In 1997, Binh Duong was separated from Song Be province with the population of 670,000 people. In the initial phase of a newly re-established province full of difficulties, choosing the right direction and appropriate development model played a very important role for the province. By responding to the industrialization-modernization policy of the Central Government, the province launched a policy of "rolling out the red carpet" to welcome investors and talents, develop human resources for the provincial reconstruction and renewal. The creative thinking, drastic direction and of provincial leader generations along with their effective and timely decisions found out and opened the "right source" for Binh Duong to accelerate its growth and create breakthrough for its development.
Viet Nam – Singapore Industrial Park
Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Heng
Swee Keat and Binh Duong leaders visiting VSIP model.
The first highlight was Vietnam - Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) founding - a new type of industrial park, an important development initiative from the cooperation between Viet Nam – Singapore governments which was opened in 1996 and put into operation in 1997. This industrial park laid an important foundation for the socio-economic development of Binh Duong province. Up to now, Binh Duong province has three VSIP projects (VSIP I, VSIP II, VSIP III) attracting nearly 600 investors from more than 22 countries and territories with a total investment capital of over 8.6 billion US dollars, creating jobs for 150,000 workers.
Located on an area of 1,000 hectares, VSIP III marks a new important milestone in shifting to the smarter and more sustainable development strategy. VSIP III is designed to integrate smart technology in its operation from the energy consumption, water use, waste to transport and security management issues. Currently, many big projects of popular international groups such as: Project of LEGO Group with more than 1 billion USD, Pandora Group project of 100 million USD were registered and more than 40 domestic and foreign corporations and companies are interested and exploring their investment opportunities in VSIP III.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the VSIP III
Opening ceremony
Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh
at the Opening ceremony of Lego manufacturing
After 25 years of establishment and development, as late of 2022, Binh Duong economic scale reached 408,861 billion dongs, a 104.3 times compared to the one in 1997, ranked the third nationwide, after Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi capital, in which, agriculture increased by 112.2 time and particularly industry increased 140.6 time in comparison with figures of 1997.
The province ranked the first in term of GRDP per capita, the second in term of FDI attraction (after Ho Chi Minh city), the third in term of total domestic revenue and in terms of the rate of deductions paid to the National budget (only after Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi Capital). With these achievements, Binh Duong becomes the first locality of Viet Nam attaining the highest GRDP per capita, 7,000 US dollars per year.
That development process has helped Binh Duong initially constructed a relatively uniformly urban and transport technical infrastructure system which can be accomplished through the early completion of major segments of the Ring Road 3 and Ring Road 4 connecting directly to the provincial main roads such as My Phuoc - Tan Van - Bau Bang liking to seaports and international airports. Parallelly, Binh Duong province have pushed up the renovation and completion of its key projects including expanding National Highway 13 project, section from Vinh Phu (Thuan An city) to Le Hong Phong intersection (Thu Dau Mot city) with a length of 12.7 km, contributing to relieve traffic pressure on the route; Bac Tan Uyen - Phu Giao - Bau Bang road connecting the districts of Bac Tan Uyen, Phu Giao and Bau Bang and Dong Phu district (Binh Phuoc province) aiming to shorten travel time and reduce freight costs…
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh surveying the Ho
Chi Minh City- Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh Expressway expected to empower
development of Binh Duong province and the region.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh surveying manufacturing construction at Expanded Bau Bang Industrial Park.
Provincial Leaders survey the National Highway
13 expansion project and the tunnel projects at Phuoc Kien intersection and Cho
Dinh intersection
Expanded High Way 13 project
In the context of the boom 4th Industrial Revolution, since 2016, Binh Duong province has implemented the "Binh Duong Smart City" Project by focussing on transforming its economy into innovative and creative digital orientation. Therefore, a digital and innovation ecosystem is being strongly developed in Binh Duong, such as: Intelligent Operations Center (IOC), EIU Campus Becamex Business Incubator, Fablab, Advanced Manufacturing Center, World Trade Center (WTC)… with the goal of building and developing Binh Duong into a "smarter" and more livable city. In 2021, Binh Duong was honored TOP 7 Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) with typical smart city development strategies in the world.
Central and provincial leaders at the TOP7
Intelligent Community Forum Honoring Event Opening in Binh Duong province
Along with economic development, the social security and welfare are always paid great attention. If at the time of separation of the province in 1997, Binh Duong had nearly 1,000 hungry households, 14,662 poor households, accounting for 12% of the total number of households, then by the end of 2021, the poverty rate had only 0.88% (< 1%). Binh Duong is also the first locality in the country which has no poor households according to the national poverty standards, no household back into poverty. Since 2009, Binh Duong has set up 4 times its own poverty line which is 1.7 to 3 times higher than the national one, detailly 3 time higher in the period 2009 2010; 02 times higher for the period 2011 - 2013; 2.5 times higher for the period 2014 - 2015 and 1.7 times higher for the period 2016 - 2020. In 2022, Binh Duong continued to raise its poverty standard 1.5 times higher than the one of Viet Nam.
Granting Red Cross house to underprivileged
households
After 25 years, Binh Duong health has made a large improvement with a team of skilled doctors and nurses, mastering technological equipment in medical examination and treatment, meeting well the treatment and care capacity for the local people. The province always strives for all people to access to health services at its extensive health network throughout the province. Up to now, Binh Duong province has 03 public hospitals at the provincial level, 09 medical centers at the district level, 19 general clinics, 91 medical stations, and 02 specialized hospitals, in which, several medical facilities are invested on a relatively large scale such as: Binh Duong General Hospital with 1,500 beds, Children's Hospital with 300 beds.
Binh Duong health concentrated to enhance its medical system, improving the quality of preventive health personnel at all levels. The province is also very interested in training current human resources and implementing policies to attract man power from other localities to work long-term in Binh Duong by supporting medical students, training by request, order, etc. Moreover, developing high science and technic is well paid attention by investing medical infrastructure, advanced medical equipment, attracting high quality human resources, training for medical doctors and nurses from both public and private medical units.
Binh Duong province paying great attention to education
infrastructure and equipment’s investment.
Binh Duong affirms that investment in education is to invest for the sustainable development. Consequently, investing on educational infrastructure and equipment are interested to make sure that all school-age children in the province could have access to education, go to school, in a convenient place to study. The province spends annually its budget to invest in education sector a uniformly and modern education equipment. Besides, the province has also mobilized local resources, especially implemented open policies in socialization to invest and build standardized and modernized schools. As a result, the scale of schools is constantly expanding with many types such as public, semi-public, private schools, professional schools, vocational schools, international standard universities to meet the increasing demand for education and citizen knowledge, training human resources for the province. In 1997, the whole province had only 41 preschools and 169 high schools, by 2015, expanded to 288 preschools, 253 high schools with full equipment to meet the requirements for teaching and learning quality. By 2020, the whole province has built 455 preschools, an increase 2.4 times compared to 2010 and 266 high schools, 33 schools higher than in 2010. Schools have been well built, 79.6% of public schools are solidly upgraded.
Currently, the province is the home of 8 universities, 7 colleges, 16 professional schools and 46 vocational centers, foreign languages, IT centers with their training capacity of over 80,000 students per year serving for the provincial human resources.
Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Van Loi and
People’s Committee Chairman Vo Van Minh introduced to Prime Minister on Binh
Duong New City Master Plan
In term 2020-2025, Binh Duong identified to develop
a sustainable Binh Duong province toward a smart, civilized and modern urban, becoming
a modern industrial center by 2030
For the plan to 2030 and vision to 2045, Binh Duong aspires to conquer its new height with fast and sustainable development goals which are identified by the Party Congress of Binh Duong province for the term 2020-2025 as "striving to develop a sustainable, Binh Duong province toward a smart, civilized and modern urban, becoming a modern industrial center by 2030 and an innovation urban of the region and the whole Viet Nam."
In order to attain these goals, the province is creating a very open and favorable investment environment, "rolling red carpets to welcomes investors"; implementing administrative reforms, improving digital transformation, building digital government to the modern administration serving to local citizens; improving transport, industrial parks, new urban infrastructure; upgrading the high quality of man power, necessary public services including healthcare, education,…improving the citizen's life to the sustainable development.
Binh Duong province is focussing on
administrative reforms and digital transformation (photo of Intelligent
Operation Center -IOC)
Provincial authorities in experiencing the
online utilities service at level 3, 4 at Binh Duong Public Administration
Center.
Reported by Phuong Chi- Yen Nhi -Translated by Linh Nguyen