Sustainable Development: Not Exchanging Short-term Growth for Long-term Consequences

Long An is located in the Mekong delta and the key southern economic region, linking the south-eastern and south-western areas. It is also an industrial and urban extension of Ho Chi Minh City. Having the Soai Rap river gate to the sea and sharing a border line with Cambodia, Long An province has favourable conditions for economic development and trade exchange. The province has promoted its investment in infrastructure development, especially the traffic system, to meet development requirements.

 

Apart from the advantages, Long An has difficulties and disadvantages, such as poorly developed infrastructure facilities, slow site clearance and compensation and human resources underdevelopment.

 

When investors come to Long An province, we introduce them our advantages and disadvantages to help them consider and implement their projects effectively. We have striven to give adequate information to investors before they make investment decisions.

 

In terms of the 2006 PCI, which was recently announced, Long An ranks 39^th out of 64 provinces and cities. There are different ideas about reliability of PCI, but we consider it constructive research, which can show us our weaknesses, so we can improve our investment environment. In the coming time, the province will co-operate with the PCI research group to get more detail information about evaluations made by enterprises so as to improve the local investment environment and improve its image among investors.

 

In the past, places for attracting investment were not planned properly. As a result, some damage has been caused to the environment. Long An province has accelerated economic growth, securing the province’s natural and social environment. We have not pursued economic growth targets at all costs. Accordingly, we have considered each of projects and put them into industrial parks and complexes to ensure that the environment is well-protected. At the same time, the province has accelerated administrative reform by simplifying investment procedures, implementing a ‘one door’ mechanism, decentralising powers to agencies at the grassroots level, promoting the training of local cadres and personnel so as to help them improve their management and working skills and knowledge. We have promoted the application of information technology and modernised our administration with an aim to improve our investment environment.

 

On a basis of developing advantages and potential, Long An and Ho Chi Minh City have implemented a comprehensive socio-economic development co-operation programme with a focus on infrastructure development. The two localities have co-operated from the planning and the implementation of projects, gradually having overcome administrative boundary constraints to create a unique economic space. Long An province has agreed to allocate Ho Chi Minh City 1,760 hectares to build a trash treatment park in Tan Thanh commune, Thu Thua district. The two localities are proposing central agencies to allow to dredge the Soai Rap river to develop the seaport complex N⁰ 5 with the Hiep Phuoc and Long An seaports.

 

Located within an industrial and urban extension area of Ho Chi Minh City, Long An province has developed industrial parks and complexes to receive enterprises which have to relocate from Ho Chi Minh City. Long An has proven to be the most important market for consumer goods made by Ho Chi Minh City, so the two localities have developed concrete co-operation programmes. Furthermore, we have effectively promoted our socio-cultural co-operation.

 

Our main target is to prevent and treat existing environment pollution. We have encouraged and helped local people to observe the Decree 200 of the Prime Minister in safe water and environmental sanitation.

 

In urban areas and new concentrated residential areas, we have asked contractors to build waste water treatment facilities. We have guided local authorised agencies to develop projects to call for ODA (official development assistance) capital for treating water in urban areas.

 

In agriculture, to have safe products and protect environment, we have encouraged local farmers to use micro-biological fertiliser and minimise chemicals and pesticide.

 

Located in the Mekong delta with canals, which can help spread pollutions, in industry, we have carefully considered the planning and approval of projects. We have planned 24 industrial parks and complexes with a total area of over 7,000 hectares with treatment facilities to receive investors. At the same time, we have planned around 3,500 hectares for the building of complexes to receive small and medium-sized enterprises.

 

Long An province has made efforts to build a sustainable living and working environment. We do not accept bartering short-term economic growth for long-term consequences.