Positioning Dong Nai on the nation's map

Dong Nai also shares a long borderline with the Kingdom of Cambodia. The province is home to the Hoa Lu International Border Gate Economic Zone and possesses a full range of transportation modes, notably Long Thanh International Airport which is set to be one of the world’s largest once completed and is now in its completion phase.

Armed with these advantages, Dong Nai is looking for solutions to maximise opportunities, overcome challenges, and build a green, prosperous, and modern province.

A tailored priority mechanism and policy needed

According to Dr Bui Van Thach, Vice Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council and Deputy Head of the drafting team for the 14th National Party Congress documents, Dong Nai is an industrial powerhouse in the Southern Key Economic Region. It boasts strong transport links to Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, and sea ports gives it a significant logistics advantage. The merger and expansion of administrative boundaries have not only increased its land area and population but also reshaped its governance structure, requiring adjustments of its development strategy.

The creation of a new administrative unit poses challenges in infrastructure restructuring, resource allocation, administrative reform, and regional development coordination. Yet, Dr Thach noted, this is also a golden opportunity for the province to define its new growth model, remove bottlenecks, and unlock its full potential in land, labour, geography, and expanded transport infrastructure, particularly with projects such as Long Thanh Airport and inter-regional expressways.

Given the fast, ever-changing pace of the global economy and the demands for sustainable development, Dong Nai needs appropriate priority mechanisms and policies tailored to the new conditions.

Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of its Commission for Internal Affairs Phan Dinh Trac (far left, front row) and Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairwoman of the People’s Council of the Dong Nai province Ton Ngoc Hanh (right) talk with residents who visit Long Khanh Public Service Centre to complete administrative procedures. Photo: Phuong Hang

Suggested measures include: mechanisms to attract strategic investors; a streamlined “one-stop” system at both provincial and local levels to cut investment licensing period to no more than 30 days; corporate income tax incentives for projects in high-tech, supporting industries and renewable energy; and a tax reduction in the first 5 years of operation for foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises in logistics, healthcare, and education.

Dr Thach is assured that once Dong Nai builds a comprehensive policy framework covering investment attraction, human capital, administrative reform, infrastructure, environmental protection, and innovation, while maintaining close monitoring and timely policy adjustment, the province will surely become a magnet for investors, an ideal living space, and a model of sustainable development for the entire country.

Urgently reviewing and adjusting the post-merger planning

Dr Truong Minh Huy Vu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies, stressed that in the post-merger period, Dong Nai must urgently review and adjust the provincial planning for 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, under the principle of “local decisions, local implementation, local accountability.” This process needs re-mapping functional zones, re-designing growth drivers, and drafting a priority project portfolio aligned with the province’s new scale and characteristics. Without integrated planning, he warned, future development strategies risk drifting without direction.

With its pivotal position in southern Vietnam’s growth driving area, Dong Nai could serve as the core of the proposed Southeast Free Trade Zone (SEFT) complex —an integrated economic model under study. SEFT envisions a multi-centered growth space linking Dong Nai’s Long Thanh Airport logistics–industrial hub, the Cai Mep–Thi Vai port complex, and an international finance–trade centre in Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City.

Following the administrative merger, Dong Nai province now has ample room for development. While drafting its Political Report for the 2025–2030 Party Congress, the Provincial Standing Party Committee has been soliciting input from experts, scholars, officials, Party members, and the public to gain a sharper understanding of Dong Nai’s strengths, set higher strategic goals, and devise practical strategies to accomplish those targets.

Ton Ngoc Hanh, Alternate Central Committee member, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Council of Dong Nai

With direct links between Long Thanh Airport and Cai Mep–Thi Vai port, together with Phuoc An Port and a dense network of industrial zones, Dong Nai is well placed to position itself as the logistics, manufacturing, and export hub of the Southeast. To make SEFT work effectively, however, the province needs to pilot a management model based on paperless, fully electronic one-stop services, while advocating for clear decentralisation in planning, licensing, and operations. The lesson learned from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries is clear: localities granted institutional autonomy are often the quickest to break through.

Dr Duong Van Thinh, innovation and digital transformation specialist at Veron Group, have conducted extensive research into the reality of digitalisation in Dong Nai post-merger. He noted that amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the expansion of digital economy into every aspects of life, digitalisation is not only inevitable but the decisive factor in competitiveness and sustainable growth.

For Dong Nai, this imperative is heightened by the need to merge two administrative systems, manage a vast territory with nearly 4.5 million people, and tap into its diversified economy—from manufacturing and agriculture to tourism.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyen Quoc Dung, former Director of the Ho Chi Minh City–based Political Academy Region II, observed that Dong Nai has long been among Vietnam’s most dynamic provinces in innovation-driven growth. The Provincial Standing Party Committee is now preparing the Political Report for the 2025–2030 Party Congress, with a strong emphasis on reaffirming Dong Nai’s role as one of the country’s economic engines.

But, he cautioned, ambitious goals are only achievable if leadership capacity keeps up. “Talent is the root of development; strong leadership is the root of success,” he said. Building a capable and respected cadre at all levels is therefore a top priority - one that requires years of effort, consistent investment, and collective commitment across the political system, with the Provincial Party Committee playing the central role.

With a robust contingent of officials, Dong Nai will have sufficient endogenous strength to overcome all difficulties and challenges, successfully fulfill the province’s development goals, contributing to building a prosperous and happy nation in the new era.

By Phuong Hang

Translated by Le Hung- Thu Ha