HẢI PHÒNG – Hải Phòng city, which is at an important location in the key northern economic region, must post faster quality growth so as to stimulate development of the nation.
Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc made the request at a working session with municipal officials in the northern port city yesterday.
He highlighted the city’s unique advantages, such as being one of the two biggest international seaports in Vietnam, holding a strategic location in the “two corridors, one economic belt” linking Viet Nam to China, and having favourable tourism infrastructure.
Applauding the fast economic growth and the social welfare benefits that are four times higher than in other localities, he also pointed out certain shortcomings, such as unsustainable growth and less-than-expected agricultural production and administrative reforms.
The PM told municipal officials to augment assistance for small- and medium-sized enterprises and support industries, while developing logistics services.
Hải Phòng must work harder to raise agricultural productivity, overhaul infrastructure development planning and harness more private sector engagement in development projects. It has to protect the environment and to turn tourism into a spearhead industry, he noted.
The Government leader also wants the city to be among the top 10 localities in administrative reforms and press on with the fight against crime.
At the working session, local officials reported that Hải Phòng enjoyed the best socio-economic attainments since 2010 in the first nine months of 2016. It is taking the country lead in FDI attraction, with US$2.66 billion of FDI invested in the period, up five-fold from the same period last year..

Domestic businesses have also poured tens of trillions of đồng into big projects, especially in tourism.
Budget revenue between January and September increased by 42.3 per cent from a year earlier to VNĐ43.36 trillion ($1.94 billion), fulfilling this year’s target.

PM calls for more investment

Also yesterday, Prime Minister Phúc called on investors to pour money into the northern coastal city of Hải Phòng, especially in production, tourism and services.
Addressing an investment promotion conference in the city, the PM assured participants  that the Government would make every effort to stablise the macro economy, curb inflation and maintain economic growth, towards facilitating long-term investments in Việt Nam.

He highlighted Hải Phòng’s advantages for socio-economic development, while praising the city’s great achievements in investment attraction, especially foreign direct investment (FDI).

He added the Government and the municipal authority will work to protect human rights, legitimate rights and benefits, and assets of investors in accordance with Việt Nam’s Constitution and law.
Attention will be also paid to training both managers and skilled workers to meet investors’ demand for a high-quality workforce, he affirmed.
He took the occasion to urge investors to soon implement licensed projects and ensure environmental and cultural protection in their investment process.
Meanwhile, the city’s leaders committed to strongly improving the investment and business climate in order to attract more investors.
At the conference, the municipal People’s Committee announced a decision to set up an investment, trade and service promotion centre, which will serve as a bridge connecting local authorities and businesses. The model is expected to help create a convenient and transparent climate for investors, promote administrative reform and deal with difficulties facing enterprises in the city.
On the occasion, representatives from the committee presented investment licences to LG Innotek Co Ltd of the Republic of Korea and Flat Group of Hong Kong, which will respectively conduct a US$550-million project in the Trang Due industrial park (IP) to manufacture electronics and camera modules, and invest $200 million in a solar-energy glass project in Đình Vũ IP.

At the event, which was attended by representatives from nearly 200 domestic and foreign enterprises and investors, many groups and enterprises signed cooperation agreements on tourism and airline development, IP and transport infrastructure construction.
 — VNS