The central highland province of Dak Lak should tap into its potential and advantages to promote socio-economic development, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during his working visit to Dak Lak on March 1.

At a meeting with provincial key leaders, Mr Dung praised Dak Lak’s significant achievements last year, saying it reached a relatively high economic growth rate of 11.4 percent, reduced the number of poor households to the national average   and mobilised total social investment capital equivalent to 33 percent of its GDP. Policies on ethnic and religious affairs were implemented effectively and national security was maintained in the province.

However, the government leader pointed out difficulties that still need to be dealt with, such as the high number of poor ethnic households, low capita income, insufficient industrial development, and poor implementation of infrastructure projects.

Mr Dung asked Dak Lak to iron out snags in development in order to fulfill all socio-economic targets set for this year, with priority given to poverty reduction, industry, agriculture, transport and urban planning, and to successfully organise Party congresses at all levels.

He also underlined the need to boost educational development, increase the quality of vocational training and ensure order and security and to properly carry out the Party and State’s guidelines and policies to improve local people’s living standards.