The "National Defense Industry Development Committee" was set up, inspected one industrial village after another, participated in meetings organized by more than 20 chambers of commerce, large and small, such as the "Shipbuilding Chamber of Commerce," the "Textile Industry Federation," and the "Wood and Furniture Association," visited the rural areas near the industrial villages, and visited old friends in various Catholic settlements.

I have been abroad for too long and have too many things to do, so I stayed in Saigon for a few hours on the day I returned home.

Over the past year, try to avoid getting involved in politics as much as possible.

Immersed in hard work, except for some economic and industrial propaganda, almost no other issues have spoken, but we cannot blindly hide, otherwise others really think that the industrial investment company is an "independent kingdom".

On the 25th of the lunar month, Li Weimin, Chen Shiguo, Liu Jiachang, Vu An Dong and the managers of various industrial villages all rushed to Saigon to hold the company's annual celebration at the Burj Al Arab, inviting senior officials from the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of State Assembly, the Ministry of Transport and Postal Services, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Social Affairs and other government departments, as well as the families of some company employees.

The hall on the first floor is full of booths.

Illustrated and illustrated, a special person explains, introducing the achievements of the industrial investment company since its establishment.

The headquarters was moved to Vung Tau, and several industrial villages in the south were too remote and Da Nang industrial villages were too far away, and they were fully closed. Even some government officials who are not of sufficient rank want to enter, they have to apply for an industrial village permit or a special zone permit in advance. I only know that it is good, the wages of the workers are quite high, and many people really don't know how it is good.

"We have a long-term plan for the development of various industrial villages, Pingdong Industrial Village is a light industry, so far there have been 126 textile, clothing, small hardware and some daily necessities enterprises; Vung Tau Industrial Estate is mainly based on ships, port and terminal equipment, construction machinery and machining. There are not many enterprises, and the scale is not small, such as Wu Ji Heavy Industry, Vung Tau Port Machinery, Xingyue Shipbuilding, etc.......

The Minister of Justice asked with interest: "What about Da Nang?" ”

Li Weimin took the small wooden stick from the narrator's hand and said with a smile: "Da Nang Industrial Village is now mainly light industry. There are chemical industries, deep processing of agricultural products, and rubber industry. Next, we will develop industries such as coal and coke, smelting and cement according to local conditions......"

In the past, Vietnam only exported agricultural products and minerals, but now there are many types of exports, and last year, the export volume of garments in Quang Binh Dong and Vung Tau Industrial Villages reached an astonishing more than 34 million US dollars, and the products are exported to more than 30 countries and regions such as the United States, Australia, Canada, West Germany, France, Switzerland, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Miraculously built and put into operation more than 100 daily chemical and small commodity enterprises. Basically, it meets the needs of the domestic market, and products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, laundry detergents, and shampoos are even sold to Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.

The "sugar-papermaking" project, which is being built in Boliao Industrial Village, will benefit hundreds of thousands of farmers when it is put into operation next year. Sugar cane grown by farmers is purchased, and the residue is used to make paper after the sugar is made; The cigarette project also benefits farmers and can motivate them to grow tobacco leaves.

Iron and steel companies, chemical engineering companies, power equipment companies and electronics companies in the Phu Quoc Special Zone are even more impressive. It will not be long before all the steel, fertilizers, pesticides, gasoline, diesel, lubricating oil, electric wires, power transformers, radios, and telephones can be produced.

Ngo Dinh Diem is not what it used to be, keeping his distance from officials like an emperor, and rarely showing his head.

It is said that these senior ministerials are after a meeting or after a briefing. They all bent down and exited the president's office, not daring to turn around and face their butts at him.

Ngo Dinh Diem did not come, Ngo Dinh Diem went to Hue, and Tran Lichun was upstairs with a group of wives to promote her ideas, and the guests could speak freely.

More than 70 percent of government agencies and military expenditures depend on U.S. aid, and Americans don't have that easy money to get, and they are often stretched thin, and the Treasury secretary is overwhelmed. I have been staring at the "fat" of the industrial investment company for a long time, and said bluntly: "Mr. Min." The government is unable to make ends meet, the salaries of civil servants and military personnel have not risen for two years, and the prices of goods have risen several times. ”

The Minister of Economic Affairs thought so deeply and said with a serious face: "The average monthly salary of ordinary workers in Pingdong Industrial Village is more than 1,400. It is equivalent to twice that of ordinary civil servants and three times that of ordinary soldiers, and the income gap is too large, so personal income tax can be considered. ”

The Minister of the Interior said: "The industrial villages are not all engaged in industry, there are many traders who are engaged in the sale of small commodities, grain, oil and vegetables. These people are not eligible for preferential policies. ”

……

Even the ministers of labor, agriculture and fisheries development, and veterans' affairs followed suit.

Expected.

Li Weimin coughed twice, smiled and said: "Everyone, the credibility of the government is more important than anything else. If the order is changed and reversed, who will dare to invest in the future? As for the income gap, I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

Workers in industrial estates are much more fortunate than civil servants, working an average of more than 11 hours a day and often working overtime. In fact, in industrial estates, frontline workers are also paid more than management.

What's more, most of them are refugees. Before entering the industrial village, there was no land or housing, and now the income is quite high, and if you cut off the housing loan, you will not get much every month. In other words, there are no conditions for individual income tax at present. ”

The Refugee Council had just been disbanded, and everyone knew that the government would not provide land or help build houses for the refugees resettled by the industrial investment company. From this point of view, it is true that the conditions for taxation are not met.

"Fighting local tyrants, that's what the Vietminh did. All of you are high-ranking officials, and you should know that if our poor and white country wants to develop industry, it can only support, support, and support, and now considering the issue of taxation is tantamount to killing chickens and taking eggs. ”

Li Weimin paused, pointed to the map beside Chen Shiguo and Liu Jiachang and said: "I invite you to come today, first, to participate in our company's annual celebration, and secondly, to introduce to you several industrial villages and several highways in the plan. ”

Ha Tien, Soc Trang, Can Tho, Long Chuan, and Golden Gull are all in the south.

Counting the previous Boliao and Dishi industrial villages, the industrial investment company involves six provinces: Fangding, Anjiang, Boliao, Jianjiang and Jinou. If the map shows Ha Tien - Jingbian - Bemi An - Zhu Du Highway, Zhu Du - Long Chuan - Can Tho - Soc Trang Highway, Shuo Trang - Bo Liao - Shun Hoa - Jinou Highway, and the Jinou - Di Thi - Ha Tien Highway on the southern coast is completed. The next six provinces will be connected.

What does the industrial investment company want to do, do you want to turn the six provinces into a super-large "independent kingdom"?

The ministers looked at each other, and no one spoke.

If you want to deal with North Vietnam, you can't do without a stable rear, and Li Weimin is planning to turn the lower six provinces into "independent kingdoms", precisely because he is worried about the resistance. The Ngo Dinh Diem brothers did not attend, and wanted him to go out first to find out the internal situation of the government.

"The industrial village plan is inseparable from your support, if you have no opinions, after the Spring Festival, we will coordinate with the provinces to try to determine the compensation for land acquisition as soon as possible."

"Mr. Min, isn't it good to build the second batch of industrial villages in the six provinces?"

"Bien Hoa, Quang Ngai, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet are all available, the conditions are better than those places, why are they all located in the south?"

……

Chen Shiguo explained with a smile: "The east and the west cannot form a joint force, and they cannot complement each other's advantages. It will add a lot of unnecessary costs. We named the second batch of industrial villages as 'Southern Development'. In order to reduce the burden on the government and drive more people to work, several highways are all invested by our company, and there is no need for the Ministry of Communications and various provinces and cities to contribute. ”

Several provincial governors will definitely support it, and the Fourth Tactical District will support it as well. Money can make the devil grind, maybe they have made a deal in private.

They were silent, and Li Weimin said meaningfully: "The president has made up his mind. As the management of the company, we are not only determined but also confident. ”

"The Great Development of the South. That's a lot of money! ”

"Mr. Min, since President Yan supports it, we support it as well."

Those who know the times are junjie, the general trend has gone, whether they are happy or not, they must be unconditionally supported. Dictatorship is good. Li Weimin and Chen Shiguo looked at each other and smiled, and beckoned everyone to go upstairs to eat.

After the banquet, he rushed to the Independence Palace with Chen Lichun.

The highway from Ha Tien to Zhu Du is on the border between Vietnam and Cambodia, and when the road is opened, the economy can develop. The mobilization of troops would be more convenient and would largely prevent the infiltration of Vietminh elements into the south.

Not only did Ngo Dinh Diem support it, but the US ambassador and the US military advisory group also supported him, beckoning him to sit down, and said with a smile: "For the people, after the successful development of the south, our rear will be stable." In addition to funding, what kind of support do you need from the government? ”

"You have to deal with several provinces, and it involves the fourth tactical area, and the relationship is not very easy to straighten, if you can, can you transfer the sixth brother back and ask him to sit in Can Tho, coordinate relations with the provinces, cities and counties and the army, and at the same time supervise the ongoing land reform."

The company is only responsible for building roads and developing six industrial villages, and has no power or energy to intervene in local affairs.

If you want to build a good rear, you must be firm with both hands, and you can't develop industrial villages, but the countryside is in a mess, Wu Tingyan thinks it is very reasonable, and agrees: "This is a good idea, let Tinglian come back to supervise the land reform, and supervise the clean-up work of the six provinces." ”

"Thank you."

Li Weimin smiled and continued: "Mr. Yan, we can take the southern development plan as an important topic during our visit to the United States, and if President Eisenhower does not agree to expand the size of the armed forces and increase aid, he will retreat and apply for a loan in the name of the industrial investment company. ”

Some time ago, the United States sent an observer mission to stay for more than a month, and finally came to the conclusion that it was to reduce its aid, and in fact it was for how to reduce their spending in Asia.

It is precisely because of this that Diem is in a hurry to visit the United States.

He took a deep breath and asked solemnly, "For the people, how likely do you think we will succeed?" ”

The Yankees were right that his only strategy was to seek American assistance.

Li Weimin pondered for a moment and said in a low voice: "Mr. Yan, it's not that you are discouraged, it is already very good to be able to maintain the current 230 million. Their focus is on Europe, not Asia, and they will not support our military expansion or provide additional assistance. ”

………………………

PS: I have a cold, dizziness and brain swelling, today's update, please forgive me (to be continued.) )