5:21:44 PM | 29/6/2010
In 2010, with chairmanship of ASEAN, Vietnam can promote relations with countries in the region. For its part, Tien Giang is improving investment environment to meet the demand of investors. Tien Giang will listen to remarks of investors to facilitate their activities, confirmed by Mr Tran The Ngoc, Chairman of Tien Giang People’s Committee in an interview with Vietnam Business Forum.
Would you please tell us the achievements of the province in 2006-2010?
In the past five years, with its potential and advantages, Tien Giang has recorded certain achievements:
Average GDP growth rate was 11 percent a year, attaining the plan (11-12 percent), with agriculture-forestry-fisheries of 5.2 percent exceeding the plan (4.2-4.5 percent), industry-construction of 19.6 percent meeting the plan (19-20.8 percent), service of 12.3 percent, below the plan (13.7-14.8 percent).
GDP per capita was US$969 in 2009 and US$1,100 in 2010 (increasing 2.2 times that of 2005 (US$493).
The economic structure has been transformed positively with industry-construction increasing from 22.4 percent of GDP in 2005 to 25.2 percent in 2010, service from 29.5 percent to 29.9 percent, while agriculture-forestry-fisheries decreasing from 48.1 percent to 44.9 percent.
Multi-sector economy with various forms of ownership has mobilized social resources with dynamism and creativeness to increase the economic growth. In five years, 2,400 new enterprises have been established (double the number of five years ago) with total additional registered capital of VND11.600 billion, 8 times that of five years ago). The province has attracted five FDI projects with total registered capital of almost US$325 million.
Social investment capital increased on average of 21 percent a year in 2006-2010 with some VND44,449 billion, 36.5 percent of GDP, 2.6 times of 2001-2005 and 106 percent of the plan (VND40,000-42,000 billion).
In 2008, export value was US$425 million, exceeding the target set for 2010, with aquatic products making 63 percent of the total value and up 41 percent a year in 2008-2010.
Social welfare, culture and infrastructure have been upgraded to meet fundamental needs of the people, narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas.
How is the cooperation between Tien Giang and Ho Chi Minh City in socio-economic development in the past five years ?
The implementation of the Agreement on socio-economic cooperation between Tien Giang and Ho Chi Minh City in the past five years have facilitated partners of the two parties to develop cooperation, linkage and implement several investment projects expanding economic sectors, creating jobs and upgrading education, health and State management.
The cooperation has also increased investment in Tien Giang with 42 projects worth VND7,750 billion creating 8,000 jobs and contributing to budget of the province. It also increased the economic growth rate of the province from 8.3 percent 10 years ago to 11 percent in 2006-2010, and transform the economic structure in the direction of industrialization and modernization.
The cooperation has been implemented with outstanding projects in the following areas:
Agriculture and aquaculture: Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) businesses have provided strains, production model (GAP) and processing equipment for animal husbandry; 30 HCMC businesses invested in 215 hectares of aquaculture, 500 hectares of organic vegetables, 3,000 hectares of pine-apple, and 1,300 milk cows.
Industry: HCMC busineses have invested some VND5,650 billion with such projects as processing factories of agricultural produce, aquatic products of Southern Foods Corporation, Thanh Cong Trade Co., Ltd, Viet Phu Agricultural products JSC, Hung Vuong JSC, Hung Phat Co., Ltd and Go Dang aquatic products processing JSC.
Trade-Tourism: Tien Giang learned from HCMC and developed in My Tho night market, Coop-Mart supermarket, Mekong Rest-Stop. In tourism, the cooperation developed in receiving local and foreign tourists, expanding sea and eco-tourism in Tan Thanh – Hang Duong, Tien Giang Rest Stop in Chau Thanh and recreation at Song Tien hotel and Golf-Can Tho hotel.
Housing and transport: HCMC businesses invested in housing development such as Dai Ngan Co., Ltd with housing project in Tan Phuoc district, Loi Nhan JSC with My Loi apartment building for low income people in My Tho. The cooperation in transport sector focused on cargo handling at riverport, investment and operation at ferry landings, bus lines and training drivers.
In science-technology: HCMC universities such as Technology, Agriculture and Forestry, Economics have implemented technologies on cacao fermentation and processing, active coal, essence, food processing and socio-economic development.
In health and education: HCMC hospitals have assisted counterparts in Tien Giang with access to medical treatment of high technology while HCMC universities helped in training manpower of high quality, creating thousands of jobs of high income.
In addition to projects in the framework of the cooperation agreement, Tien Giang partners also expanded the cooperation in new projects such as Tam Hiep industrial centre in Chau Thanh district and industrial centres in Go Cong Dong district.
However, after five years of implementation, the cooperation for socio-economic development remains below the capacity of the two sides.
According to experts, although the world economic recession is over, there remain many difficulties ahead, how can Tien Giang achieve its objectives?
Tien Giang is applying the following solutions:
Focusing on improvement of investment environment and increasing economic growth rates: This solution package includes administrative reform, reviewing and simplifying formalities to help businesses access to market, development of industrial zones and centres to help investors access to land and workplace, encouragement of commercial banks to open branches to provide loans to businesses and people, upgrading of training and service centres to meet the demand of enterprises in manpower.
Mobilization and efficient use of investment capital: Reviewing projects financed by budget to focus on key and pressing projects, accelerating the implementation of projects on energy and transport infrastructure, supervising capital construction to avoid waste and extravagante, promoting investments of all economic sectors in infrastructure development, withdrawing or transfering licenses of projects incapable or slow in implementation.
Promoting production and business activities: Removing constraints in production and business activities, developing the success story of Tien Giang Fruit Festival 2010 and trade promotion of Tien Giang fruit, developing agriculture and rural area with diversified and sustainable orientation.
Controlling inflation and encouraging the development of banking system to meet the demand of the economy: Upgrading and expanding banking services to mobilize idle resources, improving analysis and forecasts to deal with new developments and meet the demand of socio-economic development.
Increasing export: Upgrading trade promotion at home and abroad, applying quality management of international standard, studying markets, prices, export of main products of the province, target markets and trade barriers of related countries, to promote export of the province.
Development of services: Promoting tourism with diversified products to attract more local and foreign tourists, developing transport jeans, buses and taxi, improving post and telecom facilities in urban areas.
Reported by Hoa Binh – Thanh Tung
Vietnamese
