President Tran Dai Quang yesterday urged Phu Tho Province to better exploit its potentials and strengths for rapid but sustainable development.— VNA/VNS Photo Nhan Sang

President Tran Dai Quang yesterday urged Phu Tho Province to better exploit its potentials and strengths for rapid but sustainable development.

He was speaking at a ceremony to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the northern province, held in the presence of high-ranking officials from the Party and the State.

On behalf of the Party and the State, President Quang congratulated the province for its achievements in recent years and asked its leaders and residents to continue economic reforms based on modernising production.

The province also needs to prioritise development of the knowledge economy and added value industries, he said.

“Local authorities should focus on attracting investment into projects that can link regions with each other towards maximising the potential of each and every region,” he said.

He suggested that the province focuses on applying new technologies to agricultural development, which would require a shift to large-scale production. The focus should also be on attracting businesses to invest in agriculture and rural development, he said.

He also asked the province to constantly increase its capacity to reinforce and strengthen national defense and security.

“Improving the living standard of local residents is a must. Improving the quality of local human resources and state employees is a must. Vocational training should be improved so that we have highly-skilled workers,” Quang said.

The province should continue reforming its administrative procedures and improving its investment environment to meet the needs of national industrialization, modernization, and global integration, he added.

Phu Tho is in northeastern Viet Nam, 80 kilometres away from Ha Noi and 50 kilometres from the Noi Bai International Airport.

The province has accomplished a lot over the last several years. From a poor province with production activities mostly in agriculture, it has now become a locality with a growth rate always above the national average.

Industrial and services activities account for more than 76 per cent of the locality’s economy and tourism has become a leading industry.

On the occasion, President Quang granted the Independent Order, First Class to the province. — VNS