Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue in an interview with Hanoitimes stressed results are needed for local authorities to build trust among the pubic, as such, the city will continue to focus on the Covid-19 fight and addressing social issues that are causing public concerns.

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue.

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 was an unforgettable memory for Hanoi. Can you share your thought when the emergence of the first infection case that have prompted the city to hold an emergency meeting in the midnight?

The year of 2020 was a major challenge for Hanoi as only a minor mistake during the pandemic could throw the entire city into a full-stop. As such, we always kept in mind the motto of ”fighting the pandemic is like fighting the enemies”. To this present, the Hanoi’s Party Committee stills gives the utmost priority to the Covid-19 fight along with economic development.

On March 6, 2020 when the first Covid-19 case (Patient No.17) in Hanoi was detected in Ba Dinh district, the city’s downtown center, we decided to hold a meeting right in the midnight given the grave situation at that moment. A subsequent isolation of the Truc Bach street and getting the list of passengers in the flight with Patient No.17 helped Hanoi controlled the pandemic. Needless to say, a delay of one or two hours in action could have led to a major consequence.

International media reported only in Vietnam with the Covid-19 pandemic under control that there was a big Christmas celebration, or the EU Ambassador to Vietnam [Giorgio Aliberti] said ahead of the New Year's eve that staying in Vietnam for him could be considered as an “extravagant” luck. To have such compliments are thanks to the strong efforts of the entire political system and of the public in fending off the pandemic.

For Hanoi, we continue to remain alert against Covid-19 as it is our top priority.

As the Covid-19 pandemic stays serious globally and causes severe impacts on Vietnam, what should the city focus on to overcome this challenge?

We hope to soon have a Covid-19 vaccine, but right now the risk is high. Therefore, the city attaches high importance to preventive measures against Covid-19 or any future diseases.

The municipal Party Committee is set to issue a resolution to promote tourism in a new circumstance, while adjusting the development strategy for the sector to ensure its sustainable growth.

Meanwhile, Hanoi will have a resolution on culture industry development as the city has recently been honored as UNIESCO’s creative city in design category. The human and cultural factors are expected to become drivers for Hanoi to create development breakthroughs towards sustainable and rapid development.

As such, the city is scheduled to host cultural events at regional scale, including the 31st SEA Games and 11th Para Games in 2021.

The city is planning to work on the development of urban economy, night economy, sharing economy, finance, banking, logistics and insurance. Hanoi visions to become one of ASEAN’s hubs in digital transformation, cyber security, artificial intelligence and trade.

To achieve these targets, it is essential to ensure a strong and healthy political organization, while calling for national solidarity from the people.

The urban railway project section Cat Linh – Ha Dong set to put into commercial operation in this month.

Could you provide more details on the plan to address urban and environmental issues?

Hanoi has listed 20 most urgent social issues that are required prompt actions, including air pollution, traffic congestion, and construction order.

Regarding the urban railway project section Cat Linh – Ha Dong, Hanoi has set up a task force to speed up the progress of the project, set to put into commercial operation right in this month.

We have also put an end to the construction violation of building 8B Le Truc that have been an unsolved issue for the past five years.

Hanoi aims to resolve the environmental pollution issue at the Nam Son waste treatment complex substantially to ensure a better living environment for people in the surrounding areas, including strict inspection during the transportation of waste in and out of the complex.

I have recently been to Nam Son and seen much improved environmental situation there. In the first quarter of 2021, Hanoi expects to put into operation the Nam Son waste-to-energy plant, which has a designed capacity of processing 4,000 tons of waste per day.

With other similar plants in Chuong My, Phu Xuyen or Son Tay, Hanoi expects to to process a combined of 6,000 – 7,000 tons of waste, which is an environmentally-friendly solution in dealing with waste.

Solving pressing issues related to the living environment is seen as a key task in the 17th city’s Party congress. What is the city’s approach for this issue?

In addition to measures mentioned above, Hanoi will continue to build more parks and step up efforts to deal with traffic congestion and air pollution, or increase the ratio of people having access to clean water.

There is no way to solve these issues in one or two days, but the local authorities intend to show their determination to the public. Achievements in economic development will be nothing without the people being the main beneficiaries.

Zoning plan for Red river remains one of your top agenda since assuming the post of city’s Party chief, what is the progress so far?

A zoning plan for the Red river is essential to boost the living condition for nearly one million living in the area. Hanoi is currently working with related agencies to submit the zoning plan to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for approval.

With a zoning plan in place, investors could start investing long-term in the riparian areas on both sides of the Red river, instead of leasing land for less than five years. Hanoi would also promote hi-tech farming in the region and build 10 bridges across the Red river, in turn creating more room for development.

During this process, we are considering the option of turning the Long Bien bridge into a walking bridge as a cultural space for Hanoi.

Thank you very much for your time!