3:41:54 PM | 8/6/2006
On the occasion of Nha Trang’s host of the mid-term Consultative Group Meeting in early June, 2006, Vietnam Business Forum’s reporter Hai Nguyen interviewed Vo Lam Phi, chairman of the Khanh Hoa People’s Committee.
With favourable geographic conditions and advantages, what has Khanh Hoa province done to attract investment capital from outside sources, such as ODA and FDI, to meet it socio-economic development?
Khanh Hoa is a central coastal province with favourable geographic and natural conditions and abundant labour force, including qualified intellectual force. We have had electricity and water supply, roads, communication, banking and financial, public health and public services available to meet the basic need of investors. Khanh Hoa’s economy has seen a rapid development. With three key economic regions: Cam Ranh and Van Phong bays and Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa province has great potential and advantages for economic development.
To exploit and develop these advantages and potential, Khanh Hoa province has consistently policies on attracting capital, technology and resources from outside in various forms, especially ODA and FDI. Social development investment is expected to be equal at least 36 per cent of the province’s GDP in the 2006-2010 period, reaching VND 36,000 billion.
The province will concentrate on attracting FDI to established industrial parks (IPs). Accordingly, foreign investors are encouraged to develop projects in hi-tech, export goods production, farm-produce, forestry and seafood processing, shipbuilding, seaport, finance and banking, post and telecommunication, infrastructure development, urban areas and industrial parks with a focus on the Van Phong economic zone, Cam Ranh town and Nha Trang city. The province will focus on attracting capital from major economic groups and from countries with great economic, market and technology potential. For ODA capital, we will strive to attract as much as possible.
What solutions has the province developed for a more effective investment attraction?
We will promote the province’s image to Vietnamese and foreign investors, issuing policies suitable with the law and conditions of the province, reforming further administrative procedures with some authorised agencies in charge of helping people and enterprises solve their problems or overcome their difficulties. A ‘one door’ mechanism has been applied. Also, we have improved the effectiveness of the province’s Investment Promotion Centre and the Tourism and Trade Promotion Centre.
In particular in 2006, Khanh Hoa has some promotion programmes including the announcement of plans and regulations of the Van Phong ecnomic zone in Nha Trang in late May and Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in June. The province will organise investment, trade and tourism promotion in Singapore and Japan and send delegations to foreign countries to promote economic co-operation with Volgagrad of Russia, Yunnan province of China, Kharkov province of Ukraine. The province will co-operate with ministries and agencies to organise the mid-term Consultative Group Meeting in June, 2006....
At the threshold of APEC events and the mid-term Consultative Group Meeting, what do you think about international integration and how to improve competitiveness of the province?
Khanh Hoa province has always been active during the international economic integration process, which has occurred strongly. In 2003, we developed a programme of action for international integration. The programme’s focus is to promote the dissemination and education of local cadres and people about the nature of international economic integration, which is an indispensable requirement for Vietnam. The programme will also concentrate on promoting the province’s economic restructuring, increasing the competitiveness of its products, goods and services, and continuing to create an attractive environment for attracting foreign investment, as well as developing human resources. More importantly, we will strive to have qualified cadres and officials with knowledge about international economic integration.
What are socio-economic development targets of Khanh Hoa during the 2006-2010 period?
Khanh Hoa is determined to promote its economic restructuring by boosting the industrialisation and modernisation and increasing the contribution to services, tourism and industry. We will strive to increase our annual GDP by 12 per cent and 2010 per capita GDP by 1.6 fold against 2005 (US$1,200).
The province’s economic structure in 2010 will be as follows: the services will contribute 43.5 per cent, the industrial sector, 43.5 per cent, and agriculture, 13 per cent. Budget revenues in the 2006-2010 period will be equal to 22 per cent of the province’s GDP.
Vietnamese
