HA NOI (VNS)— Southern Binh Duong Province attracted some US$579 million in foreign investment in the first quarter of this year, according to the provincial Department of Planning and Investment.

The Viet Nam-Singapore Industrial Park alone received 11 FDI projects with total capital of $368 million. Three newly licensed projects have combined capital of $258 million and eight operational projects raised over $110 million in capital.

Binh Duong plans to attract over $1 billion in foreign investment this year, mainly in industries with high added value such as electricity, electronics and pharmaceuticals.

The province has recently received many delegations of foreign investors, including many from the Republic of Korea and Japan, who came to seek out opportunities in the fields of construction, entertainment, culture and education.

Binh Duong drew nearly $3 billion in foreign investment in 2012, up 253 per cent against 2011. This accounted for 17.1 per cent of Viet Nam's total FDI last year. — VNS