Eight years since suspending the Ninh Thuận Nuclear Power Project, the National Assembly (NA) has recently approved a resolution to restart the project in Ninh Thuận Province, aiming to ensure the nation’s energy security.

Vietnam News Agency talks with Trần Quốc Nam, chairman of the Ninh Thuận Provincial People's Committee about the issue.

After the NA passed a resolution to restart the Nuclear Power Project in the locality, could you share the feelings of the local Party Committee, authorities and people when being honoured with this important responsibility?

Since 2009, when the NA passed Resolution 41/2009/QH12 on the policy of building the Ninh Thuận Nuclear Power Plant, the Party Committee, authorities and people of the province have all agreed on the project implementation.

We coordinated very well in carrying out the work until the NA issued Resolution 31/2016/NQ-QH14 to cease the project. Since then, people in the project area have faced many difficulties and wished to be able to have more stable livelihoods and to be more productive.

As the NA now has a policy to restart the project, the Party Committee, authorities and people of the province in general and in the project area agree, trust and comply with the NA’s decision.

This is a great honour for the Party Committee and people of Ninh Thuận province. The NA has approved the policy to restart the project in the context of rising energy demands, especially clean energy, to meet the urgent needs for the development of the whole country until 2045 and beyond.

How is the province preparing to receive the national key project?

When there is a specific roadmap for implementing the project, the province will proactively conduct surveys and collect opinions of the people in the project area. We will also strengthen public information dissemination to create consensus for when the project is implemented.

At the same time, the locality will also ask the Government to adjust the Ninh Thuận Provincial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, which includes an addition of an orientation for the development of the nuclear power plant.

Ninh Thuận will also choose plans to develop industries and fields. Besides reconsidering development scenarios, the province will also adjust land use planning and construction planning for the project’s development area to ensure implementation conditions.

What recommendations and proposals does Ninh Thuận make for the Government when the project is implemented? What are your expectations for the provincce's development?

To support the province to successfully take advantage of opportunities and create momentum to promote rapid socio-economic development when the project is implemented, we propose that the Government considers specific supporting policy groups for the province, such as investing in power transmission infrastructure, having policies to support electricity prices for local people and having investment policies on infrastructure, health, education, social insurance, transportation, tourism, agriculture and industry.

Ninh Thuận also hopes to receive support from the Government to invest in infrastructure to form corridors that connect regions to promote industrial, trade and tourism development of the province and local areas in the region. It will contribute to supporting the rapid and sustainable socio-economic development of the province and quickly narrow the development gap between Ninh Thuận and other localities in the region and the whole country.

The Ninh Thuận Nuclear Power Project, which is a key national project, with very large investment capital, will have a great impact and become a decisive driver for the socio-economic development of the province and the entire country. The Party Committee, authorities and people of the Ninh Thuận Province agree, have high expectations and have a great faith in the Government’s policy to invest in the project. — VNS