Investors should turn the potential of central coastal Phu Yen Province into money, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Friday.
Speaking at the largest investment promotion conference held in the province, Phuc asked the locality to continue to use tourism as its development momentum.
“The province should attract big and prestigious investors while diversifying and improving tourism quality," he said. "It should also enhance links with other localities inside and outside the country.”
Phu Yen has a north-south road system, railway, airways and seaway. It also has diversified natural resources, including sea economic sectors, hi-tech agriculture, agro-forestry, minerals and renewable energies.
Phuc highlighted the advantages of the province and its dynamic authorities in welcoming “sunrise” development.
The PM said he valued the province’s efforts in developing economic infrastructure and improving the investment environment.
“With its advantages and hard-working people, Phu Yen can surely achieve sustainable and rapid development in the central and Central Highlands regions,” he said.
Phuc urged Phu Yen to ensure stability, transparency and equal competition in accessing resources and business opportunities. It should also pay attention to start-ups, especially by young people in the rural areas.
“Phu Yen was requested to follow the country’s reform flow as well as taking advantages of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in management, building e-governance and removing bureaucracy,” he added.
The province was asked to quickly resolve investment barriers, while improving its provincial competitiveness index (PCI) and public administrative performance index (PAPI) and become known as trustworthy.
He said Phu Yen should enhance regional associations, especially with Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong and Dak Lak which could supplement advantages for the province.
It could also mobilise social resources to attract investment of clean and hi-tech industries.
He expected the province to develop seafood and prevent illegal exploitation. Businesses and investors should protect the environment and traditional culture.
Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, Huynh Tan Viet, said the province had strong commitments to helping investors.
Between 2011-17, Phu Yen received 284 investment projects, including 19 foreign direct investments with total registered capital of US$6 billion.
“The province will give priorities to sea eco-tourism, culture and building distinctive tourism products," Viet said.
"Phu Yen will also focus on key sectors of finance, logistics, information and telecommunications; support industries, energy and agro-forestry processing.”
Viet added that the province would seek investment in urban infrastructure, housing and real estate and establish special cultivation areas with post-harvest and processing technologies.“Investors in the province are our citizens. Their success will be ours,” he added.
At the event, the provincial People’s Committee approved 17 investment licences worth a total of VND12.4 trillion ($558 million) and signed memoranda of understanding with others.
These have been big scale projects, contributing to the province’s development and providing jobs for local people.
On the same day, PM Phuc attended the inauguration of the Da Rang- Song Chua Bridges to ease congestion at the south of Tuy Hoa City and expanding Phu Yen Urban Area.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also announced the PM’s decision to approve development planning of Xuan Dai Bay National Tourism Area by 2030.
Accordingly, Phu Yen will develop the area based on its advantages of the Ganh Da Dia (Sea Cliff of Stone Plates) to develop national tourism products.
More than 500 delegates, including those from 260 domestic and international enterprises attended the conference. — VNS