Can Tho marks decade operation as centrally run city A corner of the Can Tho City (source; VNA Authorities and people of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho gathered at a ceremony on December 29 to celebrate their locality’s tenth anniversary as a centrally run city (2004-2013) and receive the Independence Order, First Class.  Addressing the event, Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) Secretariat Le Hong Anh praised the outstanding the achievements the city obtained over the time. He said in the coming time, the city needs to promote solidarity, seize opportunities, and make greater efforts to turn it into a modern, green, industrial one, deserving its role as an important gateway for the lower Mekong river region. Can Tho will also strive to become a centre of industry, trade, services, education and training, science and technology, health care and culture, a key transport point and a major, strategic location in national security defence of the Mekong Delta and the whole country, he said. To achieve that, Anh urged the city to uphold its traditions, promote patriotic emulation movements, and make good use of available resources to drive its socio economic development in a rapid and sustainable manner. According to Tran Thanh Man, CPVCC member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee, Can Tho has recorded an average annual GDP growth rate of 14.5 percent during the 10-year period. With its GDP per capita increasing six fold from 10.3 million VND in 2004 to nearly 63 million VND in 2013, many important infrastructural facilities were put into operation, contributing to accelerating socio-economic development in the city and the Mekong Delta region. On the occasion, Le Hong Anh awarded the independence order, first class to the city.-VNA