Located in the heart of the East Sea, Truong Sa island district has great potential for its maritime services and fishing in the region and is an attractive tourist destination.

A Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reporter interviewed the Vice Chairman of the Truong Sa Island district People’s Committee, Nguyen Viet Thuan, about the island’s plan for socio-economic development.

Reporter: Could you please tell us about guidelines for socio-economic development in the island district over recent years?

Mr Thuan: Since the liberation of south Vietnam in 1975, there has been considerable progress in socio-economic development in the island district resulting from the effective implementation of various economic projects. In recent years, the island district has focused on building houses for local people and soldiers while protecting Vietnam’s sea and island sovereignty. Many roads on the islands connecting to the communes have been repaired and upgraded.

Most recently, we launched a clean energy project funded by the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group to connect many islands to the national grid so that local residents can now watch TV and listen to radio to catch up with latest information about how to preserve seafood.

Due to the harsh weather on the Truong Sa archipelago, special attention has been paid to improving healthcare services. The Navy’s Medical Corps units garrisoned on some islands have worked closely with army hospitals to provide regular healthcare treatment for local residents.

In addition, there is a special focus on children’s education. The district now has three major schools in two communes and one township. However, it is still short of teachers. Therefore, one teacher must teach children of different levels, from kindergarten to primary school. In face of these difficulties, we have asked the Education and Training Department in the central province of Khanh Hoa to re-organise the teaching structure in the near future. 

Reporter: How does this farthest island district promote socio-economic development?

Mr Thuan: While paying great attention to the Party and the State, we are building a dry dock on the Song Tu Tay island. This is a big project that will be carried out in other major islands to develop the district’s economy. Dry docks will help offshore fishing vessels to find safe shelter when facing strong seas.

Several projects have been implemented successfully on Da Tay island, such as farming white butterfish. If the pilot model for breeding shellfish is successful, it will be applied widely in the island district. In addition, planting trees to protect the environment and create a green environment is happening. White sand covered the whole island in the past but now it has been replaced by green trees.

Another new economic model is that soldiers in coordination with the local people, are raising cattle and poultry. They breed cows and ducks in Da Tay A island and pigs, chickens, and ducks on various floating islands.

Reporter: Do you think a project to exploit the sea potential for tourism is feasible?

Mr Thuan: We are planning to organise tours of Truong Sa islands for domestic tourists and overseas Vietnamese. In the past we conducted such tours but due to the strong winds and waves we stopped them. In the future, if there is due investment I think the project will be successful and bring in a higher economic return.

We are calling on major cities, economic groups and businesses to invest in the project. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism has recently conducted a fact-finding tour of the islands to research the potential of this model of tourism. Several projects have been put into action, such as installing lighting systems powered by wind and solar energy from the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group, building the Capital guest house and restoring historical sites on Truong Sa islands.

Reporter: Thank you very much.