VietNamNet Bridge – Nam Song Hau Road linking four south-western provinces of Can Tho, Hau Giang, Soc Trang and Bac Lieu was officially opened yesterday, March 9.

Construction of the VND3.3 trillion (US$150 million) 147-km road started on May 19, 2005 and funded by Government bonds.

Nam Song Hau Road is a key transport project helping exploit the development potential of industry, agriculture, and tourism services, while promoting education and health care, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said in the opening ceremony.

Hung applauded the responsibility and efforts of the Ministry of Transport, My Thuan Project Management Board, supervisors and consultants in completing the road, as well as the contribution of local people and authorities to the construction.

He asked agencies, management authorities and local people to pay attention to road maintenance works to ensure the potential offered by the road would be fully tapped.

Along with Can Tho Bridge and the HCM City-Trung Luong Highway, the road was expected to promote transportation in the south-west and support the socio-economic development and the security of the Cuu Long (Mekong Delta) region, Hung stressed.

Hung said on Tuesday the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta's major focuses through 2020 should be improving transport infrastructure, irrigation, education, and human resources.

He put forward the targets at the conference held in southern Ca Mau Province by the Steering Committee for the Southwest Region to review the region's socio-economic performance in 2010 and draft plans for this year.

According to Deputy Minister of Transport Ngo Duc Thinh, if the Delta can sustain its current progress in transport infrastructure, [it] will be fully inter-connected by 2015.

The Ministry of Transport would focus on completing major transportation projects, including upgrade of the Chau Doc – Tinh Bien section on National Highway 91 and building a Ring Road in eastern Ca Mau, the Nam Can Bridge, and the Long Binh Bridge connecting An Giang Province with Cambodia, he said. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Le Phuong said irrigation would be developed by completing dyke systems while seawater intrusion during storms and high tides would be prevented by raising the height of sea and river dykes.

The Delta should continue to develop flood-proof residential areas and irrigation works in the Tu Giac-Long Xuyen area, the areas on the left bank of the Tien River and between the Tien and Hau rivers, and on the Ca Mau peninsula, he said.

His ministry has submitted a Delta irrigation development plan costing an estimated VND520 trillion ($25 billion) to the Government.

Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan said in 2011-15 the Delta should expand its school network and build 10-12 vocational schools, district-level vocational training centres, and building or upgrading 12 universities and 11 colleges.

The region has 215 communes without kindergartens and 88 communes without primary schools.

It aims to raise the ratio of college and university graduates to 2 per cent of the population in 2015 compared to the current 0.85 per cent.

The Delta has nearly 18 million people, including 10 million of working age, but only 23.5 per cent have vocational training.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Minh Huan said the Delta needed to train workers based on market requirements and standardise vocational training.

Deputy Prime Minister Hung said to curb inflation, stabilise the economy, and provide social security, Can Tho City and the 12 provinces in the Delta should boost production and export, control prices, and prevent losses for farmers.

For developing transportation, irrigation, and education and training, they needed to draft plans and submit to the Government by March 15, he said.

He also ordered the Ministry of Health to draft plans for strengthening healthcare in the Delta.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News