Quyết định 864/QD-TTg

DECISION

APPROVING THE CONSTRUCTION PLANNING FOR VIETNAM-LAOS BORDER REGION (THE SECTION FROM DIEN BIEN TO KON TUM) UP TO 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;
Pursuant to the November 26, 2003 Construction Law;
Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 08/ 2005/ND-CP of January 24, 2005, on construction planning;
At the proposal of the Minister of Construction in Report No. 34/TTr-BXD of May 5, 2008, on the approval of the construction planning for Vietnam-Laos border region (the section from Dien Bien to Kon Tum) up to 2020,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To approve the construction planning for Vietnam-Laos border region (the section from Dien Bien to Kon Tum) up to 2020 with the following principal contents:

1. Scope of study

Vietnam-Laos border region covers 10 provinces, namely Dien Bien, Son La. Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, QuangTri, Thua Thien Hue. Quang Nam and Kon Tum, with a total land area of 95,240.85 km2. Its boundaries are identified as follows:

- To the east, it borders on the East Sea and Quang Ngai province;

- To the west, it borders on the Lao People's Democratic Republic;

- To the south, it borders on Gia Lai province;

- To the north, it borders on Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Hoa Binh and Ninh Binh provinces.

2. Characteristics of the region

- Having a strategic position of particular importance for national defense and security;

- Being a gateway for the development of foreign economic exchange (border-gate trade and services) in the country's eastern and western regions;

- Being a region for forestry development and headwater forest protection and biodiversity; a region for minerals processing and exploitation and construction materials production and agricultural development:

- Being a region for development of important hydro-electric and irrigation works;

- Being a national- and international-level region for cultural, historical, ecological and convalescent tourism.

3. Regional development forecasts

- The population is expected to reach around 14,850,000 (including 3,660,000 urban inhabitants) by 2010; and around 16,700,000 (including 7,050,000 urban inhabitants) by 2020;

- Land demand for urban construction is estimated at around 84,000 ha, or an average 230m2/person, by 2010; and around 158,000 ha, or an average 225m2/person, by 2020.

4. Spatial development orientations for the region

a/ The regional development framework comprises two main systems:

- The national and international strategic economic corridor being the north-south axis (national highway 1 and Ho Chi Minh road) and 11 east-west economic corridors, including national highways 6, 217, 7, 8, 9, 12A, 49, 14 (14D+14B) and 40, of which:

+ Highway 1A axis will be the main corridor, playing the key role in developing urban centers, industries, transport, trade and tourism; the national and international east-west economic corridor (national highways 7, 8, 9, 12 and 14B) will play the role of developing urban centers, transport services, trade-tourism, industries and raw materials zones;

+ The national and regional axis (national highways 6,279,24 and 49) will be the secondary corridor for developing urban centers and industry, tourism, agriculture and forestry.

- A road system for defense and security maintenance and economic development comprises the border corridor, border-bound roads and border patrol roads, of which the border corridor plays the leading role in linking the entire system. To develop small urban centers, agro-forestry zones and small-scale processing industries on the border corridor.

b/ Spatial division and orientations for urban center development

- Spatial division

+ The northwestern mountainous region, covering Dien Bien and Son La provinces: Its main functions will be maintaining defense and security and protecting the ecological environment, planting and developing forests, exploiting forest resources, and developing irrigation and hydro-electricity. To develop concentrated and specialized production zones (tea, coffee, dairy cows, beef cows, fruits and foods) and hi-tech farming and ranching. To develop construction- materials, repair engineering and pulp industries; and cultural, historical and ecological tourism. To develop border-gate trade-tourist services; to build small and medium urban centers to promote rural economic development.

+ The high mountainous region west of Thanh Hoa. Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces: Its major functions will be protecting the national environment and maintaining defense and security on the western border, zoning off areas for forest regeneration and development, raw-material, pharmaceutical and perennial industrial tree planting; developing border-gate trade services and cultural-historical-ecological tourism. It is a region for hydro-electric and irrigation development and the country's western gateway for international exchange. To develop small- and medium-sized urban centers and border-gate trade-economic zones attached to national and international border-gates.

+ The hilly midland region, covering Thanh Hoa, Nghe An. Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces: Its functions will be processing agro-forest products, manufacturing construction materials, exploiting minerals, growing short-term and perennial industrial crops to supply raw materials for domestic industrial development, export and ranching; and developing small- and medium-sized urban centers;

+ The coastal plain region, covering Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces: It functions mainly as motive force for economic development with industries and services being the spearhead, and development of regional and sub-regional urban areas (Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Ha Tinh, Dong Hoi, Dong Ha, Hue and Tarn Ky cities).

+ The western region in Kon Tum province: It functions to protect, restore, and regenerate forests in association with developing agro-forestry product processing (rubber, coffee and tapioca); growing industrial and agricultural crops and ranching. To develop small- and medium-sized urban centers attached to industrial clusters along the trunk roads (Ho Chi Minh road and national highways 40 and 24), and to build Bo Y international border-gate economic zone for economic development.

- Border-gate system: To upgrade a number of existing border-gates and open some new ones in areas where conditions permit.

c/ Orientations for development of urban-center and rural population quarter systems

- Orientations for urban-center system development

+ The number of urban centers in the hilly midland region, covering Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces totals 39 by 2020, including 1 grade-III, 8 grade-IV and 30 grade-V urban centers;

+ The number of urban centers in the northwestern region (Dien Bien and Son La provinces) totals 30, with Dien Bien Phu and Son La cities becoming grade-II motive urban centers and regional urban hubs;

+ The western region (Kon Tum province): The number of urban centers totals 16, with Kon Tum city being a grade-II urban center; Bo Y international border-gate economic zone will play the key role in promoting development of the Central Highlands; and Kon Tum city will be a provincial urban hub;

- Plan on new urban-center development

+ From 2007 to 2010: To develop 95 new urban centers.

+ From 2011 to 2020: To develop 25 new urban centers.

- Key econo-technical and urban development corridors

+ The economic and urbanization development corridor on both .sides of, national highway 1A and the coastal route functions as the region's key economic development axis, including development of urban centers, major industrial parks, economic complexes (Nghi Son, southeastern Nghe An, Vung Ang, Hon La, Chan May and Chu Lai), seaports (Nghi Son. Cua Lo, Vung Ang, Hon La and Chan May) and domestic and international airports (Vinh, Dong Hoi, Phu Bai and Chu Lai);

+ The urbanization and economic development corridor along the new expressway and Ho Chi Minh road will function mainly to develop the western region's economy, support and shift urban and industrial investment from the coastal plain region. On the corridor, to build motive urban centers of the midland and mountainous regions, medium-sized industrial parks (mostly for agro-forestry product processing and production of construction materials, chemicals, fertilizers and paper);

+ The urbanization and economic development corridor on both sides of national highways 6 and 279 will function as the leading economic development axis of the northwestern region;

+ The urbanization and economic development corridor on both sides of national highways 217, 7, 8, 9 and 40 and Ho Chi Minh road will function mainly as an axis for developing trade-transport-tourist services, small- and medium-sized industrial parks and perennial industrial crop materials zones.

- A defense and economic corridor will function mainly to combine defense and security protection with economic development. Along the corridor, to form a system of small urban centers and commune cluster centers to provide services for rural areas, and to build defense economic zones.

- Rural population quarters

+ Rural population: The region's rural population is estimated at around 11,185,000 by 2010; and around 9,650.000 by 2020.

+ Principal development orientations:

To form commune cluster centers, each functioning as a center for trade-agricultural-forestry-industrial services for a commune cluster; and townships being trade service centers;

To upgrade inter-commune and -district roads for link with provincial and national traffic systems, facilitating economic exchange for development;

To implement investment programs on small irrigation cum hydro-electric works;

To formulate planning on rural population quarters and areas with land for production and economic development in plain, midland and mountainous areas for resettlement of inhabitants.

5. Orientations for wide-area technical infrastructure development

a/ Technical preparations

- To build reservoirs upstream to reduce, stop and prevent floods; to build and consolidate systems of river and sea dykes and embankments suitable to requirements and characteristics of each region; to dredge riverbeds and regulate flows properly to free the flood flow and limit erosion.

- To build a natural disaster early warning system and communication network between administrations of different levels; to protect primeval forests, plant forests and coastal protection forests to reach an average coverage of 45-50%, to reduce risks for flooding, flash floods, debris floods and prevent erosion of works, reduce organic degradation of soil; and to use land rationally.

b/ Transport planning

- Roads

+ To invest in upgrading national highways and north-south roads, including national highway 1A, Ho Chi Minh road, north-south expressway and eastern Truong Son road.

+ East-west axis system: National highways 217, 7, 48, 8, 12A. 9. 14B, 14D, 24, 6. 37, 279, 43, 32B and 4G with national highway 8 on the trans-Asia road system to Laos.

+ To build a system of border corridor roads and border patrol roads in service of socio-economic development and defense and security maintenance in the border region.

+ To build a system of coastal roads in service of socio-economic development and defense and security maintenance in the coastal region.

- Railway

+ To upgrade Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh rail route up to trans-Asia railway standards. To build a number of rail routes connected with the existing railway system in order to form a complete railway network reasonably linked with the national road and seaport systems.

+ To study a project to build a transnational express railway of 1,435m gauge, to build feeder roads leading to main seaport systems and developed areas in the region.

- Seaway:

+ To upgrade the seaport system: Nghi Son. Cua Lo, Vung Ang. Hon La. Cua Viet, Chan May and Ky Ha.

- Waterway:

+To improve and upgrade the inland waterway system to ensure local exploitation of waterway transportation.

- Airway

+ To upgrade Phu Bai into an international airport.

+To upgrade and improve Vinh and Dong Hoi airports to grade 4C; and Chu Lai into an international airport of grade 4E;

+ To upgrade border airports in service of economic development and defense and security protection: To continue upgrading Dien Bien Phu airport up to grade 3C for domestic and international flights. To upgrade and renovate Na San into a grade-4C airport for domestic flights,

c/ Water supply planning

- Urban water supply

+ To supply 60-165 liters of clean water/ person/day for 85% of the urban inhabitants by 2010, and 100-200 liters/person/day for 100% of the urban inhabitants by 2020.

+ To expand and upgrade existing water supply works and build water plants for new urban centers; water supply sources will be mainly surface water and surface and ground water for some regions having ground water.

+ To build reservoirs in combination with hydro-electricity and irrigation, which will be water supply sources for daily-life activities to tackle the region's water shortage in the dry season and its saline areas.

+ To use water sources from Chu river in Thanh Hoa; Lam, Hieu. Bung and Ca rivers in Nghe An; Boc Nguyen and Ke Go reservoirs in Ha Tinh; Phu Vinh reservoir in Quang Binh; Tich Tuong and Dap Tram reservoirs in Quang Tri, Huong river and Ta Trach, Khe Boghe, Thuy Yem and Thuy Cam reservoirs in Thua Thien Hue; and Phu Ninh reservoir in Quang Nam, for supply to urban centers lacking water supply sources.

- Rural water supply

+ To supply 60-100 liters of clean water/ person/day for 75-90% of the population.

+ To build concentrated water supply models, to renovate and upgrade existing water supply works in population quarters.

+ To build water storage works such as tanks, stone water containers, reservoirs and wells for water storage in mountainous rural areas.

d/ Power supply orientations

To ensure that 100% of the communes and 95% of the villages and hamlets in the region will have access to the national power grid, in which:

- Power sources

+ Hydro-power sources: To comply with power planning VI. to expectedly build 29 hydro-electric plants with a total capacity of 7,560 MW by 2020, including plants of over 100 MW capacity, namely Son La with 2,400 MW; Lai Chau, 1,200 MW; Huoi Quang, 540MW; Nam Chien, 196 MW; Nam Na, 300 MW; Hua Na, 195 MW; Ban Ve, 300 MW; Dac Mi 1,250 MW; A Luoi. 120 MW; Tranh River. 160 MW; and Bung River 2,160 MW.

+ Thermo-power sources: To comply with power planning VI, including such major thermo-electric plant projects as Nghi Son with a capacity of 1,800 MW (Thanh Hoa). Vung Aug. 3,600 MW (Ha Tinh).

+ Power sources from Laos: By 2015, to import electricity from Laos' SeKaMan hydro-electric plant through a 220KV transmission line via a 500/220 KV transformer station in Da Nang and from Nam Mo hydro-electric plant (Laos) through a 220KV transmission line connected with Do Luong 220KV transformer station.

- Transmission lines: Together with raising the capacity of existing power works, to develop 500 KV and 220 KV electric grids and 500 KV and 220 KV transformer stations in the Vietnam-Laos border region.

- Other sources of energy: To study and develop systems of electric, solar, wind and biogas energy and other forms of energy to meet electricity demand of ethnic minority people, especially those in deep-lying and remote areas and communes unable to invest in national electric grids and regions having no potential for building small and medium hydro-electric works.

e/ Planning on wastewater drainage and environmental sanitation

- Urban points, industrial parks, tourist and service areas

+ To build separate and semi-separate water drainage systems with concentrated wastewater treatment stations for urban centers of grade III or higher, coastal economic zones and border-gate economic zones.

+ To build common water drainage systems initially and semi-separate systems in the longer-term period, to use biological reservoirs for wastewater treatments in townships.

- To build common water drainage systems for townships and rural population clusters.

- Orientations for planning on solid waste collection and treatment

+ To build regional-and inter-provincial complexes for industrial solid waste treatment: The entire region is expected to build four regional and inter-provincial complexes for industrial solid waste treatment in Tan Truong commune of Tinh Gia district, Thanh Hoa province; Ky Trinh commune of Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province: Huong Van commune of Huong Tra district, Thua Thien Hue province; and Doc Soi of Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province (this location lies outside the scope of study).

+ To build provincial-, inter-urban-, and urban-level solid waste treatment complexes in Dien Bien province: To plan a provincial-level solid waste treatment complex in Thanh Luong commune of Dien Bien district; to plan urban-level solid waste treatment zones for townships of Muong Nhe, Muong Cha and Tua Chua districts and Muong Lay town.

- Orientations for concentrated cemetery planning: To expand and upgrade existing people's cemeteries of provinces, cities, towns and townships.

6. Orientations for spatial development of the bordering area

a/ Principal econo-technical norms

- Forecast on the bordering area's population

+ The bordering area's total population is estimated at around 1,510,000 by 2010, including 315,000 urban inhabitants and 1,195,000 rural inhabitants.

+ The total population is estimated at around 1.957,000 by 2020. including 627,000 urban inhabitants and 1.330,000 rural inhabitants. The population density will reach around 45-50 persons/km2

- Urban density:

+ The urban density will reach 1.58 urban centers/1.000 km2 of the natural land area by 2010;

+ The urban density will reach 1.75 urban centers/1,000 km2 of the natural land area by 2020;

b/ Regional development orientations:

- Development framework of the bordering area

The main development framework of the bordering area will be national strategic road systems, including the border corridor roads, national highways in the east-west direction (national highways 6, 279, 217, 7, 8A, 9, 21 A, 14B, 14D, 40 and 24) linking the bordering area with the eastern sea to the east-west, ASEAN countries to the west and border-gate urban centers and economic zones attached to national and international border-gates.

The secondary development framework will be inter-provincial, -district, -commune, and -urban roads leading to strategic trunk roads and linking urban centers within the region as well as with rural areas.

The security protection system in the bordering area will include the border corridors, border patrol roads and border-bound roads. On this road system, there will be border-guard stations attached to hamlets, urban centers, district centers, commune-cluster centers, defense economic zones and border-gates for both socio-economic development and security and defense protection, forest and natural environment protection.

- Development of bordering urban-center systems

+ A system of grade-I motive urban centers: To the north-west will be Dien Bien Phu city (Dien Bien province); Moc Chau and Song Ma towns (Son La province); to the west of central provinces will be Con Cuong town (Nghe An province), Lao Bao city (Quang Tri province), Kham Duc town (Quang Nam province); in Kon Tum region will be Bo Y border-gate city (Kon Tum province); these urban centers will function as general economic hubs (culture, border-gate trade services, tourist services, post, banking, transport services, industry, education-training, healthcare and vocational training) to boost economic development of the border area.

+ A system of grade-2 motive urban centers include Muong Nhe, Muong Cha and Pu Tuu townships (Dien Bien province); Mai Son Sop Cop and Yen Chau townships (Son La province); Quan Son and Muong Lat townships (Thanh Hoa province); Muong Xen, Hoa Binh and Kim Son townships (Nghe An province); Huong Son town and Vu Quang and Tay Son townships (Ha Tinh province); Quy Dat township (Quang Binh province); Lao Bao city (Quang Tri province); A Luoi township (Thua Thien Hue province); Tay Giang township (Quang Nam province); and Dak Glei and Sa Thay townships (Kon Tum province).

These urban centers will function as centers for economy, culture, border-gate trade services, post, banking, agricultural-rural development, agricultural-forestry-industrial services, healthcare, education, vocational training, ethnic minority boarding schools, industry and transport services, and wholesale markets for agro-forestry products to boost economic development of sub-regions.

- Grade-3 motive urban centers will comprise Apachai township (Dien Bien province), Loong Luong, Chieng Khuong and Muong Lam townships (Son La province): Ten Tan township (Thanh Hoa province); Thanh Thuy and Nam Can townships (Nghe An province); Ta Rut township (QuangTri province); Adot township (Thua Thien Hue province); and Cha Vai township (Quang Nam province).

These urban centers will function as trade and service centers attached to border-gates, boosting the development of population quarters of bordering communes.

Bordering urban-center systems: The entire region will have 55 urban centers by 2010, including 1 grade-III, 4 grade-IV and 50 grade-V urban centers; and 59 urban centers by 2020, including 3 grade-II, 2 grade-III, 8 grade-IV and 46 grade-V urban centers.

- Development of border-gate area construction

To upgrade and build roads leading to border-gates and material foundations for 34 border-gates, to upgrade two border-gates from national into international ones, namely Loong Sap and Nam Giang; 4 sub-border-gates into national border-gates, namely Lanh Banh, Ten Tan, Thanh Thuy and Thong Thu; open 7 new sub-border-gates, namely Muong Leo, Na Khi, Sang, Kham, Tao, Khang and N9.

To form border-gate economic zones: Dien Bien border-gate economic zone attached to Tay Trang international border-gate (Dien Bien province); Loong Sap border-gate economic zone attached to Loong Sap international border-gate (Son La province); Na Meo border-gate economic zone attached to Na Meo international border-gate (Thanh Hoa province); Nam Can border-gate economic zone attached to Nam Can international border-gate (Nghe An province); Cau Treo border-gate economic zone attached to Cau Treo international border-gate (Ha Tinh province); Cha Lo border-gate economic zone attached to Cha Lo international border-gate (Quang Binh province); Lao Bao special trade-economic zone attached to Lao Bao international border-gate (Quang Tri province); Nam Giang border-gate economic zone attached to Nam Giang national border-gate (Quang Nam province); Bo Y international border-gate economic zone (Kon Tum province); and Adot border-gate economic zone (Thua Thien Hue province), which will act as motive force for equal economic development of areas along the border.

- Development of rural population in the bordering area

Apart from the existing population, to relocate inhabitants to bordering areas, specifically:

Dien Bien province shall relocate inhabitants of the basin of Son La hydro-electric station reservoir to the bordering communes of Muong Nhe, Muong Cha and Dien Bien districts. To build Muong Nhe and Muong Cha defense economic zones;

Son La province shall relocate inhabitants of the basin of Son La hydro-electric station reservoir to border areas of Sop Cop, Moc Chau and Yen Chau districts. To form Song Ma defense economic zone.

Thanh Hoa province shall relocate local inhabitants to border areas, resettle inhabitants and reorganize 15 bordering communes, to form Muong Lat defense economic zone.

Nghe An province shall resettle inhabitants from Ban La hydro-electric station project site. To build Ky Son defense economic zone and develop youth volunteer squads' economic models and household farms.

Ha Tinh. Quang Binh. Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces shall relocate and resettle local inhabitants, build agro-forestry farm economy models; set up villages of youth developers of forestry economy and form Khe Sanh (Quang Tri province) and A So-A Luoi (Thua Thien Hue province) defense economic zones.

Kon Tum province shall relocate around 30,000 new economic settlers from northern provinces to Sa Thay and Dak Glai districts for economic development and border land protection. To form Mo Ray defense economic zone.

c/ Transport

To build a system of border corridors and roads leading to bordering commune cluster centers, comprising:

- The border corridor:

The border corridor along the Vietnam-Laos border will be built up to the grade-VI mountainous road standards. The corridor will run parallel with the borderline at a distanced 5-30 km. National highways and provincial roads being the border corridors shall be built according to the road transport development planning and forecasts on traffic flow on these roads.

- Patrol roads and border-bound roads:

To open the border patrol route and simultaneously upgrade existing civil roads to ensure the motor vehicle flow, arrange water drainage sewer systems and stone embankments in erosion-hit areas. To build roads for cars by rural road standards on sections with favorable terrains. To build roads for pedestrians and earth paths for border-guard forces patrol to ensure connection of the entire route.

- Border-bound routes:

By 2010, to expectedly build the entire patrol road along the border and build border-bound roads from each border-guard station.

By 2020, to complete upgrading and building feeder roads linking the border corridor with border-guard stations, key posts and population quarters. To build fishbone roads leading to border markers and additional roads from border-guard stations to the border.

Sizes of border-bound roads being national highways and provincial roads will conform with the road transport development planning. Remaining border-bound roads are expected to be grade-V mountain roads.

d/ Technical preparations

To set up natural disaster early warning systems, make maps on areas facing high risks for flash floods, landslides and forest fires and basins of irrigation and hydro-electric reservoirs.

To build flood prevention works such as upstream irrigation and hydro-electric reservoirs. To build foundation consolidating works such as talus and blocking walls according to technical norms suitable to the work level and the soil nature and properties.

To build a system of bridges, sluices and spillways of proper levels on road sections running through divided terrains and stagnant rivulets so as not to block the flood flow.

To protect and plant forests to increase the coverage rate, to regulate surface water, to minimize risks for floods and flash floods, to avoid erosion of work foundations, to reduce the organic degradation of soil. To raise the forest coverage rate to at least > 50%.

e/ Water supply orientations

- Urban areas

To exploit ground water for supply for a number of urban centers in the border area. To exploit surface water for supply for remaining urban centers. To build small reservoirs and reservoirs for hydro-electricity on rivers having potentials, combined with water supply for agriculture, hydro-electricity and daily-life activities.

- Rural areas

To use UNICEF-style artesian wells of small diameter, artesian wells and wells in areas far from surface water sources. Not to use ground water for daily life activities in border areas sprayed with toxic chemicals during the wartime from Quang Tri to Kon Tum.

To build small reservoirs for water storage. To exploit running water, streams, fountains and rainwater for drinking and daily life activities.

f/ Orientations for power supply for the border area

- For urban centers and border-gate economic zones: To supply power from national electric grids via existing and to be-built 110 KV transformer stations.

- For rural population quarters: To supply power from national electric grids for commune, commune clusters and rural areas, to supply power from small hydro-electric works for areas far from national electric grids, to study and develop solar, wind and biogas energy for these areas.

g/ Planning on wastewater drainage and environmental sanitation

- Wastewater drainage planning orientations

+ To build semi-separate and separate water drainage systems, to have wastewater treatment stations for cities, towns and border-gate economic zones.

+ To build common or semi-separate water drainage systems, to treat wastewater with natural biological lakes for townships and border population quarters.

- Orientations for solid waste collection and treatment

+ To build hygienic landfills of appropriate areas (around 1.5-2 ha) for border-gate economic zones, townships and border population quarters.

+ To treat industrial and hazardous solid wastes generated in the region at inter-provincial- and provincial-level solid waste treatment zones.

- Orientations for concentrated cemetery planning

To plan concentrated cemeteries of 1-1.5 ha area for border townships and population quarters.

7. Prioritized investment programs and projects in 5-10 years and mechanisms and policies for regional construction

a/ Prioritized investment programs and projects in 5-10 years

To upgrade and invest in building infrastructure for western motive urban centers and bordering areas, including Pu Tuu, Tuan Giao, Moc Chau, Hat Lot, Ngoc Lac. Thai Hoa. Con Cuong, Pho Chau, Tay Son, Tien Hoa. Khe Sanh. A Luoi, Thach My, Kham Duc. Play Kan and Sa Thay townships, to enable them to play the motive role in promoting regional economic development.

To adopt planning on systems of urban centers and rural population quarters in provinces which have not adopted such plannings or whose plannings are no longer suitable; and to form a number of new urban centers.

To formulate a general planning on border-gate economic zones and bordering urban centers.

To upgrade and prioritize investment in infrastructure of urban centers being regional- or sub-regional-level centers.

To build a system of border-gates attached to border-gate trade-economic zones. To build commune cluster centers and infrastructure for resettlement areas to relocate inhabitants to the border in phase I.

- To implement resettlement programs in the border region

To plan and rearrange border-guard posts and stations suitable to requirements and tasks of each area.

To invest in developing econo-technical corridors: national highways 1A, 6, 7, 8 and 9 and Ho Chi Minh road. To build systems of border corridors, border patrol roads and border-bound roads; Ho Chi Minh road, phase II; traffic routes linking provinces to facilitate economic exchange and development and border security protection.

To build a water plant in Moc Chau township (Son La) with a daily capacity of 10,000 m3.

To build a water plant in Lam Son township (Thanh Hoa) with a daily capacity of 8,400 m3

To formulate an investment project to build three inter-provincial-level solid waste treatment complexes within the scope of study (identified above).

To formulate investment projects to build provincial solid waste treatment complexes for 10 provinces.

To formulate investment projects to build provincial cemeteries for 10 provinces.

b/ Mechanisms and policies on regional development

To prioritize the development of transport systems linking urban centers, and linking urban centers with commune and commune-cluster centers with government funds.

To formulate incentive mechanism and policies to attract domestic and foreign investment in developing border-gate economic zones, economic zones, industrial parks, tourist centers, training institutions, specialized healthcare centers, trade centers, recreational centers, urban housing and a number of technical infrastructures in urban centers in the form of BOT, BT or FDI.

To concentrate ODA and budget funds on developing border-gate-bound transport systems from both Vietnam and Lao sides.

To attract ODA funds for investment in such major works as transport systems, regional hydro-electric and irrigation works, water drainage systems and environmental sanitation, construction of water plants, garbage processing plants and electric grid systems, upgrading and construction of a number of bridges and roads.

To formulate polices to efficiently exploit capital from urban land funds for the construction of infrastructure works of bordering urban centers and border-gate economic zones.

To mobilize people's contributions and socialize a number of projects such as inter-commune or -ward and rural roads, ward entertainment centers and village cultural centers.

To mobilize funding sources for infrastructure development in service of education, healthcare, television-radio broadcast, border-gate economic zones, defense-economic zones, and scientific and technological development for both urban and rural areas.

To prioritize budget funds for infrastructure investment in areas resettling and relocating inhabitants to the border under planning.

To consolidate and complete local trade and service networks with commune centers being intermediary points for goods distribution and sale. To prioritize investment in building border markets, regional and inter-regional key trade centers and national- and provincial-level trade-tourism centers in border-gates.

To increase cooperation on border economic development, expand trade and tourism exchange and take the full advantage of border-gates.

To concentrate on training local administrators of all levels to be qualified for managing urban, border-gate economic zone and rural development in the border region.

To adopt incentive policies to attract domestic and foreign investment in industries, especially agro-forestry product processing, mining, hydro-electric and irrigation development and sub-contract assembly in border-gates and border urban centers.

To increase management of basins of national-and transnational-level main rivers; sub-basins of provincial and inter-provincial rivers; to set up agencies for management and exploitation of provincial- and inter-provincial key works.

c/ Organization of implementation

To assign the Ministry of Construction to act as the key agency responsible for organizing, directing and urging the implementation of construction planning programs and projects under the construction planning for Vietnam-Laos border region, approved by competent state agencies.

Other concerned ministries and branches shall, based on their respective functions, tasks and powers, coordinate with the Ministry of Construction and the People's Committees of border provinces and districts in directing the implementation of specific projects falling under their management scope.

The People's Committees of border provinces, districts and communes shall organize and direct the implementation of construction planning programs and projects according to their functions and powers and mobilize, propagate and support ethnic minority people in the border region to seriously implement guidelines and policies of the Party and State.

To set up a steering committee for regional construction planning and investment to direct the implementation of regional investment programs and projects. To facilitate the raising of ODA funds and funds from economic sectors and non-overnmental organizations.

Article 2.-This Decision takes effect from the date of its signing.

Article 3- The Ministers of Construction; Planning and Investment, Industry and Trade; Agriculture and Rural Development; Transport; Finance; Natural Resources and Environment; Defense; Public Security; Home Affairs; Culture, Sports and Tourism; and Education and Training, the presidents of the People's Committees of 10 provinces, namely Dien Bien, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam and Kon Tum, and other concerned organizations shall implement this Decision.