Triet praised the province for reducing its poverty rate to 9.7 percent, below the national average of 13 percent.

In praise of the province’s achievements last year, the president said Ca Mau’s 13.2 percent GDP growth was part of a great effort made by the whole population.

But he also said poor traffic conditions were a significant problem in the province, adding that many areas in Ca Mau are isolated and can only be reached by water.

Ca Mau has about 10,000 students who must travel to school by boat, said Triet.

While the president noted that the VND33 trillion (US$1.8 billion) Gas-Electricity-Fertilizer Complex had created “a new face for Ca Mau,” he said the province must continue its push toward industrialization by investing in industrial fisheries.

Average annual income was more than VND15 million ($860) per capita and export turnover registered at $640 million per year, confirming the province’s advantage as a seacooking exporter, said the president.

Source: VNA