1. Agriculture

- Cultivation: As of late March, the area under cultivation was 54,235 ha, up 1.1% against the same period last year. Of which rice was 29,496 ha, up 1.6% from 2013 same period; maize and grain crops 3,991 ha, equaling 99.6%; sugar-cane 54 ha, equaling 99.3%; tobacco 7 ha, up 16.7%; vegetable and soybean 4,679 ha, up 2%...

- Perennial plants: production of rubber latex in March reached 120 tons, in three months 460 tons, equaling 64.8% from the same period last year.

- Animal husbandry: As of April 1st, the province's flock of buffalos reached 33,115, up 2.2%; flock of oxen 87,214, equaling 94.7%; flock of pigs 353,586, up 1.3%; flock of poultry 2.499, up 2.4% from the same period last year. Production of delivered live-weight meat in the first months of this year reached 18,154 tons, up 4.6% from the same period last year.

2. Forestry

In the first quarter of this year, the province focused on wood exploitation and forest protection; speeded up progress of forestation for spring crop of 2014. So far, the province has planted 602 ha.

3. Fishery

Estimated fishing production in the first quarter reached 9,030, up 6.1% from the same period last year, of which farmed production gained 1,315 tons, went up by 1.8%; caught production reached 7,715 tons, rose 6.9% from the same period last year.

4. Industry

Industrial Production Index (IPI) in March was estimated to grow by 14.6% from last month and by 8.7% from the same period last year. Generally, in the first quarter of this year, IPI rose 7.1%, industrial production value (at comparative price in 2010) reached VND2,062.3 billion, up 9.8% from the same period last year.

Growth rate of main products was higher than the same period last year. Titanium ore reached 9,640 tons, up 1.9%; building stone 691,067 m3, up 6.6%; bottled beer 2,966 thousand liters, up 11.8%; frozen cuttle-fish 402 tons, up 1%; trade electricity 158 million Kwh, up 15%; tap-water 1,616 m3, up 7% from the same period last year.

5. Investment

In the first three months of 2014, volume of realized investment capital from the state budget reached VND664.2 billion, up 130.1% from the last year’s same period. Of which, the capital under central management reached VND386.9 billion; the capital under local management achieved VND277.3 billion. Concretely, the agriculture, forestry and fishery reached VND39.5 billion, the manufacturing VND28.1 billion; transport and storage VND449.8 billion, health and social relief activities VND26.8 billion, education and training VND28.9 billion, national defence and security VND24.9 billion...

6. Service

a. Total retailed sales of consumer goods and services

In the first three months of the year, total retail sales of consumer goods and services achieved VND3,766.6 billion, rose 14.3% from the same period last year. Of which private economy rose 17.9%, individual economy rose 11.3% and state economy rose 20.1%.

b. Exports - Imports

Exports: Generally, export turnovers gained US$7.7 million in March, US$23.2 million in three beginning months of the year, equaling 70.2% from the same period last year. Main export products were rubber, wood and aquatic products.

Imports: Import turnovers in three beginning months of the year reached US$11.4 million, equaling 93.9% from the same period last year. Main import products were buffaloes, wood, new medicine materials, and pottery.

c. Tourism

The number of tourists reached 281.900 arrivals in March, 809.600 arrivals in the first quarter of the year, rose 155.2%, of which international tourists reached 9.300 arrivals, rose 15.2% from the same period last year. Turnovers from hotels, restaurants and tourism gained VND120.9 billion in March, rose 20.3%, and VND355.3 billion in three beginning months of the year, rose 21.7% from the same period last year.

d. Transport

Estimated freight transport in the first three months of the year reached 4.2 million in tons, grew by 17% from the same period last year and 199.7 million in tons-km, by 11.1% from the same period last year.

Total passenger carriage in the first three months of the year was estimated to reach 4.1 million in the volume passengers, grew by 10.9% from the same period last year and 184.2 million in passengers-kilometers, by 6.7% from the same period last year.

Total carriage turnovers in three months reached VND555.4 billion, increased by 12.45% from the same period last year.

7. Business registration

From the beginning of the year to March 31, 2014 , 100 businesses were granted licence of business registration with total registered capital of over VND340 billion, rose 23% against the same period last year. Of which there were 07 joint-stock companies, 27 one-member limited companies, 63 two-member limited companies and 03 private companies.

8. Investment promotion

- ODA & NGO projects: In the first three months of the year, the province has received and approved six NGO projects with a committed capital of US$351,000. ODA projects have continuously being operated as scheduled plan.

- Investment promotion: Positive changes have been seen in investment promotion. The province has granted certificate of investment to 13 projects with a total capital of over VND8,500 billion; signed 05 agreements on investment cooperation with a total capital of VND10,800 billion.

In March of 2014, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) announced the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) 2013. Accordingly, Quang Binh ranked the 29th position in the list, a jump of 10 places in comparison to 2012.

9. Foreign affairs

+ Out-delegations: In the first quarter of the year, there were 06 out-delegations with 8 people to Laos, Thailand, China and Philippines for studying, training and conferences.

+ In-delegations: there were 20 in-delegations with 114 people from Laos, Thailand, Japan, Germany, England, America... for visiting and working.

10. Revenues and expenditures

- Budget revenues: Total estimated provincial revenues in the first quarter of the year were VND 371.7 billion, reached 17.03% of the local estimate, grew by 9% from the same period last year, of which domestic revenues reached VND 318.7 billion, reached 17.38% of the local revenues; from export-import tax VND55 billion, reached 15.28% of the local estimate, equaling 71.4% from the same period last year. Of domestic revenues, VND25.89 billion was from central state enterprises, equaling 99.52%; VND232.2 billion from local state enterprises, rose 61.7%; VND110.9 billion from non-state enterprises, rose 30.4%; VND 36.6 billion from land use tax, up 1.7%; VND 25.9 billion from registration fees, up 16.95% from the same period last year.

- Budget expenditure: Total budget expenditures in the first quarter of the year were at an estimate of VND 1,096 billion, reached 17.38% of the local estimate. 
As of March 31, 2014, total mobilized capital reached VND17,558 billion, up 1.2% compared to last month and up 6.5% from the beginning of the year. The outstanding debt of loans reached VND19,872 billion, grew by 3.3% from last month and by 4% from the beginning of the year.

11. Education

In the first quarter of the year, the province had 616 schools and educational establishments; 159/159 communes, wards and towns established community-based studying center, reached 100%; 159/159 communes, wards and towns reached primary compulsory education at the right age; 158/159 communes, wards and towns (accounting for 99.37%) and 7/7 districts and city reached secondary compulsory education. Furthermore, in this school year, the province had 155,278 pupils for three teaching levels, decreasing 2,129 pupils against the previous school year, reached 1.35%, of which there were 77,194 primary pupils, 52,814 secondary pupils and 33,169 high school pupils.

12. Sport

The high performance sports have gained remarkably results. The sport team of Quang Binh province won 13 medals (03 golds, 02 silvers and 08 bronzes) at the Central chess tournament.

13. Food shortage

Poverty alleviation has continuously concerned and speeded up. As of late 2013, the province had 31,796 poor households suffering from food shortage, accounted for 14.18%; and 40,480 near-poor households suffering from food shortage. Striving to 2014, rate of poor households is expected to reduce by 4%, alone Minh Hoa district down 9%.

14. Traffic accidents

Generally, in the first quarter of the year, the province had 94 cases of traffic accidents, killing 39 persons and injuring 82 others. Compared to the same period in 2013, cases of traffic accidents reduced by 44 cases, deaths by 17 persons, injured persons by 58 persons. Of which traffic accidents by road had 93 cases, killing 38 persons and injuring 82 others; by rail had a case, killing a person.

Translated by N.Y 
(Source: Report No.388/KHDT-TH dated April 7, 2014 of the Department of Planning and Investment)