An Giang Province Effectively Attracts ODA Capital

Having exploited its potential and advantages with proper investment attraction policies, in recent years, An Giang has seen its economy change for the better. Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr. Pham Thanh Thai, director of the An Giang Department of Planning and Investment.

 

An Giang province gained a significant success in attracting official development assistance (ODA) capital in the 2001-2005 period. Concretely,the province carried out some major projects, including post-harvest rice preservation, the building of rural roads, the electrification of some remote communes, and the upgrading of some water supply plants in towns and districts, national healthcare programmes, the upgrading of equipment and facilities of the provincial clinic hospital and rural areas. At the same time, the province is carrying out some projects, including poverty reduction, water drainage and waste water treatment, mangrove area protection and development.

 

Over the past few years, An Giang province has called for many foreign partners to join the province’s projects and programmes on transferring medical service to the poor community in rural areas, the piloting of improving the quality of crops and animals. In addition, the province has called for new projects and programmes. As a result, total food output of the province in 2005 reached 3.13 million tonnes, and its seafood yield was put at over 180,000 tonnes. The province export turnover stood at US$310 million.

Even though there were constraints to An Giang’s investment attraction in the 2001-2005 period, the province gained encouraging results in ODA capital attraction. Accordingly, the province has used ODA capital mainly in projects on infrastructure development and poverty reduction. Concretely, ODA projects have helped An Giang gradually perfect its infrastructure facilities, creating necessary conditions for the province to boost its economic development, thus helping improve the living standard of the local people.

Over the past number of years, An Giang province’s foreign investment attraction faced constraints due to difficulties in communication, infrastructure facilities and a lack concentrated materials.

 

It is expected that from the 2006-2010 period, foreign investment of An Giang will have improved prospects. In this period, the province will complete major road construction works, which will boost the province’s socio-economic development, and some infrastructure development projects, including the building of the Vam Cong bridge, the Ho Chi Minh highway, the upgrading of the national road N⁰ 91, Chau Doc – Tinh Bien section, and the completion of the building of two industrial parks, Binh Long and Binh Hoa. At the same time, the province will issue policies to create an open investment environment, renewing its investment promotion activities to attract foreign partners with financial and technological strength, continuing to improve its competitiveness by simplifying administrative procedures and promoting the support and management after licences are granted.

In the coming years, to promote its economic restructuring in a manner of industrialisation and modernisation, An Giang will concentrate on attracting investment to other fields. Accordingly, the province will invest in some more industrial parks and complexes in towns and districts with farm-produce and seafood processing, electronic, textile and garment making and mechanics as spearhead fields. In addition, An Giang will focus on attracting investment in trade, services and tourism, border gate economic zones, which will be future tourist attractions.