‘VN’s Kien Giang should be wealthy’
KIEN GIANG province should become one of the wealthiest and most dynamic and innovative provinces in Vietnam based on its comparative natural advantages and sea-based economy, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told an investment conference in the Mekong Delta province on Monday.
The event was attended by government officials, leaders of southern provinces, foreign diplomats, and more than 500 local and international business executives.
Phuc hailed the province for its diligent preparations for the conference and hailed its socioeconomic development in recent years.
The province has enjoyed average economic growth of more than seven per cent in recent years, is the country’s largest producer of many agricultural and seafood items such as rice and shrimp and has many advanced farming models.
The province’s Phu Quoc Island, the Pearl Island, ranks among the top destinations in Asia.
“Kien Giang is changing every day with a desire to become a wealthy province.”
Of the 13 cities and provinces in the Mekong Delta, Kien Giang has the largest land area and the second biggest population.
As the western gateway to the region and with the waters of the Gulf of Thailand lapping its shores, the province encompasses a vast sea area of over 63,000sq km.
It also shares a 58km border with Cambodia’s Kampot and Takeo provinces, has the Ha Tien international border gate, two airports as well as pristine forests, mountains and islands.
With such geographic advantages, Phuc said: “Kien Giang’s economy can develop based on t hree pillars – high-qualit y agriculture adapted to climate change, clean fish farming and processing targeting t he highend market segment and eco-tourism of internationa l standards.”
The marine economy would be a key growth driver along with the border economy and the breakthrough in the development of Phu Quoc, said the prime minister.
“Kien Giang needs to become one of the most dynamic, innovative and wealthy provinces in the country based on its comparative natural advantages and seaoriented economy and promote its unique agricultural resources and unique and world-class tropical tourism.
“With the unique position of Phu Quoc, we need to have a vision to turn it into a worldclass resort tourism centre.
“We focus on developing Phu Quoc not to compete with other localities in Vietnam in attracting resources and development opportunities but to enable the island to compete effectively and fairly with [resort tourism centres in] other countries,” he said.
To develop eco-tourism, the province must pay special importance to the environment quality, which is “an invaluable resource”, he said.
“In the process of planning for development of Kien Giang in general and Phu Quoc in particular, it is necessary to ensure the quality of the land, water and air and absolutely not destroy the environment and natural landscapes for short-term [benefit].”
He instructed the province to focus on improving its investment environment, restructuring its rice farming, investing more in infrastructure that connects localities in the region, and promptly addressing issues that could hinder development.
The government would always help the province achieve its socio-economic targets and guarantee that the legal rights of businesses and investors in the province are protected, he added.
Investment licences granted
Kien Giang People’s Committee chairman Pham Vu Hong said the prov ince has undergone significant changes in recent years as a growing number of investors develop large projects in t he prov ince.
The projects not only create more jobs, but a lso improve productiv it y and competitiveness, t hereby making a substantia l contribution to ensuring socia l securit y and economic grow th.
“The conference is an opportunit y for Kien Giang to promote and introduce to domestic and foreign investors its development orientations and policies as well as investment opportunities in many new areas,” said Hong.
At t he event, t he prov ince solicited investment in 118 projects in tourism, t rade, env ironment, hi-tech agriculture, waste treatment, housing and urban development, transport, and ot hers.
It also issued investment certificates for 20 local and foreign-invested projects with an investment of over 40 trillion dong ($1.72 billion) and signed memorandums of understanding with a number of businesses for feasibility studies for 36 others worth over 150 trillion dong.
Vietjet Air announced the launch of new ser v ices to and from Phu Quoc and sought approval for investing in Rach Gia Airport to enable la rge aircra f t to la nd.