On May 15, Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Hong Dien; Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Economic and Finance Committee of the 16th National Assembly Phan Van Mai and the National Assembly working delegation had a working session with the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the People's Committee of Dong Nai City and the People's Committee of Tay Ninh province on the results of implementing policies and laws in the economic - financial field associated with the goal of double-digit growth and important national projects.
At the working session, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance Hoang Vu Thanh said that Ho Chi Minh City's GRDP in the first quarter of 2026 increased by 8.27%, the highest level in the same period in the past 10 years. However, the city still faces many "bottlenecks" in terms of institutions and resources.
Ho Chi Minh City proposes to the National Assembly to include the Draft Law on Special Urban Areas in the 2026 law-making program; amend the Law on Social Insurance in the direction of expanding coverage; and at the same time, improve specific mechanisms and policies to serve the goal of double-digit growth.
The city also proposed that the Government decentralize to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to approve the operating regulations of the International Financial Center; allowing proactive handling of houses and land, public assets managed by central agencies but used ineffectively or for improper purposes.
Regarding organizational structure, Ho Chi Minh City proposes applying a flexible staffing mechanism according to job positions, population size and workload; extending the operating time of non-specialized forces until the end of 2026. The city also proposes to invest in expanding Ring Road 3 according to expressway standards in the period 2026 - 2030.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ho Van Ha - Vice Chairman of Dong Nai City People's Committee - proposed that the National Assembly consider Dong Nai as a special urban area, to apply mechanisms and policies according to the Law on Special Urban Areas to join Ho Chi Minh City in becoming the economic center of the whole country.
Dong Nai also proposed to issue outstanding mechanisms to develop Dong Nai City, and at the same time approve the new city plan in the direction of integrating the planning of the two old provinces, Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc.
Speaking at the working session, Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic and Finance Committee Phan Van Mai assessed that all three localities are in the group of 10 localities contributing the largest GRDP in the country. According to him, if Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh all achieve growth rates of 10% or more, this group of localities will not only contribute about 30% but may also exceed 30% of the overall growth rate of the economy.
Mr. Mai believes that the opportunity to realize the double-digit growth target of the whole country can reach about 40% if all three localities complete the set goals.
At the same time, Mr. Mai proposed that localities develop growth scenarios that are close to reality, focus on creating new momentum from the digital economy, financial centers, science and technology and soon complete planning for synchronous implementation.
Concluding the working session, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Hong Dien assessed that the growth of Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh in the past time has been quite positive. However, to achieve the double-digit growth target, there are still many difficulties in terms of institutions, technology human resources and uneven digital transformation.
According to Mr. Dien, key projects are basically implemented stably, especially in site clearance and construction. However, the current assessment has not fully followed the National Assembly's resolutions to clarify the difficulties and obstacles arising in reality.
Regarding the Long Thanh airport project, Mr. Dien said that some component projects are still behind schedule, with the risk of not being completed before December 31, 2026. Infrastructure connection with the airport has not been deployed synchronously yet. Meanwhile, the Ring Road 3 project is still delayed compared to the resolution's requirements, with a large construction volume but facing difficulties in terms of construction material sources.
However, do not underestimate the quality of works because of progress. Projects must still ensure safety standards according to regulations" - Mr. Dien emphasized.
According to Mr. Nguyen Hong Dien, the recommendations of the locality will be summarized and sent to relevant ministries and sectors for the National Assembly to continue monitoring, removing difficulties, and creating more growth momentum for the Southern region and the whole country.
