Deputy PM Truong Vinh Trong stated that fertile soil, abundant minerals, dynamic local governments and friendly people who always welcome investors and enterprises, political stability and social safety are fundamental favorable preconditions of the Central Highlands.
The Deputy PM made the statement at the Investment Promotion Forum into the Central Highlands 2009 held today in Dak Lak Province.
The Forum attracted leaders of many ministries, five Central Highlands provinces and over 500 representatives from domestic and international enterprises.
Deputy PM Trong underlined the strategy to construct and develop the Central Highlands into a key economic and tourism zone of the country, with a high and sustainable economic growth rate and increasingly better social conditions.
He called upon investors to reserve their practical and effective projects for the region while encouraging local governments and people to make full use of their creativity and other available resources to promote rapid socio-economic development.
The Central Highlands provinces should do greater efforts to improve investment environment and create more favorable conditions for investors in the interests of enterprises, laborers and the country, Deputy PM Trong emphasized.
In 2008, the Central Highlands saw a GDP growth rate of 14%. Its per capital reached VND 11.34 million (higher than the target of VND 10.1 million for 2010); the average poverty rate was 15.5%.
However, the region has attracted over 1,000 projects invested with nearly VND 128 trillion by domestic enterprises. The number of FDI projects stands at 138, accounting for only 1.3% of the country’s total).
“In the time to come, the Ministry of Planning and Investment will closely work with local governments to build up proper mechanisms and policies to draw more domestic and foreign investment, ODA and capital for major projects,” said Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Bich Dat at the Forum.
Local governments vow to stand side by side enterprises
Leaders of all Central Highlands provinces (Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong) pledged to promote information sharing with investors; offer more incentives and preferential policies for enterprises; and accelerate administrative reforms in investment-related fields. They also vowed to stand side by side investors in lifting difficulties.
At the forum, some large-scale projects were licensed, including the Pulp and Paper Mill Tan Mai-Kon Tum (VND 1,896 billion); the Trung Nguyen Coffee processing project (Dak Lak) VND 735 billion; the Forest protection and rubber planting project in Bao Lam District (Lam Dong), VND 249 billion; and another rubber project in Mang Yang District (Gia Lai), VND 91 billion.
Investors committed an investment capital sum of nearly VND 11,000 billion for rubber, coffee, hydroelectricity, mall, hotel and hospital projects./.