The best development track for Tra Vinh is to draw investment into the sea economy, which helps to diversify investment fields.
According to Mr Le Van Huong, Deputy Head of Department of Planning and Investment, Tra Vinh is a coastal province in the Mekong Delta, bounded by the East Sea in the East. Tra Vinh lies on the international sea transport route through Dinh An seaport, suitable for harbour development. The locality has 65 kilometres of coast, 24,000 hectares of forest and many historical vestiges and pagodas with great potential in attracting investment into tourism and resorts. Given its location, the province targets sea economic development as a crucial task.
At the moment, the Government is implementing key works such as lanes for heavy vessels coming into the Hau River; upgrading and expanding highway 53, 54, 60; building sea harbour, Duyen Hai thermoelectricity centre, which will provide favourable conditions for investors in Tra Vinh.
The Dinh An Economic Zone project not only opens the door to Tra Vinh, but also adds wings to the future of the whole Mekong Delta. According to the Prime Minister’s Decision, Dinh An Economic Zone covers 39,020 hectares with initial capital of US$4.5 billion. This will be a general economic zone with varied industries and fields: industrial park, sea harbour, city of finance – telecommunication – commerce – service, tourism spots, and agriculture – forestry – fishery.
Dinh An Economic Zone will be divided into two phases. In phase I, Dinh An Economic Zone will invest in lanes for heavy vessels in the Hau River, build industrial park and functional area; build Ba Dong tourism spot, and upgrade Duyen Hai and Dinh An into towns. In the future, the province’s eastern districts will be an international trading port, the most bustling town in the Mekong Delta, which will ensure increasing attraction of investors coming to Tra Vinh. The next phase up to 2030 will complete investment for this economic zone. By that time, Dinh An Economic Zone will have a modern oil refinery equipped with the latest American technology; deep-water harbour for vessels of 50,000DWT, warehousing for southern provinces, plus shipbuilding yard, steel laminating factory, supporting industrial parks, custom clearance, standard urban and some other technical infrastructure criteria such as water supply of 150 litres per person per day for the whole population, electrical supply of 1,000KWh per one per year, etc. In this phase, local employers estimate that the economic zone will attract and create jobs for over 40,000 local labourers.
Tra Vinh authorities show their confidence in development of the project in future. Once the project is put into operation, it will become one of the economic – cultural centres of Tra Vinh province and the gateway international trading port for the whole Mekong Delta.
Mr Huong said, projects in the sea economy that are calling for investment include a project building fishery and aquatic product manufacturing factory; project of offshore fishing; project of developing fishery species meeting Global GAP standard; project growing oyster; project raising prawn, shrimp, crab; project investing development of 500 hectares of Con Cu salt zone; project growing protective forests in Cau Ngang, Duyen Hai districts; project of building river harbour, sea harbor; project of shipbuilding; and project of oil refinery.
Huyen Phuong
Vietnamese
