PHU YEN — Ten thousand Phu Yen residents and visitors gathered in Tuy Hoa City's April 1st Square yesterday to enjoy a ceremony and parade held to celebrate 400 years since the formation of the central province of Phu Yen.
A demonstration of all the province's armed forces and civil groups took place in the presence of Politburo member and permanent member of the Secretariat of the Party's Central Committee Truong Tan Sang, and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan.
In his opening speech, the Party's provincial committee secretary Dao Tan Loc praised the patriotism, solidarity and harmonisation that helped Phu Yen leaders and people overcome many difficulties in the past as well as their concerted efforts which resulted in the encouraging achievements that were seen today.
Loc spoke highly of the local people, from the very first ethnic groups that lived in the area, including Cham, E De and Ba Na, to today's residents, who worked hard to promote production while fighting enemies, natural disasters and epidemics for socio-economic progress during the last four centuries.
He also praised the people of Phu Yen for their significant contributions to the nation's wars against French and American aggressors which helped to unify the country.
"The good traditions of Phu Yen people are still being promoted in the cause to renovate our homeland," he said. "The province has made important achievements thanks to the Party's leadership and efforts from the local leaders and people."
"The province has attained significant economic growth and prospered from a locality that was primarily dependant on agriculture late in the last century, with a total State budget collection of only VND40 billion (US$2.2 million) in 1990, to what it is today," said Loc.
Last year, manufacturing and construction accounted for 34.4 per cent of the province's economic achievements, with services making up 36.4 per cent and agriculture, 29.2 per cent. In the five years to 2010, total capital mobilised for public development reached VND28 trillion (US$1.3 million), threefold that of 2001-05.
Phu Yen currently has three hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 360MW. Grids reach all corners of the province.
The province contributes competitive products to the world market like cashew nuts, tuna and lobster.
Loc said that in addition to the positive industrial and urban development, the province had also seen significant progress in education, health care and social welfare. In particular, the rate of poor households had been reduced to 9 per cent, he said.
"All these achievements are creating a solid foundation for us to pursue fast and sustainable socio-economic development," he said.
The province targets an average annual economic growth of about 13 per cent over the next five years, and a per capita GDP of VND37 million (nearly $2,000) by 2015. It is striving to become an industrial province within the next 10 years.
Loc said that in the coming years, the province should focus on stepping up development in three major areas: economic zone and traffic infrastructure, facilities and technologies for agriculture and rural areas, and human resource quality.
Speaking at the ceremony, Sang asked Phu Yen to maintain its high determination to promote its geographic advantages, natural and human resources and historical traditions in the coming years.
He suggested the province boost co-operation with other countries and foreign partners to speed up economic growth, concentrate on shifting economic structure, improve infrastructure, and invest more in the rural areas. Particularly, he asked the province to boost rearing, growing, exploiting and processing activities in the seafood industry while protecting the environment.
Yesterday, Phu Yen leaders and people received the Ho Chi Minh Order, a noblethe State, for their achievements in recent years. honour granted by
Pride and hopes
Vice Secretary of the provincial youth union committee Phan Dai Thang said the young generations of Phu Yen paid deep gratitude to the great services that their forefathers rendered to the homeland and promised to be a vanguard force in their studies and work for the province's development.
"I'm very proud of the tradition, cultural values and heroic spirit of the people of Phu Yen," said 80-year-old Mang Hieu, who resides in Phu Yen's Dong Xuan district.
"I will continue to tell my descendants to preserve and promote those values and work hard to help our home town become richer and more beautiful," he said.
"On this important day, I have a hope that local authorities will co-operate more with foreign investors to best exploit and preserve our seafood resources and provide more benefits to our fishermen," said Ho Van Han, a fisherman in Tuy Hoa City. — VNS
