With the goal of achieving a GRDP growth rate of 10% or higher in 2026, Dak Lak province has identified the completion of provincial planning and breakthroughs in attracting investment as the key foundation for sustained economic growth.

The first and most important foundation for achieving this growth target is a strategic development plan. The province has demonstrated its determination by engaging leading consulting organisations to revise the provincial planning, aiming to expand development space in both eastern and western directions.

A view of Buon Ma Thuot urban area.

Investment attraction will focus on key projects with strong spillover effects. Encouraging figures recorded in 2025, including the establishment of 3,200 new enterprises with total registered capital of 36 trillion VND, have created strong momentum. However, in order to reach double-digit growth in 2026, Dak Lak is targeting large-scale projects capable of reshaping the provincial economic landscape, including steel complexes, large-scale renewable energy farms and, notably, a 500-hectare agricultural logistics centre.

To realise these orientations, comrade Ta Anh Tuan, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and PPC Chairman, said that the province is determined to complete the adjustment of the provincial planning framework in the first quarter of 2026. Simultaneously, other important planning initiatives, including the planning framework for the South Phu Yen Economic Zone and urban development planning, particularly for Buon Ma Thuot, are being implemented with strong determination. It will be developed into a modern core urban centre with distinctive identity, commensurate with its role as a regional hub under a long-term vision.

Enabling economic take-off

The province is focusing on three strategic breakthroughs, with regional transport connectivity infrastructure identified as the top priority. The Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot expressway, slated for completion in the second quarter of 2026, will remove geographical barriers, allowing goods from the Central Highlands to reach seaports more quickly and at lower cost. In addition, the upgrading of Buon Ma Thuot Airport and the development of a synchronised intra-provincial transport network will help transform Dak Lak into a strategic inland logistics hub serving the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia development triangle.

A project in operation at Hoa Phu Industrial Park.

The 10% growth target cannot be achieved without a transparent business environment. In line with the spirit of Resolution No. 68 on private sector development, provincial leaders have delivered a clear message: “The government always stands alongside enterprises and shares the difficulties faced by enterprises”. Efforts to shorten administrative processing times, accelerate digital transformation and apply artificial intelligence in governance not only reduce compliance costs but also help build strategic confidence among investors.

According to comrade Luong Nguyen Minh Triet, member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, the target of double-digit growth in 2026 requires stronger determination across the entire provincial political system. The province must strengthen and reorganise its cadre workforce across sectors and localities in a coordinated and effective manner; develop detailed scenarios focusing on key and priority tasks; promote the role and responsibility of heads of departments, sectors and localities in implementing targets and assigned tasks; and strengthen decentralisation and delegation of authority in tandem with the allocation of resources. Concurrently, comprehensive solutions are required to mobilise resources for socio-eco development, implement strategic reforms to shape a new development model, accelerate large-scale and driving projects, and introduce preferential policies to attract investment.

Translated by KHUONG THAO