Bac Kan- A Dynamic Town

2:50:10 PM | 24/11/2011

Despite only being founded in 1997 on a base of an economically underdeveloped old city with incomplete urban infrastructure, with outstanding effort and solidarity of the staff and local ethnic minorities, Bac Kan Town now features the stature of a dynamic and modern city. Engaging economic development with city planning and restructuring, Bac Kan City is hurriedly completing the final work items to become the grade 3 city.
 
Development achievements
The past 15 years is a long time with countless efforts to convert difficulties into development advantages, Bac Kan Town has made spectacular development. From 2005-2010 alone, the town saw economic growth rate of 19.1 percent, ahead of the province’s rate of 13 percent. In 2010, total production value in the town reached VND 572 billion, distribution to budget increased by 54.4 percent against 2005; the annual income per capita was VND 15.6 million; and the household poverty rate decreased to 4.7 percent.
 
Located in the centre of the region with abundant valuable resources and minerals such as gold, iron, antimony, lead, zinc, tin and building stone, and zones for planting industrial plants and fruit trees, Bac Kan town has significant economic – social development advantages. Local authorities always aim to create the most preferential conditions for investors. “Single window” mechanism is adopted by communes and wards, favouring individuals and enterprises coming to work.
 
 Focusing on local strengths, the town is investing in infrastructure, improving the quality of industrial infrastructure to attract investors. To promote industrial development, the province is building two big industrial zones (IZ) in the town: Xuat Hoa IZ on 92.6 hectares and Huyen Tung IZ on 59.5 hectares. At the moment, there are nearly 2,500 locally based business households, over 400 enterprises and 73 tourism accommodation sites and service enterprises. They are prime examples affirming the investment attractiveness of Bac Kan town.
 
Giving priority to planning
Bac Kan is in the agenda of city upgrade and planning, with the aim to become a grade 3 city in 2012 which belongs to the North East urban complex. Playing the role of a core city, Bac Kan town’s development has created spill-over effects promoting the development of Bac Kan and neighbouring provinces.
 
After nearly 15 years, Bac Kan town has basically combined factors of a grade 3 city with expanded town space, comprehensive networks of transport, water supply and drainage, electricity supply, and telecommunication, which are the basis for construction of business and service works, offices, schools, hospital, culture and sport centres, industrial works, residential areas and urban landscape, filling the role of Bac Kan province’s political, economic, cultural and social centre.
 
To gain such success, for years, town authorities have given priority to planning activities. At present, urban development investment projects always follow the Urban Development Master Plan for Bac Kan province by 2020, with orientation to 2030. Accordingly, lighting and clean water systems are upgraded, trees are planted along the streets and roads, and pavements are improved to ensure the overall landscape, sanitation and environment improvement. At the same time, the town is also concentrating resources to complete technical infrastructure, speed up urbanization, develop urban networks and concentrated modern residential areas.
 
On August 17th 2011, Bac Kan town was approved by the Prime Minister to be upgraded by World Bank (WB) loan of US $50 million. This is a favourable opportunity for the town to mobilize resources to foster its urbanization agenda. The town will focus on developing business and trade, comprehensively addressing environmental issues. Attention is also paid to investment into social and cultural infrastructure. To actively seek enterprises as partners and mobilize capital, the town orients to conduct open policies, create preferential conditions for organizations and individuals to together build the city.
 
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