Joining Forces with Mekong Delta Region for Development

 

Like other provinces in the Mekong Delta, Dong Thap has the potential to develop commercial agriculture, farm product processing, building material manufacturing, consumer goods production, commerce, services and tourism.

 

Dong Thap has a dense river and canal system favourable for waterway transportation. This is also a source of freshwater for agricultural development. It has a variety of soil like silt, alkaline soil and grey soil, with over half being silt. The province also has several types of minerals like peat, kaolin clay, construction sand, and brick clays.

 

Dong Thap holds advantages in agriculture and fisheries, generating 2.2 - 2.4 million tonnes of rice, nearly 200,000 tonnes of fish and shrimps and over 100,000 tonnes of fruit. The abundant supply of farming and aquaculture materials is also an advantage to develop the processing industry.

 

Especially, Dong Thap is well-known for many places of interest like Tram Chim National Park, Xeo Quyt and Go Thap relics, Gao Giong bird sanctuary and Sa Dec bonsai village.

 

With its available resources, Dong Thap keeps high socioeconomic growth. GDP growth in 2001-2005 was 9.93 per cent/year (in 2006 up 14.27 per cent). Rice yield reached 2.4 million tonnes in 2006. Industrial production, service and trading grew over 20 per cent on average. Capital mobilisation for development was up 26 per cent annually on average. The province has created jobs for some 35,000 labourers annually and reduced the household poverty rate to 10.72 per cent.

In 2005, VCCI ranked Dong Thap as the 11^th most attractive locality in Vietnam on the provincial competitiveness index. In 2006, the province ranked second in the Mekong Delta region. The development of Dong Thap will play an active role in boosting regional and national development. Thus, Dong Thap always cooperates with other provinces on measures to sharpen economic competitiveness as Vietnam joined the WTO and carried out WTO entry commitments. It raises living standards for residents, protects the environment and keeps social order and security to steadily integrate into the world.

 

Dong Thap will raise the proportion of industry, commerce and services in its economic structure.

 

Under the development orientation to 2010 and 2020, the province will focus on effectively exploiting its advantages and exerting external forces to keep annual GDP growth at 14-14.5 per cent, raise its economic size by 2010 to 3.12 times the size in 2000, and per capita GDP to US$750, reduce agricultural, aquaculture and forestry contributions to GDP to 40 per cent, raise industry and service contributions to 60 per cent of GDP, raise the trained employee proportion to 40 per cent, create jobs for 40,000 people a year and reduce the poverty rate to 4.5 per cent.

 

To carry out industrialisation and modernisation, Dong Thap will continue comprehensive renovation, mobilise available resources for socioeconomic development, speed up economic restructuring and eradicate waste.

Dong Thap always creates the most favourable conditions for all investors. Thus, the province seriously evaluates its advantages and minimises adverse impacts on investment attraction. The province improves the investment and business environment with stronger administrative reform, suitable amendments to incentive policies, smooth site clearance and building of industrial, commercial and urban zones, especially border zones, to facilitate investors carrying out their projects. It also seeks to settle economic disputes smoothly, meets businesses regularly and completes business environment improvement projects.

 

I believe investors will be pleased with the environment here and more investors will come to Dong Thap.