Motivation for Acceleration
With the Politburo’s Resolution 39 (dated 18 July 2023) and the National Assembly’s Resolution 137/2024, Nghe An now enjoys a set of crucial special mechanisms to drive socio-economic breakthroughs under the Resolution of the 20th Provincial Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term.
Tran Hieu Phuong • 01/01/2026
Nearly VND 9 trillion was swept away by three major storms: Storms No. 3, No. 5 and No. 10. For Nghe An province, 2025 will likely go down as the most devastating year for natural disasters in the past two decades.
Challenges piled up on multiple fronts. The entire political system, alongside citizens and businesses, was forced to focus all its energy on “running while lining up” to streamline and restructure the administrative apparatus, operate the two-tier local government model, and successfully organise the Party Congresses at all levels for the 2025-2030 term.
In the final six months of implementing the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress, an enormous workload was pushed through. Some targets, however, fell short of expectations. GRDP growth in 2025 reached 8.44%, below the annual target of 9-10%. Foreign direct investment exceeded USD 1 billion, still placing Nghệ An among the country’s top 10 destinations, but was nearly USD 700 million lower than in 2024.
Yet as 2026 begins - the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 20th Provincial Party Congress, Nghệ An remains confident in its ambition to break through and emerge as a national-level growth pole.
The year begins with a series of encouraging signs. The political system has begun operating smoothly and stably, from the provincial level down to departments and 130 communes and wards. Party agencies, government bodies, the Fatherland Front, mass organisations, armed forces, citizens and businesses are increasingly aligned under the two-tier governance structure.
Entering a new historical phase marked by new conditions and drivers, all stakeholders are striving to be creative, determined and decisive, working in unity and daring to pursue breakthroughs in “without precedent” decisions.
One such milestone is Nghe An’s move towards the open sea with the groundbreaking of the Cua Lo deep-water seaport project by the end of 2025. With a total investment of nearly VND 9 trillion, the port is designed to receive vessels of up to 200,000 DWT. Once operational, it will resolve long-standing infrastructure bottlenecks, allowing key local exports such as steel products, white stone and wood chips to ship directly from Cửa Lò instead of being transported to Nghi Sơn Port in Thanh Hóa.
At the same time, the National Assembly has approved the construction schedule for the Vinh - Thanh Thủy expressway, set to commence in early 2026 and be completed by the end of 2027, with total investment of VND 23 trillion. This route will channel goods from Laos, Thailand and Northeast Asian countries to Cửa Lò, connecting them to global markets.
Another flagship project exemplifies the bold vision and breakthrough mindset of the province’s leadership as it seeks to accelerate Nghệ An’s development journey is the approval of the Quỳnh Lập LNG power plant, with total investment of USD 2.1 billion under the national Power Development Plan VIII.
An unprecedented “special arrangement” was swiftly adopted. From seeking approval from the Provincial Party Committee Standing Board to the Provincial People’s Council issuing a resolution of consent just one week later, all relevant agencies simultaneously rolled out administrative procedures, land clearance and environmental impact assessments. This ensured full legal compliance and allowed the project to move forward within months - a process that would normally take at least two years without such a “special arrangement”.
Once operational, the Quỳnh Lập LNG plant is expected to supply 1,500 MW annually to the national power grid and contribute more than VND 1 trillion per year to the provincial budget. Equally important, a stable and sufficient power supply will underpin Nghe An’s plans to further expand large-scale industrial zones.
In recent years, the Southeast Economic Zone has gradually become constrained in space. Major industrial parks such as VSIP 1, VSIP 2, WHA, and Hoang Mai Industrial Zone (Phases 1 and 2) are now largely filled. Expanding industrial and cluster planning, while unblocking infrastructure bottlenecks through the deep-water port, a 600-metre runway extension at Vinh Airport to accommodate larger aircraft, and enhanced connectivity via the North-South Expressway, the Vinh-Thanh Thủy Expressway, coastal roads and the future high-speed railway, will be critical to positioning Nghệ An as a major logistics hub nationally and regionally.
For four consecutive years, Nghệ An has ranked among the top 10 provinces nationwide in attracting FDI, consistently securing over USD 1 billion annually. Transparent policies and a government that works closely with businesses, treating their difficulties and successes as its own, have strengthened the province’s appeal to investors.
Crucially, Nghệ An has made its stance clear: it will not pursue investment at any cost. Projects that risk environmental pollution or rely on raw mineral extraction are deprioritised. Instead, the province focuses on investors with high innovation content and strong applications of science and technology, aiming to develop into a centre for semiconductors, electronics, clean industry, green growth and the circular economy.
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This direction is underscored by the presence of six global technology giants: Foxconn, Luxshare-ICT, Goertek, Everwin, Juteng and Sunny, whose combined investments amount to several billion US dollars and are operating effectively in the province.
Another encouraging signal is the steady rise in state budget revenues, particularly domestic revenue. By the end of this year, total budget revenue is expected to exceed VND 26.5 trillio - nearly 147 per cent of the estimate and more than 102 per cent higher than in 2024, despite a challenging economic climate. At this pace, by the end of the 2025-2030 term, Nghệ An could realistically reach VND 30 trillion in budget revenue and achieve double-digit GRDP growth.
Following the merger of provinces and cities nationwide, Nghe An is no longer the country’s largest province by area, ranking fourth after Lâm Đồng, Gia Lai and Đắk Lắk. Its population stands at over 3.8 million, ranking 13th nationally. Yet the province’s potential remains intact, encompassing coastal plains, urban centres and mountainous regions, rich land and mineral resources, forests and seas, and an abundant labour force.
Nghe An is also a land steeped in revolutionary and cultural tradition, home to a diligent, resilient and creative population that adapts quickly to new trends. As the birthplace of President Ho Chí Minh, it continues to receive strong attention and support from the Party, the Government and friends at home and abroad.
With the Politburo’s Resolution 39 (dated 18 July 2023) and the National Assembly’s Resolution 137/2024, Nghe An now enjoys a set of crucial special mechanisms to drive socio-economic breakthroughs under the Resolution of the 20th Provincial Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term.
What remains is the translation of these advantages into concrete action programmes, projects and plans, backed by comprehensive, timely and non-conventional policy decisions. Above all, success will depend on unity within the top leadership and broad consensus across all levels, sectors, citizens and businesses, turning special advantages and tailored mechanisms into truly exceptional outcomes in a new era of national development.
