (IPv6).

- To develop passive telecommunications infrastructure; to step up the digital transformation process to meet requirements for building digital government and developing smart urban centers, digital economy and digital society.

4. Plan on development of hydraulic-work, water supply and drainage networks

a/ Plan on development of the hydraulic-work network

- To develop hydraulic works towards modernity and proactiveness in water supply and drainage to serve agricultural production, household use and other economic activities, contributing to sustainable socio-economic development, assurance of water resource security, national interests, national defense and security and food security, and serving agricultural commodity production in order to increase the province’s competitiveness and contribute to its socio-economic development in conformity with relevant zoning plans, disaster prevention and control master plans, regional master plans and hydraulic-work master plans.

- To take the initiative in preventing, controlling and minimizing damage caused by natural disasters, responding to extreme weather circumstances, improving water drainage, preventing high tides, floods, droughts and saltwater intrusion, protecting the environment, and gradually adapting to climate change and sea level rise. To focus investment in renovating, repairing, upgrading and building new pump stations and sewers, and dredging the system of rivers, canals, and ditches to serve drainage and water storage; to complete the hydraulic-work system to serve the development of aquaculture zones and fruit tree, rice and vegetable and non-rice food crop cultivation zones in conformity with agricultural ecological zoning; to build, reinforce and protect embankments to prevent riverbank erosion and control water sources in the southern bank of the Hau river; to build, upgrade and complete river and sea dikes.

- To gradually invest in completing and upgrading the province’s hydraulic-work network for production and household use. The hydraulic-work network will be divided into:

+ Quan Lo-Phung Hiep hydraulic-work system (which will supply and control freshwater for production, ensuring all-year-round water supply and drainage serving 2-3 rice crops).

+ Ke Sach hydraulic-work system (which will supply freshwater for production, ensuring ensuring all-year-round water supply and drainage serving 2-3 rice crops and fruit tree farming).

+ Long Phu-Tiep Nhat hydraulic-work system (which will supply freshwater for production of 2 rice crops, vegetable, non-rice food crop and fruit tree farming, and a small saltwater aquaculture area along the Hau river).

+ Ba Rinh-Ta Liem hydraulic-work system (which will supply freshwater for production of 2-3 rice crops, vegetable, non-rice food crop and fruit tree farming and freshwater aquaculture).

+ The Hau river’s isle hydraulic-work system (which will retain freshwater for vegetable, non-rice food crop and fruit tree farming and saltwater aquaculture).

+ Thanh My hydraulic-work system (which will serve saltwater aquaculture and vegetable, non-rice food crop and fruit tree farming).

+ The hydraulic-work system along the East Sea shore (which will serve saltwater aquaculture and vegetable and non-rice food crop farming).

b/ Plan on development of the water supply network

- Division of water supply areas and key water-supply facilities:

+ The areas with convenient water sources (including Chau Thanh, Ke Sach and Long Phu districts): To continue using water sources from existing water plants and invest in expanding water plants or building new ones in conformity with the province’s water supply development master plans and plans.

+ The areas with inconvenient water sources (including Soc Trang city, Nga Nam town and Thanh Tri, My Tu and My Xuyen districts): To renovate and upgrade existing water plants with appropriate solutions; to invest in expanding the network of water supply pipelines and connect and use water sources from the regional water plant, in case the demand for water supply increases corresponding to each planning stage.

+ The areas with difficulties in water resources (including Vinh Chau town and Tran De and Cu Lao Dung districts): To invest in expanding the network of water supply pipelines and connect and use water sources from the regional water plant; to renovate existing scattered water plants or build new ones using appropriate brackish and saltwater treatment technology, for urban areas and rural residential areas not yet connected to the regional water plant.

- To develop a water supply network that is effectively connected with the regional water supply infrastructure; to arrange water supply systems to meet people’s production and daily life needs (especially in areas facing partial water shortage due to drought and saline intrusion, areas heavily contaminated with alum, coastal areas, etc.); to exploit and use water resources in an effective and sustainable manner; to prioritize solutions for using surface water sources and restricting the use of groundwater sources; to develop the network of key water transmission pipelines and regional water transmission pipelines (level 1) in accordance with orientations for development of water plants.

- When necessary, to call for investment in local surface water supply plants with appropriate scales and ensure their feasibility to meet the household water demand of urban centers, densely populated areas and industrial production.

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

c/ Plan on development of the surface water drainage system

- For suburban and rural residential areas: To use the combined water drainage systems with domestic wastewater being preliminarily treated before discharged into the systems; and build separate wastewater collection and treatment systems in densely populated areas in the long term.

- For new urban centers: To build separate water drainage systems so as to reuse rainwater and cut investments in wastewater treatment. For old urban centers, to renovate and build combined drainage systems and choose efficient and appropriate solutions.

5. Plan on development of waste treatment facilities

- To continue using existing (ordinary) solid waste treatment facilities; to consider building provincial, district and inter-district centralized solid waste treatment facilities.

- To mobilize social resources to renovate and upgrade cluster-based medical solid waste treatment facilities at the old provincial General Hospital, Vinh Chau town medical center and Nga Nam town medical center.

- To treat hazardous waste at the hazardous waste treatment plant under the master plan of the Mekong River delta. If necessary and feasible, the province will call for investment in building a hazardous waste treatment plant with an appropriate scale and location in the locality.

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

6. Plan on development of fire prevention and fighting and salvage and rescue

To invest in building infrastructure facilities for fire prevention and fighting and salvage and rescue in centers of districts, cities, towns, industrial parks, cottage industry zones and key areas highly prone to fire and explosion, ensuring convenience in terms of transport, water sources and communications, conformity with the national-level sectoral master plan on fire prevention and fighting and salvage and rescue infrastructure, and compliance with current regulations. There will be a fire prevention and fighting and salvage and rescue team under the district-level public security agency in each district; a regional fire prevention and fighting and salvage and rescue team in each area (group of districts), meeting requirements in terms of forces, equipment, vehicles and barracks.

To develop the transport system, water supply system and communications system to ensure that all centers of villages in rural areas and core residential areas in urban areas are accessible by fire prevention and fighting and salvage and
rescue forces.

VI. SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

1. Plan on development of the network of health and healthcare facilities

- To develop the health system meeting people’s medical examination and treatment demands; to improve the operational efficiency of the preventive medicine and disease control system. To develop health personnel and provide training for doctors and pharmacists.

- To invest in construction of the province’s Psychiatric Hospital, Traditional Medicine Hospital, Emergency Center 115, and Cardiovascular Center. To upgrade, repair and renovate the Soc Trang Provincial General Hospital (striving to reach the special-grade hospital standards before 2030), April 30 Hospital, Soc Trang Civil-Military Hospital, February 27 Specialized Hospital, Soc Trang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, Soc Trang Center for Disease Control, Soc Trang Medical Assessment Center, Soc Trang Center for Forensic Medicine and Soc Trang Center for Testing Medicine, Cosmetics and Food. To invest in building, consolidating and completing infrastructure facilities for the preventive medicine system.

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

- To build a new medical center for My Xuyen district; to upgrade, renovate and repair the remaining medical centers. To strive for the target that the medical centers of Vinh Chau town and Nga Nam town will meet grade-II (district-level) general hospital model standards. To upgrade and replace medical equipment and infrastructure facilities for medical centers in districts, towns and cities in the province in conformity with the local socio-economic situation.

- To continue to consolidate and improve the network of commune-level health stations; To invest in the construction, renovation and upgrading of health stations of communes, wards and townships in the province; to ensure that 100% communes have health stations suitable to their socio-economic conditions and medical examination and treatment demands.

- To encourage the development of the non-public health system, contributing to meeting people’s health care and protection demands. Specifically, to encourage  investment projects on private health establishments and hospitals in conformity with the land-use master plan so as to meet requirements for socio-economic development and people’s healthcare and call for investment in medical establishments of international standards combined tourism and healthcare projects.

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

- To continue to arrange the networks of early childhood and general education schools; to concentrate investment resources on physical foundations and teaching equipment up to criteria of national-standard schools; to pay attention to investing in and upgrading the system of boarding and semi-boarding general schools for ethnic minorities; to ensure adequate physical foundations and equipment for teaching and learning in the continuing education institutions. To pay attention to investing in renovating, repairing and upgrading schools and classes up to criteria of national-standard schools according to the set targets; to upgrade, renovate, repair and build continuing education centers in districts, towns and cities.

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

- To develop the appropriate systems and networks of early childhood and general education schools and classes in a synchronized, standardized and modernized manner. To encourage the mobilization of social resources for development of non-public education institutions in conformity with local education and training development situations; to focus on accelerating the development of private early childhood and general education school systems in industrial parks, cottage industry zones and new urban areas.

3. Plan on development of a network of science and technology organizations

- To step up the application of science and technology and innovation in all sectors and fields, ranging from state management to socio-economic activities, so as to improve productivity and development quality.

- To invest in synchronous equipment to meet the province’s state management in the field of science and technology in order to achieve the target of creating regional and inter-regional development linkage. To intensify investment in infrastructure for development of physical foundations, equipment, human resources, and funds for synchronous science, technology and innovation activities, serving the province’s socio-economic development targets.

- To expand and upgrade the Soc Trang Center for Application of Scientific and Technological Advances and the Technical Center for Standards, Metrology and Quality (covering the construction of a new head office for the Technical Center for Standards, Metrology and Quality); to build the Vinh Chau Hi-Tech Aquaculture Experimental Farm; to build a technology incubation center for aquatic seed production in Cu Lao Dung and a center for research and application of science and technology serving marine economic development in Tran De district.

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

4. Plan on development of a network of vocational education institutions and social assistance establishments

a/ The network of vocational education institutions

- To continue to pay attention to investing, renovating and upgrading public vocational education institutions; to ensure adequate physical foundations and equipment for teaching and learning; and to upgrade, renovate and build vocational education institutions in the province.

- To build a new branch of the Can Tho University in Soc Trang city; to upgrade colleges (the Soc Trang Vocational College and Soc Trang Community College) to the high-quality standard; to upgrade, renovate, repair and build vocational education centers in districts, towns and cities. To study the establishment of regional practice centers in Soc Trang city and Vinh Chau town.

- To formulate a specialized education system and a center to support the development of inclusive education for people with disabilities.

- To encourage investment in non-public vocational education institutions, especially skills training schools to meet the requirements for improving the quality of human resources to serve the development of the province’s important and strategic sectors and fields.

b/ The social protection network

- To consolidate and improve the social protection infrastructure system in the province  to ensure basic care and assistance conditions for the elderly, people with disabilities, children in special circumstances, mentally ill persons, drug addicts and persons in need of urgent protection.

- To upgrade, repair and expand the Soc Trang Social Protection Center (facility 1); and invest in building its second facility; to upgrade, repair and expand the Soc Trang Drug Detoxification Establishment; and the Soc Trang Nursing Center for People with Meritorious Services (in Cu Lao Dung). To upgrade martyrs’ cemeteries and martyr-commemorating stele houses in districts and towns.

- To encourage organizations, individuals and enterprises to consolidate and upgrade existing social assistance establishments; to call on organizations, individuals and enterprises to invest in the construction of non-public social assistance establishments in districts, towns, and cities.

(Details are provided in Appendix XI to this Decision)

5. Plan on development of a network of cultural and sport facilities

- To develop a system of standardized cultural and sports institutions for organization of cultural and sport activities in the province, meeting the needs of creation and enjoyment of cultural values, physical training and sports practice of people of all social strata in the province.

- To invest in key cultural and sport works; to attach importance to repair and embellishment of relics; to develop religious and belief areas of local identities. To develop modern sport centers and gymnasiums to meet diverse demands for cultural and sport exchanges.

- To invest in a complete manner work items of, and supplement equipment for the Soc Trang Sports Training and Competition Center; the province’s Culture Center and Khmer Art Troupe; to invest in the province’s theaters and cinemas; district-level culture-sports-public addressing centers; digital transformation items for smart libraries and museums by 2025, with an orientation toward 2030 (upgrading the Soc Trang Museum from grade III to grade II); and children’s culture houses in districts, towns and cities.

- To mobilize social resources to investment in cultural and sport projects; to create favorable conditions for organizations and individuals to invest in and develop infrastructure facilities to comprehensively develop culture and sports.

6. Plan on development of a network of service, trade, exhibition and fair establishments

- To develop logistics centers in Tran De district and Soc Trang city to associate logistics services with the development of production, import, export and domestic and foreign trade. To develop a wholesale center in Tran De district associated with the aquatic raw material areas in the coastal areas.

- To develop multi-functional department stores to meet combined shopping, entertainment and recreation demands, including multi-purposed department stores in Soc Trang city, Vinh Chau town, Nga Nam town and Tran De district, the exhibition fair center in Soc Trang city, OCOP product exhibition and introduction center and supermarkets (grade I).

- To form farm produce wholesale markets in Ke Sach district, Cu Lao Dung district, Vinh Chau town and Nga Nam town and wholesale markets in Soc Trang city. To invest in building, renovation and upgrading of marketplaces, meeting basic requirements on fire and explosion prevention and control, hygiene and food safety.

- To develop the petroleum and gas supply and storage infrastructure systems in Soc Trang city, Nga Nam town, Vinh Chau town and Tran De district to ensure sufficient, safe and continuous supply sources serving socio-economic development and national defense and security of the province and region.

- To develop OCOP product exhibition and introduction centers. To encourage investment in, and mobilization of social resources for, development of logistics centers, wholesale centers, department stores, supermarkets and marketplaces to meet local economic development requirement.

(Details are provided in Appendix XIII to this Decision)

VII. PLAN ON LAND ALLOCATION AND ZONING

- To carry out survey, evaluation, and make statistics and inventory of, and use, land resources in economical, efficient and reasonable manner, meeting requirements for socio-economic development, national defense and security assurance, education, culture and sports development, and environmental protection and climate change adaptation, and creating a driving force for the province’s development. To allocate land in a reasonable manner on the basis of balancing land demand of sectors and fields in conformity with the targets set under the approved national land-use master plan for the 2021-2030 period.

- Targets on repurposing of agricultural land and areas of agricultural land to be repurposed for non-agricultural use, housing or infrastructure development must be calculated and determined on the basis of development orientations of sectors and fields, space- and territory-based development plans, and infrastructure works and projects for reporting to competent authorities for consideration and decision.

(Details are provided in Appendix XIV to this Decision)

- The People’s Committee of Soc Trang province shall formulate provincial-level land use plans, and district-level land use master plans and plans in conformity with land allocation and zoning plans according to land functions and types specified in the provincial master plan to serve as a basis for land recovery for the purposes of national defense and security and socio-economic development for national and public interests under Clause 2, Article 63 of the Land Law.

VIII. PLANS ON PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND BIODIVERSITY;  EXPLOITATION, USE, AND PROTECTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES; AND NATUTRAL DISASTER PREVENTION AND CONTROL AND RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

1. Plan on environmental protection and nature and biodiversity conservation

a/ Environmental protection zoning

- Strictly protected zones: Densely populated urban areas, including inner cities and inner towns of special, grade-I, grade-II and grade-III urban areas in the province; areas where exist surface water sources for household use in accordance with the law on water resources; Cu Lao Dung Mangrove Nature Reserve; My Phuoc Cajeput Forest Species and Habitat Conservation Area, and My Tu district.

- Low-emission zones: Protection corridors of surface water sources for household use in accordance with the law on water resources; areas with sensitive environmental factors that are vulnerable to impacts of environmental pollution and in need of protection; buffer zones of the Cu Lao Dung Mangrove Nature Reserve and coastal mudflats of Tran De district; buffer zones of the My Phuoc Cajeput Forest Species and Habitat Conservation Area; coastal communes having wetlands and saline areas; and all concentrated residential quarters of grade-IV and grade-V urban centers.

- Other zones: The remaining areas under the province’s management.

b/ Orientations for environmental protection in waste treatment facilities and cemeteries

To move cemeteries out of urban areas. This work, however, must be done step by step in combination with implementation of the solution of converting existing cemeteries in urban areas into cemetery parks. To discontinue burials at cemeteries in rural areas which do not meet environmental protection standards and affect local development programs and plans. To continue to implement the centralized cemetery construction project as planned.

c/ Environmental quality monitoring

To develop monitoring infrastructure, equipment, and networks for each type of the environment; to build automatic environmental monitoring stations, water environment monitoring stations and air environment monitoring stations.

(Details are provided in Appendix XV to this Decision)

d/ Nature and biodiversity conservation

To conserve species and habitat of the My Phuoc Cajeput Forest and Cu Lao Dung Mangrove Nature Reserve. To protect and develop natural ecosystems on natural wetlands and unused lands which are not parts of forest ecosystems. To build and develop a number of conservation facilities so as to protect and develop endangered, precious and rare fauna and flora species.

dd/ Sustainable development of special-use forests, protection forests and production forests, and development of forestry infrastructure

To formulate and implement a sustainable forest management plan. To complete land and forest allocation for forests to actually have owners in conformity with current regulations and local realities.

To implement policies to encourage, and provide incentives and supports for, investment in restoration, planting, reforestation, and protection of coastal protection forests; to harmoniously combine forest protection with the development of livelihoods from forests, especially ecological fisheries under the forest canopy and ecotourism, to develop community-based forest management models, contributing to improving the coastal protection functions.

- To develop a forest road system effectively connected to forest patrol routes serving forest protection and ecotourism. To enhance the capacity of, synchronously invest in, and modernize, physical foundations, technical infrastructure and communications infrastructure of the forestry sector, especially infrastructure serving forest protection management and forest fire prevention and fighting.

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

- To study for carrying out basic geological surveys of minerals. To use advanced and energy- and resource-efficient technologies that are up to environmental standards and do not affect the landscape in mineral exploitation and processing projects.

- For areas banned from mineral activities and areas temporarily banned from mineral activities in the province, to comply with the approved decisions and law.

- To zone off the areas under master plan on exploration and exploitation of 16 mineral mines, including 7 river sand mines and 9 mineral prospects in coastal areas.

(Details are provided in Appendix XVI to this Decision)

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

a/ Allocation of water resources

Water sources shall be allocated in the following order of priority: (1) water for residential use; (2) water for industrial production; (3) water for agricultural activities; and (4) water for tourism and services. In case of drought, saltwater intrusion or water shortage, water sources shall be reserved firstly for residential use, the remaining water volume shall be allocated to the remaining sectors in appropriate proportions.

b/ Protection of water resources

To implement measures to restrict the exploitation and prevent the degradation and depletion of groundwater sources; to build the network of water resource monitoring and water resource exploitation and use surveillance, especially in areas at risk of water resource depletion, to build water source protection corridors according to regulations. To improve water source quality, to remediate polluted rivers, canals and ditches where the quality of water is still below the standards prescribed for the intended use.

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

To build and upgrade hydraulic-work systems, drought and saline intrusion prevention and control works, and implement water storage measures in the dry season. To build anti-erosion river and sea dikes and embankments and anti-flood and -inundation pump stations. To review areas where water shortage is likely to occur so as to formulate appropriate crop restructuring plans. To intensify the planting and protection of coastal protection forests.

4. Plan on prevention and control of natural disasters and response to climate change

- To proactively and effectively respond to the adverse impacts of drought, water shortage, saltwater intrusion, inundation, subsidence, and riverine and coastal erosion by harmoniously combining construction solutions and non-construction solutions. To ensure safety against adverse impacts caused by water-related natural disasters to urban areas, residential quarters, and production activities under climate change conditions. To proactively prevent and adapt to high tides, flooding and waterlogging for protection of residents in river basins and assurance of production activities.

- To formulate and implement plans on natural disaster prevention and control and climate change adaptation, covering risk zoning for each type of natural disasters in the province and identifying prioritized areas for prevention and control against such natural disaster. At the same time, to concretize plans on natural disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. To work out plans on prevention and control of high tides for riverside and coastal areas, plans to invest in developing and improving the dyke system and effective natural disaster prevention and control infrastructure. To synchronously combine works and projects invested by central authorities in the province.

IX. LIST OF PROJECTS PRIORITIZED FOR INVESTMENT

Based on development orientations of key sectors and fields, to identify large and important projects that help create a driving force for promoting growth and socio-economic development for investment and investment attraction, depending on demands and capacity to balance and mobilize investment capital in each period.

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

X. SOLUTIONS

1. Mobilization and use of investment capital

To focus on promoting the mobilization of capital for development investment (in which attention must be paid to solutions on reform of administrative procedures and improvement of the business investment environment). To effectively use public investment capital in which investment must be concentrated on key industries and fields, and projects that create spillover effects for, and promote, socio-economic development. To expand forms of investment, encouraging the public-private partnership (PPP) investment and other investment forms, and at the same time, intensify domestic and foreign investment promotion to mobilize investment capital for development of infrastructure facilities and production and business projects in the province.

2. Development of human resources

a/ To implement programs and projects on development and training of the province’s human resources such as the program on improvement of the quality of tertiary and college education, program on improvement of the quality of vocational training, and human resource training program for state management agencies; to formulate an employment scheme in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

b/ To strengthen linkage between vocational education institutions and enterprises in vocational training; to provide on-demand vocational training; to support entrepreneur training; to focus on developing high-quality human resources, closely combining human resource development with science and technology development and application.

c/ To implement human resource development solutions in association with science and technology development and innovation solutions to meet the demands of enterprises in the planning period, in addition to improving the effectiveness of state management.

d/ To regularly provide further training on professional and state management knowledge, skills and behaviors for managerial officials and civil servants, with priority given to those in provincial and grassroots levels and tourism and industry sectors.

3. Science and technology development, innovation and environmental protection

a/ Regarding science, technology and innovation

To raise the awareness of all levels, sectors and the entire society, and promote information and communications about the role and position of science and technology in the period of accelerated industrialization and modernization. To continue to raise the awareness, leadership of the Party, and the management of the State in the field of science and technology and application of scientific and technological outcomes.

To provide training and further training for the contingent of science and technology officials to meet development requirements and tasks in the new period.

To intensify research and application of science and technology for development of fields following the trends of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and digital transformation process. To properly implement policies to encourage and support research and development activities of organizations and individuals researching and applying technological innovation and innovative startups so as to improve productivity, product quality and competitiveness; to develop products in which the province has potential and advantages.

To continue to boost the scientific and technological research and application and digital transformation in a number of important fields and sectors such as agricultural, OCOP product, fruit, seafood and industrial production, social sectors and technical infrastructure.

b/ Environmental solutions

To assign and delegate the functions and tasks of environmental protection among levels, sectors and localities; to invest in improving the environmental monitoring capacity; to speed ​​up the construction progress of waste treatment facilities.

4. Development linkage mechanisms and policies

a/ To effectively implement the 13^th Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 13-NQ/TW of April 2, 2022, on socio-economic development directions, ensuring national defense and security in the Mekong River Delta  through 2030, with a vision to 2045; programs and resolutions of the Party Central Committee and the province’s Party Committee on socio-economic development, and development of sectors and fields.

b/ To continue to effectively implement programs on cooperation with signed localities; and at the same time, expand cooperation with other localities.

c/ To intensify cooperative relationships with international organizations in Vietnam, foreign embassies and representative missions, and non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.

5. Management and control of urban and rural development

a/ To research modern rural and urban development management models and practices to improve the administration’s management and enforcement capacity; to apply advanced methods in urban and rural development management to ensure modern, civilized and environmentally friendly development. To formulate and implement in a synchronous manner mechanisms and policies to develop central urban areas into modern and smart urban centers, thus directing and creating the spillover effects for linking urban areas.

b/ To strictly  manage and supervise, and ensure the synchronous construction of social and technical infrastructure systems for connecting the common infrastructure networks of the province and surrounding areas. To continue to effectively implement national schemes and programs on urban development, ensuring adaptation to climate change, and prevention and control of natural disasters and epidemics; to renovate, embellish and upgrade urban areas; to build and develop smart urban centers.

6. Improvement of the effectiveness and effect of the state administrative management apparatus

a/ To effectively implement the streamlining of the organizational structure associated with improving the capacity, effect and effectiveness of operation of the contingent of officials, civil servants, and public employees; to build e-government; to publicize and transparentize information, management and administration activities in the cyber environment; to apply provincial government effectiveness indices.

b/ To apply provincial government effectiveness indices: Provincial administrative reform index (PAR INDEX), provincial competitiveness index (PCI), the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) and other sets of performance assessment indices.

7. Organization and supervision of the implementation of the Master Plan

a/ To review, adjust, supplement and formulate new inter-district and district construction master plans, district-level land use master plans and other master plans in a synchronous manner in accordance with the law on planning.

b/ To formulate implementation plans, and regularly update and concretize contents of the Master Plan into 5-year and annual plans. All authorities, sectors and district-level People’s Committees shall review, adjust and supplement development programs and plans to ensure their compliance with the approved Master Plan. During the implementation process, to regularly supervise and periodically evaluate the implementation results of the Master Plan according to regulations.

c/ To innovate the organization of implementation of the Master Plan to meet the requirements of reality and international practices. To arrange dedicated leading apparatus and qualified officials to meet the requirements together with an effective and efficient management mechanism to successfully implement the Master Plan.

XI. PLANNING MAPS

A detailed list of planning maps of Soc Trang province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050, is provided in Appendix XVIII to this Decision.

Article 2. Organization of implementation

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

2. The People’s Committee of Soc Trang province shall:

a/ Organize the announcement and publicization of the Master Plan in accordance with the planning law.

b/ Formulate and submit to the competent agency for promulgation the Plan on implementation of the Master Plan; organize the implementation of the Master Plan in association with directing the implementation of socio-economic development tasks; periodically organize the evaluation of the implementation of the Master Plan, and review and adjust the Master Plan in accordance with law; study the application of information technology in management of the Master Plan

c/ Study, develop and promulgate according to its competence, or submit to competent authorities for promulgation, mechanisms, policies and solutions in accordance with law to meet the province’s development requirements and to mobilize resources for implementation of the Master Plan.

d/ Organize the formulation and adjustment of urban master plans, rural master plans, and technical and specialized master plans, ensuring their consistency and synchronism with the Master Plan; intensify the examination and inspection of the implementation of the Master Plan; strictly handle violating organizations and individuals in accordance with law.

dd/ Review the Master Plan after national and regional master plans are decided or approved, and adjust the provincial master plan in case of detecting any inconsistency among these master plans under Point c, Clause 1, Article 2 of the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 61/2022/QH15 of June 16, 2022, and report such to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.

e/ For projects in which investment is phased out to be carried out after 2030, when it is needed to invest in such projects to serve socio-economic development, to report thereon to  competent authorities for approval of earlier investment, provided that it is possible to mobilize resources for investment.

3. The Chairperson of the People’s Committee of Soc Trang province shall be held full responsible before law for the accuracy of the contents, information, data, maps, databases, list of prioritized projects, and appendices (to this Decision) in the Master Plan’s dossier.

4. The approval of or decision on investment policy and implementation of programs, projects, and schemes, including also projects not yet included in the list of projects prioritized for investment promulgated together with this Decision, must be consistent with practical development requirements of the country, region and province, objectives, orientations and development plans determined in this Decision and higher-level master plans (if any).

In the course of study and implementation of specific projects, agencies competent to approve or decide on investment policy shall be held full responsible before law for determining project locations, areas, scale and capacity and investment phases of such projects and their construction works, ensuring the compliance with the resource mobilization capacity and actual development requirements of the province and in accordance with relevant laws.

5. Related ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies shall, within the ambit of their assigned functions and tasks, guide the People’s Committee of Soc Trang province in implementing the Master Plan; and coordinate with the People’s Committee of Soc Trang province in proposing mechanisms, polices, solutions, and mobilizing and allocating resources for effectively implementing the objectives and orientations of the Master Plan, ensuring its consistency and synchronism with the implementation of the national Strategy for socio-economic development for the 2021-2030 period, sectoral development strategies, master plans and plans, and socio-economic development plans of the province.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and the chairperson of the provincial-level People’s Committee of Soc Trang province shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
TRAN HONG HA

* The Appendices to this Decision are not translated.