Sea port system of Đà Nẵng plays as a key role in boosting the city as a regional sea-based economic centre following the Prime Minister's approvals annoucement. — VNS Photo Công Thành

ĐÀ NẴNG — The future looks bright for Đà Nẵng as the central city's new development goals received approval on Monday.

Đà Nẵng City is set to be a key socio-economic development centre of Việt Nam and ASEAN, a site of global supply chains, an innovation and start-up power and a unique ocean and port urban area, according to Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng.

The Deputy PM was speaking at an announcement to grant Government approval from Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc for the city's development goals for 2030-45 on Monday.

Dũng said the central city had enjoyed drastic growth in 2016-19, but the master plan signed in 2013 has yet to meet the increasing demands for the city’s economic growth.

He said PM Phúc's approval of some key plans would help Đà Nẵng become a multi-sector development pole in Việt Nam and ASEAN.

“Đà Nẵng should be a centre of innovation, trade, finance, logistics, high-tech industries, supportive industries, information technology (IT) and a city of global supply chains and regional sea and port-based economic power,” Dũng said.

“The city will hope to be an attraction and a driving economic force in linking the seaports of Thừa Thiên-Huế, Chu Lai, Kỳ Hà, Dung Quất and Quy Nhơn, and a logistical centre for the coastal central region and the East-West Economic Corridor, which links Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Việt Nam,” he said.

The Deputy PM also said Đà Nẵng will become a smart and green city, an ecological attraction and sustainable urban area by 2045.

Following the PM’s approval, Đà Nẵng will begin its pilot ‘urban government’ project and special mechanism to give the city greater autonomy to draw investment and manage its budget.

Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Lê Chung Chinh said the amendments of the socio-economic master plan approved by the PM will seek to set new development targets, keeping pace with the rapid urban development experienced by the city in recent years.

Chinh said Đà Nẵng will change its technical infrastructure plan to be compatible with becoming a key tourism site in the central region with green growth and have information technology (IT) applications for a smart city, as well as environmentally-friendly waste treatment and renewable energy.

Đà Nẵng will also build a new Liên Chiểu port as an international entrance for handling cargo ships with 100,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) and container ships with loading capacities from 6,000 to 8,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs).

The port will be constructed with an investment of VNĐ3.4 trillion (US$148 million), of which VNĐ2.9 trillion ($126 million) will be funded by the State budget, in 2021-25.

The first stage of construction of Liên Chiểu port will focus on infrastructure including piers, dykes, and storage and transhipment service for handling 5 million tonnes of cargo.

A view of Đà Nẵng Bay. The central city will develop its potential socio-economic power on the base of sea, logistics, hi-tech industries and information technology. — Photo courtesy Trung Nam Group

Also on the occasion of the city’s Liberation Day (March 29), Vinatrans Đà Nẵng, an international freight forwarder, began construction of its international standard logistics centre on an area of more than 10,000sq.m with an investment of VNĐ120 billion ($5.2 million) in Hòa Cầm Industrial Zone.

The logistics centre, set to be the largest in the central region, will provide services for investors, exporters and importers in the central region from the third quarter of this year.

It’s the second international cold storage project that Vinatrans Đà Nẵng will build in the IZ after it debuted the 16,200sq.m logistic centre with an investment of $2.4 million in 2015. — VNS