Binh Thuan's Science, Technology and Environment

TOWARD A BRIGHT FUTURE

From the story grapes

I like planting trees. I always pay attention to seeking for new varieties of high-quality and high-yield plants from everywhere. And I was once surprised when visiting Binh Thuan. Under the dry burning heat and the dazzling white of sand, it seemed that no plant can survive. However, I could see a lot of vineyards laden with big, round ripen sweet grapes. I was so excited, then I asked the owner where he had taken the variety of grape. He showed to the province's Service of Science, Technology and Environment. Mr. Nguyễn Quý Hữu, Director, warmly welcomed me there. He modestly revealed that the vineyards were resulted from new varieties combined with scientific and technological application. But admiring those green vineyards, I knew that the contribution of scientists here was very great.

To the stories of a service and a sector

According to Decision N^o 123 QĐ/UB-BT signed by the Provincial People's Committee Chairman on 21 October 1993, Binh Thuan Service of science, Technology and Environment was converted from Binh Thuan Province's Section for Science, Technique (the former Thuận H ải Province's Committee of Science and Technique from 1978 to 1992). With a staff of 40 cadres of tertiary education al level, and two dependent unit (Quality Measurement Branch and the Center for Application of Scientific and Technical Advances), the Service manages scientific, technological and environmental activities within the province, through a network of the planning and investment (in Phan Thiết City) and planning and finance (in order eight districts) department.

For ten years of operation and development, under the leadership of the province's Party Committee and People's Committee as well as the professional direction of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MSTE) (present-day Ministry of Science and Technology), the Service has made great efforts to function as a local-level consulting and management agency in the field of science, technology and environment. Moreover, it has also showed its role and position managing science, technology and environment within the eastern South Vietnam and in the whole country.

The grapes I saw are an insignificant achievement of the successful projects of scientific and technological research and development conducted in Binh Thuan. From 1998 to 2002, the Service implemented and managed seven the province-level major scientific and technological programs and hundreds of research and development projects. These programs and projects focus on agriculture and rural development, fishery, industry and crafts, health care and environmental protection. Between 1992 and 2000, unfavorable climatic change resulted in constant floods and droughts. However, agricultural production was still promoted, reaching a stable annual growth rate of ever 6 percent. The food productivity increased by 17,000 tons on average (356,000 tons in 2000) and the per capita yield was 335 kg. These achievements were gained by improving the capacity of irrigational works and broadly introducing scientific and technical advances in cultivation and epidemic prevention. Nowadays, Binh Thuan fishermen are no long anxious about facing failures and bankruptcy in breeding shrimps because they are assisted and directed by scientists who have provided them with good knowledge modern technologies. Shrimps raised in Binh Thuan are "swimming" to all corners of the world.

Besides, the social science and humanity projects and surveys on local natural resources and environment conducted by the Service have laid foundation for the for the local Party committee and authorities to set up some policies. They have also provided grounds to amend and supplement many planning schemes of socio-economic development of the province and some sectors.

As a scientific and technological agency of Binh Thuan, the Service has implement development projects for rural and mountainous areas and three State-level independent scientific and technological researches funded by the MSTE. Among them five development projects of the assistance program of technical advance application to serve socio-economic development in rural and mountainous areas initiated by the MSTE for ten years (1993-2003) have been effectively implemented in ten communes of four districts Bac Binh, Ham Thuan Nam, Đuc Linh and Tuy Phong. Four State-level independent researches (period of 1995-1997), in the collaboration of central scientific and technological agencies, focused on environmental protection, GIS application, and the provision of Scientific data to readjust Bình Thuân province's planning scheme of socio- economic development. These researched were rea/1zed successfully. The Service has suggested the province's authority to issue and implement some policies on science and technology, such as renovating the management of scientific and technological themes and projects, assisting small and medium enterprises in setting up and applying the quality managing system in conformity with ISO-9000, HACCP and GMP For three years only (2001-2003), the Service has assisted seven out of nine enterprises. At the same time, the Service has initiated the establishment of the scientific and technological development fund to provide loans and assistance to some enterprises in renovating their technologies and equipment. This is a practical action of great significance in developing science and technology in the province.

Because of the urgent demands of the overall development, it is necessary to apply information technology in managing units and enterprises operating in Binh Thuan. In this context, the Service has played the role of a standing direction board of the provincial information technology program, helping the province's Party Committee and People's Committee to design programs and plans on information technology application and development in the period of 2001-2005. At the same time, the Service has actively introduced the training project of information technology to civil servants; built an initial infrastructure of information technology through some State management computerization projects; and implemented the projects to apply informatics m managing and operating the keynote sectors through investments from enterprises and individuals. Up to now, the province has established 33 local net- works (LAN), hundreds of Internet' links. a wide network (WAN) with 24 members, forming the databases for numerous sectors and organizing the provincial website. The province has trained 660 turns of students in all fields of informatics. from basic levels to programming, net-management, assembling, maintenance and system design, database building, Internet exploitation and e-mail, and introducing information technology in professional activities.

Its feasibility must be assessed, especially in terms of science, technology and environment, before an investment project is pull into reality. The number of 286 FDI projects. most of them with 100 percent foreign investment, in tourism and fishery are a convincing evidence that Binh Thuan's science and technology sector has considerably contributed to socio-economic development within the province in the past time. The province's Service of Science, Technology and Environment has cooperated with the relevant sectors and localities in inspecting and supervising ' business and production units operating in the province. So that, all violations of the laws on environmental protection and quality management have been timely punished. This is a necessary practice to stabilize the market order and protect the consumers' rights.

The entire province has 18 month productive agencies in charge of science and technology. Some of them have taken part in researching, applying and transferring scientific and technological advances in agriculture, forestry and fishery. Especially, the Center for Application of Scientific and Technical Advances has succeeded in researching and introducing scientific, technical and technological advances in production and life, realizing contracts on information ' technology, environment and provision of scientific and technical equipment.

The contingent of workers in charge of science, technology and environment in Binh Thuan has significantly developed for the past time. The whole province has 7,500 cadres of tertiary educational level. The number of postgraduate cadres has increased from one in 1993 to 86 in 2003. This is also an achievement and a big advantage for Binh Thuan to design and implement socio-economic activities. Moreover, the qualification of these cadres has been increasingly improved. The majority of them have tried best to study and raise their knowledge and grasp new technologies m some fields.

By applying information technology and improving the ability and qualification of the cadres in the science and technology sector to use modem devices, it is possible td believe that labor productivity, management efficiency as well as scientific and technological research and development in Binh Thuan will be further raised in the coming years.

Towards 2010

The targets of Bình Thuận to 2010 are to build a proper structure of industry- service-agriculture-fishery and forestry; to develop socio-economic infrastructure and production forces in an advanced production relationship; to make people's life prosperous and happy; to develop under the socialist orientations; and to gain the average annual GDP growth rate of 10-11 percent during the period of 2001- 2010. To fulfill these targets, Binh Thuan's sector of science, technology and environment needs lo make great efforts and be in the vanguard of orientating the development. The sector should focus in the four following issues:

(1) To research social psychology, customs and production standards of the ethnic minorities residing within the province in order lo lay scientific foundation for setting up lines, policies, plans and feasible measures for socio-economic development;

(2) To renew and raise technological level of the province's economy up to 2010, eradicating the present manual and backward production. It is necessary to promote this work in cultivating, exploiting and processing marine products, tourist services, agricultural and rural economic development. To encourage the transfer of scientific and technical advances in all aspects in rural and mountainous areas as well as the residential areas of ethnic minorities;

(3) To build and develop hi-tech industries, especially information technology and biotechnology. Up to 2010, the province's scientific and technological level should be raised to the average standards of the whole country. The focus on researching, renovating and modernizing technologies to process high-quality products, such as export agricultural and marine products and well-known traditional specialties, to meet the demands of the domestic and international markets;

(4) To strongly renovate the State management over science and technology to orientate scientific and technological activities to the market mechanism to create and develop a scientific and technological market in order to mobilize all resources in the society; and to diversify investments in scientific and technological development. At the same time, it is necessary to encourage and take measures to promote and broadly apply technical advances so that science and technology account for a big percentage in all activities and fields. The results of scientific and technological researches must be applied in production and life. To timely review and popularize new factors and good experience; to se up policies on attracting and using the pool of scientists and technicians.

Some specific norms for the sector in the future to come include:

(1) The total investment in science and technology must account for percent of GDP in 2005 and at least 1.5 per cent in 2010. The annual expenditure for science and technology must be higher than the province's budget expenditure;

(2) The contingent of scientist. Skilful worker must be nurtured to meet the demands of development. Up to 2010, the number of cadres with tertiary educational level must increase by 2.5 times. At least 2,000 cadres in charge of scientific and technologic activities must be supplemented in 2005;

(3) To build a central laboratory equipped with testing and analyzing devices of high accuracy to serve the implementation of modem biotechnologies. In 2005, the Center for Plant Varieties and Animal Breeds must be upgraded. A central measurement laboratory must be built and operated in conformity with the standard ISO/IEC 17025;

(4) To research and apply biotechnological achievements in order to improve productivity and value of plant varieties and anima/ breeds; to renovate and modernize technologies to process agricultural and marine products, so that the productivity of the processed agricultural and marine products will area at least 60 percent. In 2005, over 40 percent of the value of high-quality commodities will serve export and 70 percent in 2010;

(5) To mechanize the harvesting and processing of agricultural and marine products (40 percent in 2005 and 80 percent in 2010); 60 percent and 100 percent of the irrigation areas will be achieved in 2005 and 2010 respective. Information technology will be effectively applied in management, marketing trade exchange, tourism, communication and training, and cultural exchange;

(6) To increase the scientific al technological contribution to economic growth in the province. By 2005, science and technology will contribute to realizing the norms: the total products of the Province increases 12 percent per year on average, agriculture-forestry-fishery 9.5 percent, industry and construction 15 percent, service 14 percent, export turnover 30 percent; the number of poor households is reduced to under 5 percent; the per capita income rises 1.6 times against 2000.

To bring about a bright future for Binh Thuan is the task being realized the cadres in charge of science, technology and environment. And we can believe in a new vitality in this coast southeastern province.

BINH NGUYEN