4:41:38 PM | 26/10/2009
To make practical contributions to turning Vietnam into a basically industrialised and modernised country in 2020, Kien Giang has oriented its industrial development planning from now till 2015 and vision to 2020, with expected annual GDP growth of 14.12 per cent on average; and industry and construction sectors to make up for 47 per cent of the province’s GDP.
Profuse mineral sources
Kien Giang has many advantages to attract investors because the province is located in the Gulf of Thailand and is close to other Southeast Asian nations, a favourable condition for expanding economic exchanges with regional countries and south-western provinces. At the same time, the province has the richest natural mineral resources in the Mekong Delta region, a crucial condition for expanding industrial development.
According to preliminary geological surveys, the province has 152 ore points, with 23 types of minerals such as fuel (peat), non-metal minerals (limestone, construction stone, clay, etc), metal minerals (iron, laterite iron, etc), gemstones (quartz and opal, etc). Non-metal minerals are the majority. Kien Giang is home to more than 20 limestone mountains with a combined reserve of more than 440 million tonnes. As several limestone mountains are kept untouched because of its historical values or military requirements, the estimated volume of limestone for commercial production is over 245 million tonnes, enough to manufacture 2.8-3 million tonnes of clinker a year in more than 50 years. Additionally, Kien Giang is the only in the Mekong Delta to have a large limestone reserve of approximate 420 -500 million cubic metres, with lime content of 51 - 56 per cent. These are favourable conditions for Kien Giang to develop cement and building material industries. Clay for brick and tile production is located in Rach Gia - Lo Te route, Rach Gia - Ha Tien cities, Ham Minh (Phu Quoc district). With proven reserves, the locality can produce 7 - 21 million bricks and tiles per annum.
Good signals
In the past years, the industry of Kien Giang province has made significant progress. The province has introduced many incentive policies to attract investors to develop local industries. Several industrial parks and industrial complexes have been built to concentrate production force and tap local potentialities. The restructure, transformation and privatisation of State-owned enterprises has promoted the ownership role of workers and improved operating efficiency of enterprises. Industrial companies have actively sought out measures to enhance productivity, renovate technologies to enhance the competitiveness of goods on the markets, especially in export markets. The role and position of the industry are strengthened to compel other economic sectors to develop. In the first six months of 2009, the province’s industrial production value was estimated at VND5,161.21 billion, equal to 42.07 per cent of the full-year plan and up 10.10 per cent from the same period of a year earlier. Production of cement and limestone has impressively progressed.
HL-QV