For the past years, the Government has always given priorities in supporting to socio-economic development in the Central Highlands in general and Lam Dong province in particular. With such valuable support, Lam Dong itself has always actively taken its advantages and successfully implemented dynamic measures to foster social-economic development. Lam Dong has gradually become an ideal destination for both national and international investors. To learn more about this remarkable achievement, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Phan Van Da, Director of Lam Dong Department of Planning and Investment. Thanh Hoang reports.
For the past years, despite many difficulties, Lam Dong has still attracted many investors, helping to increase local growth rate during period 2006-2011 to 14 percent. Can you say something about this success?
Investment attraction plays a crucial role in Lam Dong socio-economic growth. Thus, in the past time, the province has made efforts to improve investment environment, build and actively conduct the plan to increase competitiveness index, support investors to implement projects etc. In the period 2006-2011, Lam Dong approved 815 projects with total registered fund of VND102,600 billion, on the area of 87,000 hectares, in which there are 705 ones agreed or licensed with total registered fund of over VND96,500 billion, 249 on-going ones with total registered fund of over VND32,000 billion and implementation fund of over 9,000 billion, 165 working ones with total fund of VND5,640 billion.
Investment projects have helped to exploit Lam Dong’s potential, which suits provincial economic-social development orientation. Some of them have created good conditions for social-economic growth, helping to create more jobs, stabilize and improve life for local residents and increase local budget.
To realize the target of becoming a developed province in the Central Highlands by 2020, with large proportion of service sector in its economic structure, what sectors has Lam Dong focused its investment into?
In tourism sector, we have emphasised on selective investments for high quality tourism, diversifying and improving tourism products which are of provincial advantages such as resorts, eco-tourism, cultural tourism, MICE etc. The province gives priority to investment projects related to tourism infrastructure construction; historical, cutural and relics works restoration etc. At the same time, we focus on attracting and speeding up projects in Tuyen Lam Lake, Dan Kia – Da Lat, Dai Ninh, Cam Ly-Mang Lin, Langbian, Dam M’Bri, Cat Tien National Park, Bi Doup-Nui Ba etc.
Concerning trade, the emphasis is put on appealing investment for development of plazas, supermarket, high quality central markets in Da Lat City, Bao Loc and urban areas; formation of head markets in some provincial key economic zones
To beat the above goals, in coming time, Lam Dong will build efficient investment attraction programmes, focus on fostering investment promotional activities, and mobilize to selectively appeal investment. Besides, the province also continues to improve investment environment, foster administrative reform, and increase provincial competitiveness. At the same time, the province will manage to help investors address their difficulties. Priority is given to reasonable attraction of investment projects into key zones to make up development motive; meanwhile, preferential offers are made available for those in areas and zones of difficult social-economic conditions.
Lam Dong needs VND285 trillion for realising socio-economic development target by 2020. Thus, how can the province mobilize such amount of investment?
The amount of fund needed for Lam Dong socio-economic development from 2011 to 2020 is about VND285 trillion( approximately VND85 trillion for 2011-2015; roughly VND200 trillion for 2016-2020). To mobilize such amount of fund for development investment, Lam Dong continues to adopt a diverse and multipartite fund-raising measure; concentrate on improving investment environment, foster investment communication and promotion and adopt preferential policies under supervision flexibly, transparently and legally; invest into comprehensive infrastructure to receive investment projects.
Concerning non-state budgets, the province takes full advantages of state budget allocations for target programmes, key projects and investment into infrastructure works and into poor or difficult communes and areas. As for credit funds, they will be used to promote spearhead industries, projects of new technologies, new products and scale expansion. Meanwhile, regarding funds from enterprises and individuals, the province encourages and create favorable conditions for individuals and enterprises from economic sectors to spend their money in production and trading; to foster capital market.
With other budgets, the province promotes investment mobilization and promotion activitites; extend and foster coorperation between Lam Dong with regional localities. At the same time, ODA, NGO funds are also effectively mobilized and used etc.
To increase investment, which measures will Lam Dong adopt for the period 2011-2020?
We pay attention to implementing well social-economic development planning activities; build, add and introduce development plans for industries, economic zones etc. We also continue to build investment environment in the direction of openness, transparency and friendliness; foster administrative reform; create preferential conditions for businesses to gather information, take investment procedures and carry out projects. The province also strengthens the relationship “being fellow with enterprises”, regularly discusses to tackle their difficulties.
In addition to efforts to form highly qualified technical staff to meet business’s demand, the province also emphasizes on building and completing social-economic infrastructure to fulfill needs of investors, makes up favorable conditions for them to seek highest efficiency in operation.
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