Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc addresses Phú Thọ Province's 19th provincial Party Congress on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

PHÚ THỌ — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has advised the northern province of Phú Thọ to turn tourism into a spearhead economic sector by enhancing the added value and quality of services and diversifying tourism products.

With two UNESCO-recognised intangible cultural heritages – Hùng Kings worshipping and Xoan singing – Phú Thọ should co-ordinate with Hà Nội and other nearby localities to promote tourism development, the leader said at the opening of the 19th provincial Party Congress on Tuesday.

Discussing the province’s shortcomings, including the modest development of the service and tourism sectors, he asked leaders there to optimise the province's potential and advantages to bolster economic restructuring.

This would gradually ease demand for State support and allow the province to balance its budget in the next five years.

A report presented at the congress showed that Phú Thọ had met 19 of the 20 socio-economic targets set for 2015-20, with economic growth reaching 7.86 per cent per year and economic scale expanding 1.7 times against 2015.

Annual GDP per capita was estimated at VNĐ52.5 million (US$2,260), while export revenue had increased 30.2 per cent each year and the rate of poor households had fallen 1.5 per cent annually.

Across the province, 116 communes had fulfilled the criteria for new-style rural areas, while 59 others had basically reached the requirements, along with four districts that had been recognised as new-style rural areas.

The province mobilised VNĐ50 trillion to invest in infrastructure over the five years, up 1.38 times compared to 2011-15. 

More than 238,000 workers also received training during that time.

From standing last among the country’s 63 localities in the provincial competitiveness index (PCI), Phú Thọ has risen to 26th position and is third out of the 14 northern mountainous localities.

In the next five years, the province aims to focus on improving its business environment to attract more investment, while speeding up administrative reform and enhancing human resources.

From 2020-25, Phú Thọ has targeted economic growth of 7.5 per cent per year and export revenue of over $3.8 billion. Total social investment in the five years is expected to reach over VNĐ190 trillion, while budget collections by 2025 are projected at VNĐ10 trillion annually. — VNS