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| A production line at Mabuci Motor Viet Nam in Dong Nai province. The Ministry of Planning and Investment has called on southern provinces to define their investment potential to help lure more foreign investors. — VNA/VNS Photo Danh Lam |
CAN THO (Biz Hub) — Each province must define their competitive advantages and economic potential to assist the government in its foreign-investment decision-making, heard a seminar held in Can Tho yesterday.
"The southern region has the greatest economic proportion and largest contribution to the State budget. It is necessary to know the potential development of each province," Do Nhat Hoang, head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment's Foreign Investment Agency said.
He spoke at a Foreign Investment Conference with the attendance of 21 southern provinces' Planning and Investment Departments, Investment Promotion Centres, Economic Zones, and Industrial and Processing Parks.
He said the Mekong Delta had high potential in agriculture, seafood and fruit trees. Each province should give detailed information about the kinds of seafood or fruit it can raise or grow best.
"From such details, the Foreign Investment Department will introduce and invite the proper foreign investors," he added.
At present, the department is trying to guide foreign investment into suitable industries in order to ensure quality and effectiveness.
"We are trying to reform the investment environment by reducing time and procedures for investment registrations. We will make simple and precise procedures, but, of course, will still be able to manage enterprises," he said.
At the conference, solutions to support enterprises dealing with economic difficulties and attract more foreign investment were discussed.
Another topic concerned guidelines for setting up new investment promotion programme based on recent Government new decision (No 03) related to State management and investment promotion.
Since early of this year to mid-July, 889 FDI projects have received investment licences with registered capital of US$6.8 billion. Another 300 projects have expanded their capital with more $2.6 billion.
New and expanded capital accounted for 80 per cent of investment compared with the same period last year.
The Foreign Investment Agency targets $20 billion in foreign investment for the year.
According to statistics from the department, there are around 16,800 foreign invested projects — with total registered capital of $242.2 billion and disbursed capital of $118 billion – operating in Viet Nam.
The manufacturing industry comprises 54 per cent while real estate is 20.6 per cent and agriculture-forestry-marine is 1.4 per cent.
Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are the top four investors in Viet Nam. — VNS