Long An Province Boosting Cooperation for Joint Development

11:17:02 AM | 15/7/2009

To get an insight of Long An’s socio-economic development, Vietnam Business Forum reporter interviewed Chairman Duong Quoc Xuan of Long An People’s Committee.
 
As the gate door to the Mekong Delta, how does Long An play its role and make use of its advantages?
Long An belongs to both the Southern key economic region and the Mekong Delta, therefore the province is most favourable for attracting investments. In addition, the province has also several encouragement policies to attract investments, first of all development of industrial zones and road network linking with Ho Chi Minh city. The province even had preferential treatment 200 percent better than the encouragement of the government. But it was temporary and replaced by more sustainable policy with better infrastructure and investment friendly environment.
 
Besides investment, the province has also recorded high growth rate. In 2001-2005, the average growth rate was 9.4 percent a year, in 2008 14.5 percent (the highest so far), with industry-construction playing the main role in the growth rate. The economic restructuring is in favour of industrialization, modernization increasing percentage of industry-construction from 27.8 in 2004 to 32.6 percent in 2008, agriculture-forestry-fisheries decreased from 41.9 in 2004 to 38.8 percent in 2008, trade-service from 30.3 in 2004 down to 28.6 percent in 2008. GDP per capita in late 2008 was VND17.38 million.
Public utilities and services are better with high percentage of people having power and water supply, healthcare and nutrition programme of the children. In 2008, poor households decreased to 5.2 percent, children mal-nutrition to 16.9 percent. Meanwhile 85 percent of communes attain healthcare standard, 96.9 percent of household have electricity supply, 85 percent have water supply and trained workers making up 36 percent of the workforce.
 
Could you explain further on cooperation programmes with other provinces?
Long An and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) signed cooperation programme in February 2001 before the establishment of the Southern key economic region (June, 2003). The programme has promoted socio-economic development of the province. HCMC investors have developed infrastructure in 11 industrial zones and centres with 5.377 hectares (68.5 percent of existing IZ area), capitalized at over VND16,000 billion, communication and transport with budget of VND812 billion, assistance in training technicians for public health, education and management. HCMC also supported in housing donation and free healthcare for the poor.
 
For its part, Long An also assisted HCMC in the expansion of industrial enterprises with IZs and new sites for factories from HCMC, development of waste treatment, supply of agricultural produce for processing. Many HCMC businesses have become success stories such as Dong Tam and Tan Tao groups. In the coming years, the province will accelerate the building of road and bridge network connecting with HCMC.
 
Long An is also prepared to sign bilateral cooperation agreements with other Mekong Delta provinces such as Can Tho, Dong Thap, Tien Giang in third quarter of 2009. The province plans to develop water conservancy in the Mekong Delta and border trade with Cambodia, Road 829 with Tien Giang, Road 831 with Dong Thap, Highway to Port 5 and transit warehouse to meet the demand of trasnport to HCMC and export.
 
How does Long An plan to attract FDI and assistance from international organizations?
International cooperation is important to attract FDI and other resources. For instance, due to good relationship with Singapore authorities and business community, Binh Duong province could attract many Singaporean investors.
 
As for Long An, the province will develop international cooperation in the coming years focusing on South Korea, Japan, China as Asia continue to be the centre of world economic growth with great resources of FDI, ODA.
 
We will concentrate on three areas:
One, completing master plan of socio-economic development to 2020, vision of 2030, industrial province by 2020 and trade-service development after 2020. Basing on the master plan, we will build 4-5 projects of priority calling for investment especially from ODA, FDI to make a breakthrough for the development strategy.
 
Two,     reactivating the Economic Integration Steering Committee and Overseas Vietnamese Association to contribute to socio-economic development in the province.
Three, increasing international cooperation to promote investment, trade and tourism; coordinating with ministries and agencies. FDI enterprises and others to attract investment from important economic groups.
 
Long An is the gate door connecting HCMC, the Mekong Delta, the East Sea and Cambodia. Therefore the province will focus on development of communication and transport at the same time improve investment environment and administrative formalilities to attract local and foreign investments. It will also develop human resources to meet the demand of economic integration.
Reported by Danh Binh