Decision No.18/2009/QD-TTg dated February 03, 2009 of the Prime Minister approving the master plan on socio-economic development of Vietnam's sea and coastal areas in the Gulf of Thailand up to 2020

DECISION

APPROVING THE MASTER PLAN ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM'S SEA AND COASTAL AREAS IN THE GULF OF THAILAND UP TO 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

At the proposal of the Ministry of Planning and Investment in Report No. 514flTr-BKH of January 22, 2008, and considering the opinions of concerned ministries, branches and localities on the master plan on socio-economic development of Vietnam's sea and coastal areas in the Gulf of Thailand up to 2020,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the master plan on socio-economic development of Vietnam's sea and coastal areas in the Gulf of Thailand up to 2020, with the following principal contents:

I. SCOPE OF THE MASTER PLAN

Vietnam's sea and coastal areas in the Gulf of Thailand embrace the sea and continental shelf under the sovereignty, sovereignty rights and jurisdiction of Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand together with islands in these areas and the coastal land area of 2 cities of Ca Mau and Rach Gia, 13 coastal districts and towns: U Minh, Tran Van Thoi, Phu Tan, Cai Nuoc, Nam Can, Ngoc Hien (Ca Mau), Ha Tien town, Kien Luong, Hon Dat, Chau Thanh, U Minh Thuong, An Bien, An Minh (Kien Giang) and 2 district islands of Phu Quoc and Kien Hai (Kien Giang), with a population of 1.935 million, accounting for 67.3% of the total population of Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces.

II. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

- To develop Vietnam's sea and coastal areas in the Gulf of Thailand into a dynamic economic zone, contributing to the general prosperity of the country's southwestern sea and coastal areas and linking with other coastal areas nationwide into a quickly developing coastal economic bell from Mong Cai to Ha Tien to help promote and push the development of inland regions.

- To form a Thailand gulf coastal economic corridor as a pillar for promoting the development of the entire region, creating a prerequisite for developing trade and expanding relations with the outside in a proactive and effective manner.

- To build Phu Quoc island into a dynamic development area, a major and modern marine economic center (a high-grade sea-island eco-tourist area in the immediate future), an economic "bright spot" of the whole country and Southeast Asia.

- To form and develop a number of spearhead marine industries including fishing, aquaculture and aquatic product processing, marine tourism and gas exploitation and processing at a relatively modern development level equal to regional countries.

- To achieve an economic growth rate of 1.35-1.4 times the national GDP growth rate. By 2020, to raise the material living standards of the inhabitants by 5 times the current level; to account for 5-5.5% of GDP; 18-19% of the fisheries output and 22-23% of the national aquatic export value. To reduce the poverty rate (by the new poverty line) from the current 14% to below 10% by 2010 and below 3% by 2020.

- To complete the universalization of lower secondary education and upper secondary education by 2010 and 2020 respectively; to increase the trained labor percentage to 25% by 2010 and 55-60% by 2020; to complete the program on national health standards before 2015.

- By 2010, 100% of communes will have motor roads to commune centers (excluding commune islets), 85-90% of households will have access to electricity, television broadcasting will reach 95% of the population, 100% of urban population will have access to clean water, 80% of rural population will have access to hygienic daily-life water; by 2015, 100% of households will have access to electricity and be covered with television broadcasting, and 100% of rural population will have access to hygienic daily-life water.

III. ORIENTATIONS FOR DEVELOPING AND ORGANIZING ECONOMIC SPACE

To achieve the above objectives, orientations for developing and organizing the region's economic space up to 2020 are as follows:

1. Orientations for organizing economic space

a/ To build the Thailand gulf coastal economic corridor as the backbone of the entire region's development: