HCM CITY — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Đồng Tháp will next week (from Dec 18 to 19) organise an investment promotion conference in Cao Lãnh city to call for investment into 33 projects in the province.

These projects involve hi-tech agriculture, the processing industry, urban development, industrial park infrastructure and manufacturing, in addition to tourism, trade and services.

Speaking at a press conference held on Saturday in HCM City to announce the event, Nguyễn Thanh Hùng, vice chairman of the province’s People’s Committee, said Đồng Tháp had recently become an attractive investment destination for many investors due to investment incentives and long-term commitments from authorities in facilitating investors.

“Đồng Tháp will continue to create the most favourable conditions for investors with a focus on bettering its investment and business climates, perfecting infrastructure construction, reducing administrative procedures and improving personnel resources,” he said.

Đồng Tháp is among the most dynamic economic provinces in the Mekong Delta with great advantages in natural resources and geographical position, he added.

It contributes to the nation’s rice production as well as produces many other agro-forestry-fishery products for export every year, he said. “The business environment in the province has also improved recently.”

According to Hùng, the province’s economy will continue to achieve a high growth rate in the future, fuelled by the rapid improvement of transport, electronics, low labour costs and abundant food sources.

In order to attract more foreign investment, experts suggested that the province should continue to invest in infrastructure development and reduce logistics fees. 

Trương Hòa Châu, director of the province’s Department of Planning and Investment, said 21 projects would be granted investment certificates and 16 Memorandum of Understandings worth VNĐ23.9 trillion (US$1.05 billion) will be signed during the conference.

“The conference aims to promote the potential and opportunities for local and foreign investment in hi-tech agriculture, processing industry, trading, services and tourism,” he said.

The conference will also promote exchanges between investors and international organisations and promote co-operation among local and foreign enterprises, he said.

Many businesses said the traffic between HCM City and Mekong Delta, especially to Đồng Tháp, has been improved significantly.

Nguyễn Văn Tiến, the director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said most enterprises were interested in the potential and advantages of Đồng Tháp Province in agriculture, ecotourism and traditional craft villages.

“We are optimistic that investors in Đồng Tháp’s agriculture sector will take the lead in restructuring the sector, making it a prosperous province,” he said.

In addition to the investment promotion conference, a forum on developing international markets for Việt Nam’s fruit and vegetables sector will also be held in Cao Lãnh city.

The forum aims to promote the potential of the fruit and vegetable sector in Việt Nam, thus calling for investment in the value chain for the sector.

Đồng Tháp in Mekong Delta is about 160km southwest of HCM City. It takes more than three hours by car from the city to the province.

With its mild climate, widespread irrigation systems and abundant fresh water and fertile sediment, the province owns an abundant agriculture resource. It conserves diverse ecosystems of many precious species of fauna and flora.

Having a number of historical sites, ancient architecture monuments and traditional craft villages, the province has great potential to become a popular tourist destination in the region. — VNS