At the regular online meeting of the Provincial People’s Committee for March 2026, held on the morning of March 24, Mr. Trịnh Thanh Hải, Director of the Department of Finance, stated that overall, despite many difficulties and challenges, the socio-economic development and national defense – security situation in the province in the first quarter of 2026 has basically remained stable and achieved fairly positive results.

A view of the regular meeting

The Provincial People’s Committee organized a conference to implement the tasks for 2026 and issued Decision No. 182/QD-UBND on the tasks and solutions for directing and managing the implementation of the socio-economic development plan and the state budget estimate for 2026. At the same time, it developed quarterly growth scenarios and established five working groups to steer and promote growth across various sectors and industries.

Agricultural, forestry, and fishery production activities took place under relatively favorable weather conditions. The total spring crop area in the province is estimated at 122,887 hectares, reaching 99.07% compared to the same period last year; newly planted concentrated forest covers 6,867 hectares, an increase of 14%; total fishery production is estimated at 62,186 tons, equivalent to 98.28% compared to the same period in 2025.

Industrial production continued to maintain a fairly strong growth momentum. The Industrial Production Index (IIP) is estimated to increase by 16.9% compared to the same period last year, of which manufacturing and processing industries are estimated to grow by 17.5%. Most major industrial products recorded increases compared to the same period in 2025, such as: electronic components estimated at 444 million units, up 172.4%; various types of steel and roofing sheets estimated at 415,300 tons, up 66.1%; electricity production estimated at 760.0 million kWh, up 29.7%;

Trade and service activities and market developments remained basically stable. Total retail sales of goods are estimated at VND 37,434 billion, up 1.62% compared to the same period last year. Export turnover of goods is estimated at over USD 1.26 billion, an increase of 51.01%. The total number of tourists is estimated at 2.48 million, up 12% compared to the same period.

State budget revenue is estimated at VND 8,335 billion, reaching 35.7% of the annual estimate, up 32.1% compared to the same period last year; of which, domestic revenue is estimated at VND 7,500 billion, reaching 35% of the estimate, and revenue from import-export activities is VND 742.6 billion, reaching 40.1% of the estimate.

Investment attraction achieved very positive results: In the first three months of the year, the province granted approvals for 14 new projects and adjusted 37 existing projects, with total newly granted and additional investment capital reaching VND 64,791.57 billion. Notably, the procedures and approval decision for the Quynh Lap LNG Power Plant project were completed, making it the largest FDI project ever in the province in terms of capital scale.

Regarding the disbursement of public investment in 2026, the total plan assigned by the Prime Minister is VND 14,174.888 billion. The Provincial People’s Committee has allocated VND 9,749.308 billion in detail, reaching 68.78%; currently, VND 4,425.58 billion remains unallocated for the Vinh – Thanh Thuy expressway project (expected to be allocated in April) and 4 out of 10 multi-level school projects in border communes (expected to complete capital allocation by the end of March).

As of March 20, 2026, the province has disbursed VND 823.504 billion, reaching 8.82% of the detailed allocated plan; of which, centralized public investment funds have been disbursed at VND 298.138 billion, reaching 8.45% of the allocated plan.

Cultural and social activities continued to be promoted. Social welfare policies were promptly implemented, including gratitude visits, care, and encouragement for people with meritorious services, policy families, and the elderly during the Lunar New Year. The inauguration ceremony of My Ly 2 Ethnic Minority Boarding Primary School and the groundbreaking ceremonies for the remaining multi-level boarding schools were organized. The first 2026 Job Fair at VSIP Nghe An Industrial Park was held, attracting a large number of residents, students, and university students to explore and apply for jobs. It is estimated that in the first quarter of 2026, the province created employment for 11,750 people, reaching 100.45% of the plan.

State management, administrative reform, and digital transformation continued to receive focused attention and guidance. The election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term in the province was carried out seriously and in accordance with regulations. The election was successfully completed, with a voter turnout of 99.86% (the highest in recent terms). The province elected 16 deputies to the 16th National Assembly, 85 provincial People’s Council deputies, and 2,910 commune-level People’s Council deputies.

Foreign affairs activities were actively carried out. The national defense, security situation, social order, and safety were maintained. Localities organized military conscription and deployment, achieving 100% of the targets with full quality, totaling 3,816 citizens.

Kim Oanh