The planning for Vietnam’s north-central and central coastal region focuses on marine economic development, including the establishment of international sea tourism service centers in Da Nang City and Khanh Hoa Province, said delegates at a conference in Khanh Hoa on Saturday.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, vice-chairman of the coordination council for the north-central and central coastal region, said at the first conference of the council that the planning for the region in the 2021-30 period with a vision to 2050 matches the national comprehensive planning with a focus on the fast and sustainable development of the economy, society, and environment.

Under the planning, the region will mobilize resources to complete national key projects within its precincts.

It will focus on traffic infrastructure, energy, information technology, digital economy, manpower training, tourism, logistics, and the environment.

Localities in the region will soon develop a socio-economic information system for regional exchanges, and north-south, east-west and coastal economic corridors.

The coastal areas in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh Provinces will be turned into industrial hubs of the region and the country as a whole.

They will develop a national oil refinery and petrochemical center at the Dung Quat Economic Zone in Quang Ngai Province, a hi-tech and electronics center in Da Nang, some large renewable energy centers, and study hydrogen energy utilization.

The region will specify the functions of coastal and border gate economic zones, industrial parks, ports, and airports.

Deputy PM Ha asked members of the coordination council for the north-central and central coastal region to fulfill their assigned tasks and report the results at the council’s upcoming conference set for next month.

He suggested the Ministry of Planning and Investment set up a website or an app where leaders of ministries and agencies will draw up development plans for the region or discuss regional issues with local residents.

The north-central and central coastal region, including 14 cities and provinces, covers an area of 95,860 square kilometers, accounting for 28.9 percent of Vietnam’s area.

With a coastline of nearly 2,000 kilometers, or 60 percent of the length of the country’s coastline, the region is home to 11 out of the 18 coastal economic zones in the country, is the gateway to the sea of Central Highlands provinces, and connects the East-West Economic Corridor with international shipping routes.

The prime minister established the coordination council for the north-central and central coastal region led by Deputy Prime Minister Ha on July 11 this year.

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