Southern ProvinceUpliftingSea Economy

Ca Mau province defines that developing the seaborne economy and the coastal region is the fundamental task and an important driving force to become an “open economic zone.” Implementing the Resolution of the Central Party and the Action Programme of the Government for Vietnam Sea Strategy until 2020, the Party Committee of Ca Mau province has adopted many solutions to promote its internal forces to develop its sea economy. Song Doc and Nam Can will be the springboards for the sea economy and the coastal region to leap from.

Ca Mau is the only province with the coastline on both the east and west sides. The coast is 254 km in length, making up 7.8 % of the country’s coast, including 107 km on the east side and 147 km on the west side. Ca Mau is famous for many near-shore islands like Hon Khoai, Hon Chuoi and Hon Da Bac. Its mangrove forest is the largest in the country, with 60,000 ha, accounting for 77 % of the Mekong Delta’s mangrove forest area. The province also has the largest fishery in the country, which ensures the top place of the province in seafood export. Besides, the continental shelf in Ca Mau is estimated to hold a large oil and gas reserve.

With such advantages, Ca Mau province has accelerated its investment and obtained initial heartening results, with basically positive changes to the economy and society. The economic growth of sea and island zones was about 13.27 % in the 2001-2007 period, compared with 12.39 % of the entire province.

Resources from the sea and islands enable Ca Mau province to develop in spite of numerous difficulties arising from spread out households, which multiples hardships in developing infrastructure and building electricity and traffic systems. Many riverside residents are polluting the environment.

Ca Mau province expects to spur its economic growth to 16-17 % in the 2006 - 2010 period, 16.2 % in the 2011 - 2015 period and 18 per cent in the 2016 - 2020 period. To achieve these targets, the province will continue exerting agriculture and forestry resources to develop the seaborne economy, and expand the industrial and urban development by investing in large-scale driving projects like industrial parks, Nam Can Economic Zone and tourist sites. At the same time, it also sketches out a master plan for socioeconomic development for the sea and island area until 2020 based on sufficient and scientific assessments of socioeconomic development resources.