HCM CITY — Authorities in the southernmost province of Cà Mau have pledged to continue with administrative reform and offer the most beneficial policies for investors.

Speaking at a conference in HCM City yesterday titled Investment Potential and Opportunities in Cà Mau, Nguyễn Tiến Hải, the province’s deputy Party Secretary and Chairman, said Cà Mau is one of the four provinces and cities in the Key Economic Zone of the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta and is surrounded by the ocean on three sides.

Its forest and marine resources provide it with unique advantages to develop fisheries, agriculture, forestry, services, tourism, exploitation of gas and oil and seaports, he said.

Besides, it also has advantages with respect to aquaculture, high-quality seafood processing and exports, he said.

This year it has attracted VNĐ6.629 trillion (US$293.3 million) worth of investments in 30 projects.

It is now home to 205 projects with total registered capital of VNĐ 83.04 trillion, including some major projects like the B - Ô Môn gas pipeline, power plants, and nitrogenous fertiliser plants.

“The province is soliciting investment in agriculture, manufacturing, trading, services, tourism, infrastructure in economic zones and industrial parks, and transport infrastructure,” Hải said.

The province yesterday tabled a list of more than 30 projects in which it is seeking investment.

They include the $3.5 million Hòn Khoai Seaport Complex, the VNĐ1 trillion Mũi Cà Mau Tourism and Culture Park, the VNĐ1 trillion residential-service-trading area at Năm Căn Economic Zone, and the VNĐ1.34 trillion upgrade and widening of Cà Mau Street.

“To attract more domestic and foreign investment in the province, Cà Mau will continue to prioritise investment in infrastructure and worker training, drastically improve administrative procedures to create a transparent and favourable business and investment environment,” Hải said.

“Through this investment promotion conference, the province would like to appeal to domestic and overseas investors and enterprises to seek co-operation and investment opportunities in the province.”

Mai Hữu Chinh, director of the province Department of Planning and Investment, said in addition to incentives in line with the Investment Law, the province would also have support policies with respect to land acquisition and investment in infrastructure like roads and power system in industrial parks.

Hải said investors would be supported with advertising in the province’s portal, investment and trade promotion, technology transfer, credit, brand building and development and human resource training.

Authorities would promptly act on feedback and complaints from investors to resolve them, and provincial leaders would hold regular meetings and direct exchanges with investors to address their difficulties, he said.

Vũ Đức Trí, director of Việt-Úc Seafood Joint Stock Company, said his company had a 50ha farm producing shrimp broodstock in the province, and planned to set up a 65ha farm to raise sugpo prawn and crab broodstock next year.

At the conference, the provincial government handed over licences for five projects with total registered capital of VNĐ5.984 trillion ($264.77 million).

Among them was the Công Lý Construction-Trading-Tourism Co., Ltd, which has invested VNĐ5.519 trillion in a wind power plant in the province.

The Cà Mau Seafood Processing and Service JSC received a licence to build housing for workers.

The province also signed five memorandums of understanding with investors for building malls and a wind power plant and other projects. — VNS