Kien Giang Determined to Achieve High Economic Ranking in Mekong Delta

 

Kien Giang is endowed with abundant and diverse natural potentials such as sea and island resources, land resources, forest resources, mineral resources and tourism resources. The province musters a plenty of favourable conditions for social and economic development, with marine economy and agricultural economy are development engines of Kien Giang.

 

Regarding tourism, Kien Giang has a varied terrain: plains, mountains, primeval forests, sea and islands. The sea waters of Kien Giang adjoin Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia in the Gulf of Thailand. The province has many beautiful and romantic islands with a long white sandy coastlines and year-round tropical climate. Phu Quoc has many gorgeous beaches and beautiful landscapes. The island district was designed to become a special administrative - economic zone, and a high-grade international tourism - service centre of the region and the world. The coastal area of Ha Tien - Kien Luong has many landscapes like Mui Nai Cape, Thach Dong Cave, To Chau Mountain, Da Dung Mountain, Dong Ho Lake and Phu Tu Island. This area is connected with Cambodia through the Ha Tien International Border Gate to form many tours to Southeast Asian nations. Besides, Phu Quoc, Ha Tien - Kien Luong, Rach Gia and U Minh Thuong are four key tourist areas of the province, which, in combination, create a lot of tourism forms like ecotourism, leisure tourism, festival tourism, cultural culture and historical tourism.

 

With respect to fishery, the province has a fishing ground of 63,000 square kilometres where there are a lot of high-valued marine creatures (fish, shrimp, sea turtle, sea cucumber, pearl and abalone). The sea waters are suitable for both commercial fishing and farming. Kien Giang has many coastal shrimp farms, covering a total area of 58,000 ha, mainly concentrated in Ha Tien Town, Kien Luong, Giang Thanh, Hon Dat, An Minh and Vinh Thuan districts.

 

In agriculture, Kien Giang province has an agricultural land area of ​​over 575,000 ha, of which nearly 355,000 ha is used for rice cultivation. Its rice output is on the top list of the country. In addition to rice, the province has other high-valued agricultural products like pineapple worth, sugarcane and pepper.

 

By tapping its potentials and strengths, Kien Giang has achieved important results. It has stable economic development. Its economy annually expanded 11 per cent in the latest three years, ranking fourth in the Mekong Delta in 2013. Per capita income reached US$2,120 in the year. Food production reached 4.47 million tonnes and more than one million tonnes of rice was exported. Fishing output exceeded 580,000 tonnes a year, with many years topping the nation. Social policies were effectively implemented. Poverty rate dropped to 4.73 per cent.

 

Investment management has been enhanced and administrative reform was quickened to build an open, transparent investment environment. Its provincial competitiveness index (PCI) ranked third in the country and first in the Mekong Delta in 2013. Key projects are built, upgraded and expanded, including Duong To International Airport, North - South backbone road, Phu Quoc Island encircling road, Phu Quoc undersea power lines, water supply system in Duong Dong Town, An Thoi Port, Vinh Dam Port, Hon Chong Port, National Road 63 with Cai Lon Bridge that connects to Ca Mau Peninsula. And specially, the southern coastal corridor which starts from Myanmar, runs through Thailand and Cambodia and ends in Ca Mau province (Vietnam) via Ha Tien Ca International Border Gate. Kien Giang is the western gateway for the Mekong Delta to reach the outside world and boost trade and investment with other Mekong Subregion nations.

 

As regards foreign investment, investors from 16 countries and territories in the world are doing business in Kien Giang, for example Holcim Cement and Metro Cash&Carry.

 

To achieve this goal, the province focuses on strengthening planning, reviewing and adjusting industry-specific and locality-specific development plans, with priority given to important areas like Rach Gia, Phu Quoc, Kien Luong and Ha Tien. Besides, the province has boldly hired foreign consultants to carry out big driving projects, applied and recommended policies and regulations on investment, land and construction to best suit the province’s actual conditions.

 

In addition, the province will make use of supports of the central government to build key infrastructure works, particularly region-linking projects like the southern coastal corridor, Ho Chi Minh Road (Lo Te - Rach Soi section) and seaport system. Kien Giang will also draw external investment for Hon Chong Port and Kien Luong thermal power plant.

 

The province will expand cooperation with other provinces in the key economic zone, the Mekong Delta, and Ho Chi Minh City; join hands with Greater Mekong Sub-region countries; accelerate cross-border trade cooperation and tourism cooperation with neighbouring countries; and boost investment promotion and step up investment cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City.

 

One of vital task of Kien Giang province is accelerating public administration reform, applying the single-window mechanism in business and investment registration, timely resolving difficulties against enterprises, and revoking sluggish and inactive projects to create a transparent, open investment environment. The province appeals investors to invest in driving projects like resort with casino, Dat Do tourist port, Phu Quoc tourism projects, and Bai No Port. The province will also invest in high-tech agriculture, transfer techniques and technologies to farmers, and expand aquaculture.