General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam urged Ho Chi Minh City to renew its approach to autonomy, strengthen implementation capacity and ensure tangible results.
He made the statement at a meeting with the Standing Board of the municipal Party Committee to review the 14th National Party Congress Resolution, Politburo strategic resolutions, socio economic development, the 2026 double digit growth target and outstanding issues.
Le Quoc Phong, Standing Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee, reported that the city’s GRDP grew 9.06% in the first nine months of 2026 and 9.86% in the third quarter.
The city is targeting double digit growth, budget revenue above 1 quadrillion VND, or 38.6 billion USD, and full disbursement of public investment funds in 2026. Its scenario projects growth of 12.3% in the fourth quarter and 10.2% for the full year.
To Lam said global changes and unexpected developments were affecting the city through fluctuations in orders, operating costs, interest rates, exchange rates and investment flows. Artificial intelligence, automation and new environmental standards are changing competitive advantages, so the city must improve forecasting and prepare response plans for 2027.
He urged the city to review delayed tasks, assign responsibilities and deadlines, identify bottlenecks, resolve matters within its authority and make proposals on issues beyond its remit. The city should strengthen two tier local administration, direct resources to heavily burdened wards and communes, use digital data to reduce administrative burdens and assess officials by results and public satisfaction.
To meet its 2026 targets and prepare for 2027, the city should focus resources on projects and markets capable of delivering results. Public investment, construction material supplies and payments should be monitored, with capital reallocated from slow projects. Preparations for priority 2027 projects, including procedures, site clearance and funding, should be completed soon.
To Lam called for dialogue with businesses, support for small and medium sized enterprises and business households, and action on stalled projects involving incapable investors. For foreign direct investment, the city should focus on implementation, workforce training, technology transfer and domestic supplier development. Its International Financial Centre should help mobilise capital for Vietnam, especially for infrastructure, production, innovation and small and medium sized enterprises.
Following the merger, development space should be reorganised, interconnected infrastructure prioritised and areas planned for services, finance, industry and logistics. Metro lines should be expanded with multimodal links and transit oriented development. Flood prevention should combine technical infrastructure with protection of water retention areas, while regional coordination in transport, the environment and supply chains should improve.
The city should use science and technology to improve productivity, link universities, research institutes, enterprises and experts, help smaller businesses adopt technology, match workforce training to market demand and attract experts based on their capabilities and contributions.
To Lam said employment, housing, education, healthcare and a safe living environment must remain priorities. Affordable housing for workers and low income residents should be linked to jobs, transport and essential services. Grassroots healthcare, schools and staffing should improve, with attention to older and less skilled workers at risk of job loss and young people without employment, education or vocational training.
He also called for continued action on traffic congestion, flooding, pollution and food safety, and early preparations for the 2027 Lunar New Year to ensure supplies, stable prices and safe celebrations for workers, policy beneficiary families, poor households and people facing hardship.
On Party building, To Lam asked the municipal Party Committee to uphold solidarity, democracy and accountability and prevent corruption, wastefulness and misconduct, especially in land management, investment, bidding, procurement and public assets. Officials acting in the public interest should be protected, while profiteering, harassment and avoidance of responsibility should be dealt with.
He asked the city to pilot assessing implementation of Party Central Committee and Politburo resolutions issued in 2025 and 2026, turn the meeting’s conclusions into specific tasks, set year end priorities and preparations for 2027, and monitor progress for practical results.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
