Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Decision No. 1585/QD-TTg dated December 7, 2023 approving Lai Chau’s development planning for the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050.

According to the decision, Lai Chau province covers a total area of 9,068.73 km2, with 8 administrative units including Lai Chau City, Than Uyen, Tan Uyen, Tam Duong, Phong Tho, Sin Ho, Nam Nhun and Muong Te districts.

The specific goals set for Lai Chau province by 2030: To grasp and effectively exploit internal and external opportunities and resources to accelerate economic growth, Lai Chau to develop in a green, fast, and sustainable way in all aspects of economy – society and security - defense.

The province's economic structure will shift in a positive direction, with the increase of the service sector in its economic structure, focusing on developing border economy and tourism associated with promoting cultural identities of ethnic groups; developing the energy, mining, processing industries, expanding foreign markets for local goods; developing agriculture in the direction of multi-value, concentrated commodity production associated with new rural construction, high-tech and organic agriculture, and sustainable forestry economic development.

The province will synchronously develop the socio-economic infrastructure system, especially regional connectivity infrastructure; apply science and technology effectively; develop the digital economy, and improve the quality of human resources.

The fields of education, health, culture, and society will be comprehensively developed; the material and spiritual lives of the people will be improved; cooperation and integration will be expanded; national defense and security will be ensured, while national border sovereignty will be maintained.

Lai Chau to reach higher level of economic and social development

Lai Chau strives for reaching an annua GRDP growth rate of about 9% - 11% in the period of 2021 - 2030, with that of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries reaching about 5.0%/year, industry and construction 13.6%/year, and the service sector of about 7.9%/year.

Its economic restructure would be: Agriculture, forestry and fisheries accounting for 10.1%; Industry and construction 48.5%; and service 33.4%;

Total product per capita will reach 116.6 million VND/person/year (equivalent to 4,266 USD at current prices).

The urbanization rate will be 40%. The rate of villages, hamlets and residential areas having cultural houses will be 88%; The rate of families meeting cultural standards will be over 86%; The rate of cultural residential areas will reach 78%; The rate of agencies and business units meeting cultural standards will be 98%...

By 2050, Lai Chau aims to become a province with green, sustainable, civilized development, rich in cultural identity, and comprehensive development; its rural infrastructure will be modernized, fully meeting the criteria of new rural areas; Lai Chau’s social-economic development will be above the national average.

Strengthening motivating factors

The task of "strengthening motivating factors" includes: Improving quality and efficiency in advising and promulgating mechanisms and policies; promoting administrative reform and building e-government; Creatig a breakthrough in infrastructure development, especially transport, urban, tourism infrastructure, border-gate commercial infrastructure, and industrial parks and industrial clusters; Developing information infrastructure and enhancing the application of science and technology in all fields; Improving the quality of education and training, developing human resources through attracting talent and improving the quality of on-site human resource training, arousing development aspirations, promoting innovation and supporting startups.

The task of "implementing economic restructuring and development pillars" includes: Taking advantage of geographical location, developing trade, services, and border gate economy; promoting e-commerce;

Developing tourism in the direction of (i) preserving and promoting the cultural identity values of ethnic groups in the province, maximizing existing resources and advantages to develop eco-tourism and cultural tourism ; At the same time, (ii) focusing on attracting investment and developing diverse and modern tourism products that are qualified to serve large-scale tourism, focusing on developing various types of tourism such as resort tourism, sports and entertainment tourism, adventure - discovery tourism, spiritual tourism, and community-based tourism;

Developing the industries that the province has potential and advantages, especially hydroelectricity and agricultural, forestry and fishery product processing industry and mineral exploitation and processing; Promoting the restructuring of agricultural production, focusing on available productsadvantages and key products.

The task of "increasing implementation efficiency" includes: Mobilizing resources and attracting investment to maximize the potential and advantages of Lai Chau’s two economic regions; Strengthening national defense, build a strong border defense area; Expanding foreign relations, building borders of peace, friendship and development.

Opening new bilateral border gate in Muong Te district

The planning determines to tunr the Ma Lu Thang border gate economic zone into a driving force for economic development of Lai Chau province.

According to the development direction, the service industry will develop diversely, modernly and sustainably on the basis of maximizing the province's strengths and following the market economy; building and sustainably developing logistics services into an industry that brings high added-value, linking logistics services with the development of commodity production, import-export and domestic trade; promoting border economic development, promoting Lai Chau’s role as a trade gateway between ASEAN countries and China through Ma Lu Thang international border gate; Opening another bilateral border gate in Muong Te district.

The growth rate of the service industry is set from 13% - 14%/year, total import-export turnover growth rate of 13%/year on average, which will reach reach about 230 million USD by 2030.

Lai Chau aims to form 5 national-level tourist areas/destinations and 27 provincial-level tourist areas.

Lai Chau will develop its tourism industry into a key filed, strongly developing mountain trekking tourism, adventure sports, eco-tourism, and community-based tourism associated with conservation and development of the value of cultural identity of ethnic groups; Prioritizing the development of new tourism products such as resort tourism, health care tourism, entertainment, and prize-winning entertainment; forming 5 national-level tourist areas/destinations and 27 provincial-level tourist areas.

Building multi-value integrated agricultural production

Lai Chau will build multi-value integrated agricultural production, concentrated commodity agriculture, production of high-value products, circular agriculture, safe and organic products that are suitable for the natural conditions of the province; developing a number of key products such as macadamia, tea, Lai Chau ginseng, endemic OCOP products...

Lai Chau province's agricultural activities aim at low carbon emissions, are environmentally friendly and adapt to climate change; Sustainable forest economic development is based on the principle of comprehensive and synchronous development of activities of management, protection, zoning and promotion of forest regeneration, afforestation, exploitation, processing, trade of forest products, and services. Forest environmental services will be developed in associated with ecotourism, resorts, creating livelihoods, increasing income for people in forested areas and benefiting from forests, contributing to preserving biodiversity and ensuring national defense and water security.