(MENAFN- IANS) Hanoi, July 31 (IANS) Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday reaffirmed the government's determination to complete 3,000 kilometers of expressways nationwide by the end of 2025, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Chairing the 19th meeting of the State Steering Committee for Key National Transport Projects, Chinh stressed the strategic importance of infrastructure in boosting economic growth and regional connectivity, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the report.

He called on ministries, agencies, and localities to accelerate progress, overcome obstacles, and act more boldly to meet the expressway target as part of the national 500-day emulation campaign, according to the report.

Chinh also urged local authorities to resolve issues related to site clearance, construction materials, and administrative procedures to ensure smooth project execution and help achieve the country's 2025 socio-economic goals.

Earlier on June 30, Vietnamese localities held ceremonies to announce provincial mergers and the launch of a new two-tier local government model, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Under the new model, Vietnam now comprises 34 provincial-level administrative units, including 28 provinces and six centrally governed cities, down from the previous total of 63. As per the report, the district-level administration were scheduled to be removed from July 1. At the ceremonies, the list of leaders for the newly merged localities was also made public.

Speaking at the event in southern Ho Chi Minh City, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam described the mergers as "a historic step" with strategic significance. He said the move marks a new stage in the development of a streamlined and efficient state apparatus.

The reform aims to build a modern administration that is close to the people and operates for the benefit of the people, he said.

In June, the Vietnamese government approved the establishment of the country's first free trade zone in the central city of Da Nang, local media VnExpress reported.

Covering an area of 1,881 hectares, the zone is expected to become a major economic, logistics and technological hub in the Asia-Pacific region, the report added. In the long term, the Da Nang free trade zone aims to serve as a key link in global and regional supply chains.

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