GDP growth rate is 0, what is the solution to "Bengbu live"

  ■ Column

  If third- and fourth-tier cities and old industrial bases want to rejuvenate themselves, the key is to rely on their own hematopoiesis, and by building a market-oriented and law-based business environment to create the vitality of their own development.

  "Bengbu City has reached the critical moment of 'there is no way to retreat, and there is a backwater'." On January 17, Zheng Shajie, secretary of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee, and the Bengbu delegation reviewed " In the "Government Work Report", it gave a deafening warning to this once-famous old industrial base.

  Huge transformation pressure

  In the past 2021, the economy of Bengbu, an old industrial base, has stalled, and the growth rate of regional GDP is 0, which is far from the target of 8.5% planned at the beginning of the year.

As the Pearl of Huaishang and the economic center of northern Anhui, Bengbu, known as the "Pearl City", "couldn't hold back", which was a wake-up call for Anhui.

  The economic stall in Bengbu reveals a general proposition, representing the situation of a class of cities in the new economic era.

Under the triple pressure of the economy facing shrinking demand, supply shocks and weakening expectations, how can third- and fourth-tier cities and old industrial bases find their own positioning to shine in the new year?

Obviously, breaking the economic stall in Bengbu also provides a sample for the economic transformation and upgrading of third- and fourth-tier cities and old industrial bases.

  Since 2018, although my country's economy has faced downward pressure, the adjustment of economic structure and the replacement of old and new economic power engines have actually entered a period of acceleration.

The former old industrial base, Bengbu, faces greater pressure for transformation than other third- and fourth-tier cities and old industrial bases.

This is similar to "darkness under the lights". Being in the Yangtze River Delta, where China's economy is most active, the surrounding areas of Bengbu are basically surrounded by strong players.

When the current Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is still in the stage of aggregation rather than radiation, the surrounding areas are absorbing fields for Bengbu, and the resources of Bengbu will be absorbed by the regions that have been integrated into the Yangtze River Delta Economic Belt to varying degrees.

  In fact, as the production place of the first sewing machine and the first TV in the country, the economic stall in Bengbu did not appear today.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the economic growth rate of Bengbu has dropped from the third position in Anhui Province.

In 2000, it fell to the eighth place in Anhui Province, and by 2015, it has been ranked seventh among the 16 cities in Anhui for six consecutive years, and the economic downturn trend is obvious.

  The layout of the high-end track will be verified by time

  For more than 20 years, despite Bengbu's efforts and hard work, the transformation of the traditional old industrial base is unforgettable.

At the same time, this also reflects that, as one of the leaders of my country's economy, the Yangtze River Delta is still in the stage of economic added value climbing in terms of economic structure and industrial structure, and the radiation diffusion capacity needs to be further strengthened.

  The GDP growth rate of the Bengbu region is 0. According to the current official explanation, the main reasons are that the industrial transformation and upgrading is not fast, the total economic volume is not large, the industrial structure is not optimal, the energy level of the central city is not high, the factor constraints are large, and the people’s livelihood security has shortcomings. The level of development capacity still needs to be improved, and the county support is not strong enough.

Today, there are 952 industrial enterprises above designated size in Bengbu, ranking ninth in Anhui and less than half of Hefei.

  Anhui's higher requirements for Bengbu are not only for the balanced development of the regional economy of Anhui Province, but also based on the industrial thinking of Bengbu as an old industrial base.

The dividends of the policy undoubtedly provide space for Bengbu to develop. In particular, Anhui has determined that Bengbu will focus on the development of silicon-based new materials, bio-based new materials, new energy and other industries, which has indeed determined the direction of economic transformation and development for Bengbu.

  However, it will take time to verify whether these new high-end tracks match the economic comparative advantage of Bengbu.

After all, for old industrial bases such as Bengbu, in order to support the high-end track in terms of talent, technology, capital, etc., it may not be enough only through investment and policies.

  The key is to rely on self-hematopoiesis

  In fact, “Bengbu has lived” is related to the fact that third- and fourth-tier cities and old industrial bases have been unable to escape the shackles of traditional systems and mechanisms.

The failure of some local transformations is still due to the failure to effectively clarify the relationship between better playing the role of the government and letting the market play a decisive role in resource allocation, and not doing enough in the construction of a market-oriented and law-based business environment, which has hindered regional economic growth. Inner vitality, which in turn leads to the loss of local labor, capital, technology and other resources.

It can be seen that "Bengbu lived" is essentially the pain of the development mechanism.

  With the rapid development of the digital economy, the transformation of old and new economic kinetic energy is accelerating, and the third- and fourth-tier cities and old industrial bases should be rejuvenated. The business environment focuses on the market's decisive role in resource allocation, activates the vitality of the market, and activates the creativity and initiative of market players.

Only in this way can the old industrial bases and the economy of third- and fourth-tier cities truly enter a virtuous circle through the free competition of market players in the market and the extraction of local endowment advantages.

  □Liu Xiaozhong (financial columnist)

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