QUẢNG NAM —  Prime Minister Nguyên Xuân Phúc officially broke ground on the construction of four new industrial and residential projects yesterday.

Worth VNĐ17.478 trillion (US$773 million), they will be built in Quảng Nam Province’s Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (OEZ).   

The projects are an agricultural and forestry industrial park, the expansion of Thaco-Chu Lai Mechanical Automotive industrial park, the new wharf at Chu Lai-Trường Hải port and residential quarters for workers.

They have been funded by the Trường Hải joint-stock Automobile company (Thaco) in the Master Plan of Chu Lai Open Economic Zone until 2035 approved by the Prime Minister last year.

Thaco-Chu Lai Mechanical Automotive industrial park will be increased from 210ha to 325ha with total investment of VNĐ1.6 trillion ($70.8 million making it a centre for automobile export in ASEAN.

The agricultural and forestry industrial park, which was built on 451ha with an investment of more than VNĐ8.1 trillion ($359.2 million), was designed as the largest farm produce processing zone and hi-tech agriculture Research and Development (R&D) centre for export in the central and central highlands.

It was designed with total capacity to process and export 500,000 tonnes of fruit and farm produce each year.

The park will house furniture and wood processing for central Việt Nam, Laos and Cambodia, offering 20,000 jobs in 2022.

Also yesterday, Thaco began construction of a VNĐ2.6 trillion ($115 million) 790m pier in the 140ha Chu Lai-Trường Hải port to allow 50,000-tonne vessels and a residential urban and resettlement scheme on 30ha to house of 5,000 local workers and residents. That scheme will cost VNĐ2.76 trillion ($122 million).

Thaco had invested VNĐ80 trillion ($3.53 billion) with 32 automobile manufacturing and supportive industries plants in the OEZ, creating 8,000 jobs and contributing $700 million to the provincial budget each year.

Speaking at the ceremony, the PM said the Chu Lai OEZ was seen as the most effective economic development zone in Việt Nam.

He also praised Thaco’s huge investment, creating a driving force for other investors flocking to the zone over past decades.

“It’s a face-lift innovation and positive growth for Chu Lai OEZ,” Phúc said.

“From just barely a sand zone, it has become one of the country’s key zones and an example of effective economic development in Việt Nam.

“The zone witnessed a change in flow of investment capital in hi-tech agriculture, mechanical industries, processing and exporting zone, logistics, sea and airport connection, automobile, urban and tourism.”

He said the success of Chu Lai OEZ helped it emerge as an economic ‘axis’ connecting Dung Quất Economic Zone in Quảng Ngãi Province; Đà Nẵng, Thừa Thiên-Huế and Bình Định province.

Phúc said the government would reserve all support for investors pouring fund in production industries and hi-tech farming in the OEZ in the near future.

Also yesterday, series co-operation agreements were signed between local businesses and partners from China, Germany and Italy in supplying production lines of fruit processing, factory design and construction as well as fruit and farm produce distribution.

The Agriculture production and processing joint-stock company, Thadi, a subsidiary company of Thaco, and Hoàng Anh Gia Lai Agriculture company (HNG) also signed an agreement on exporting 300,000 tonnes of fruit (worth $250 million) in 2019, and a target of 1 million tonnes by 2021.

Thadi also inked strategic agreements on human resource training with Wageningen University & Research from the Netherlands and five local colleges in hi-tech farm research and production.

Deals in fruit distributions, transport, chilled storage and logistics service were also signed among Hoàng Anh Gia Lai Agriculture company and Thadi with Chinese partners including Beijing Taihe Chuanggye International Trading; Qingdao Longjin Jialai International trade; Huajian agricultural development; supply chain management and Dalian Juhong International trade.   

Thaco had invested VNĐ10.5 trillion ($465 million) in Hoàng Anh Gia Lai Agrico (HNG) in agriculture.  

According to the latest report from the province, two hi-tech farming and agriculture park projects on 425 hectares with planned investment of $239 million were approved by the province last year.

The central province also granted 26 new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with total capital of nearly $300 million in 2018, bringing the total number of FDI projects in the province to 169, worth $5.8 billion. — VNS

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Quảng Nam should double economic scale in five years: PM

QUẢNG NAM — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has set a goal for the central province of Quảng Nam: double its economic scale in the next five years.

Addressing a working session with province officials on Saturday on the 44th anniversary of Quảng Nam’s liberation (March 24, 1975-2019), the PM said the province should strive to become a new growth centre in the Central Highlands region along with Quảng Ngãi Province and Đà Nẵng.

Once among the three poorest provinces in the country, Quảng Nam has risen up the ranks thanks to local officials’ innovative spirit, PM Phúc said.

He attributed the province’s strong growth to administrative reforms and defining strategic industries for development. The Government leader also hailed the province for its good work in Party building.

According to reports presented at the meeting, Quảng Nam posted average annual growth of nearly 13 per cent over the past three years. Tourism was a driving force with annual growth of nearly 20 per cent.

The province has been among the top 10 on the Provincial Competitiveness Index for the past three years. It is currently home to 166 valid foreign-invested projects with total capital of more than US$5.78 billion.

The same day, the PM attended a ceremony to recognise Quế Phú Commune, Quế Sơn District in Quảng Nam as a new-style rural area. The PM lauded the great efforts of the Party Committee, authorities and people in the commune to meet all 19 criteria of a new-style rural area after eight years.

He asked the local Party Committee and authorities to continue paying attention to raising living conditions, which, he said, is the ultimate goal of the new rural area building movement.

The PM reminded the commune to strengthen the local political system and build a green, clean and beautiful living environment, and ensure security and order.

It is also important to pay attention to caring for the elderly, people with disabilities, orphans and policy beneficiaries, he said.

According to the commune’s steering board for new-style rural area building, over the past eight years, the commune has mobilised more than VNĐ$61 billion ($2.63 million) for the work.

Local residents have donated 10,500sq.m of land to expand rural roads.

The labour structure has been shifted gradually from agriculture to industry and services. — VNS