On July 13, in Can Tho City, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a conference with leaders of central ministries, sectors, and localities in the Mekong Delta region.

The conference focused on evaluating the implementation of the two-tier local government model; reviewing the progress of key transportation projects; and assessing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Project for One million hectares of high-quality, low-emission specialized rice.

This was the Prime Minister’s first working trip and conference with the Mekong Delta region since the two-tier local government model officially came into operation on July 1, 2025, in accordance with the orientation to reorganize the administrative structure of provinces and centrally-run cities.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Governor Pham Thanh Ha provided updates on the reorganization of SBV regional branches and the operational status of credit institutions. The Deputy Governor affirmed that the banking system in the localities has now stabilized. Operations related to monetary activities, credit, treasury, payments, and inspection and supervision are being carried out smoothly, with uninterrupted connectivity, effectively meeting the needs of both individuals and businesses.

Amidst the ongoing restructuring of local administrative systems under the two-tier model, the Deputy Governor requested that SBV regional branches continue to closely guide the operations of credit institutions in their respective areas, especially on issues related to paperwork during the transition such as name changes, form/template adjustments, and seal replacements, in order to support credit institutions in resuming operations promptly and effectively serving the public and businesses.

Regarding the Sustainable Development Project for 1 million hectares of high-quality, low-emission specialized rice, the Deputy Governor noted that the banking system has been actively involved, implementing directives from the Government and the Prime Minister. The SBV has proactively coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and has implemented multiple measures, instructing commercial banks to actively provide loans to support the project.

To date, in addition to Agribank — the key bank participating without credit limits—seven other commercial banks have registered to lend to project members, with a total pledged capital of approximately VND 17,000 billion during the pilot phase (until the end of 2025). Notably, just one month after the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment announced the list of participating models and enterprises, as of the end of June 2025, banks had actively approached customers and disbursed loans. As a result, total loan disbursement for this project has reached approximately VND 5,200 billion.

The Deputy Governor affirmed that the SBV will continue directing commercial banks to proactively reach eligible borrowers under the project to accelerate disbursement, while closely coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, localities, and relevant units to promptly resolve any arising issues or challenges during the capital funding process for this project.

Kylie Nguyen