HÀ NỘI — The central city of Đà Nẵng introduced its environment, investment and business opportunities, as well as its investment incentives to Canadian businesses during a conference held in Toronto as part of a visit made by the city’s leaders from Thursday to Sunday.

As a driving force of growth in the central key economic region, Đà Nẵng always leads the way in developing infrastructure, thus creating a smooth connection between Việt Nam’s central and Central Highlands regions with other countries in the region and the world, vice chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Trần Văn Miên said. The city has a strategic location with modern infrastructure, abundant and high-quality human resources, a friendly investment environment, transparent management system, and a peaceful living environment, he noted, adding that it is also one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Việt Nam.

As of August, the city was home to 598 valid foreign-invested projects, worth a total of over US$4.98 billion, a report from the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency showed.

In its development strategy to 2030 with a vision to 2045, Đà Nẵng aims to become a smart city with sustainable development,  and a centre for high quality tourism, services and technology in Việt Nam, Miên said, stressing that the city’s development orientations are in line with strengths of Canadian businesses and investors.

During the event, Canadian investors expressed a special interest in policies to encourage and support foreign investment, tax incentives and development support in high-tech zones, as well as in information technology, startups, infrastructure development and real estate. Many investors appreciated the city’s open policies as well as its immediate and long-term development orientations.

Lisa Bate from B H Architects - a company with many years of investment and business experience in Việt Nam - highlighted the potential for expanding cooperation between businesses and localities in the two countries.The country’s major cities, including Đà Nẵng, boast great potential and opportunities to further develop, as they possess skilled human resources and have mapped out development strategies that match global development trends, she said. — VNS