My Tho City.—File Photo

HCM CITY (Biz Hub)— The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Province of Tien Giang last Saturday unveiled a list of 13 projects that require investment.

Four of them, all of which are key projects, include the drainage and waste water treatment system in My Tho City, Tien Giang central square, Tan Phuoc Industrial zone, and the provincial administrative area.

The projects require a total investment of US$360.7 million.

The list also includes a project to build apartments for specialists and workers at the Tan Huong resettlement area and Tan Huong Trade Centre project. These two projects need combined investment capital of $21.5 million.

Investment is also required to develop Vam Lang fishing port, the Trung An residential area and projects in tourism and infrastructure at industrial zones.

Speaking at the conference held in HCM City, Nguyen Dinh Thong, deputy director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment, said the province would provide incentives for investors, including land rentals, taxes, labour training, trade promotion and infrastructure construction.

Tran Kim Mai, deputy chairwoman of the Provincial People's Committee, said: "Currently there are still some shortcomings related to investment procedures, the province will work to improve this shortly."

Located about 70km from HCM City, the province has a convenient transport system on land and waterways. In addition, it can fully meet investors' electricity, water and telecom needs.

With its advantageous geographic position, Tien Giang is a gateway between Mekong Delta provinces and HCM City and other eastern provinces.

The province has the largest fruit cultivation area in the Mekong Delta region, with many specialty fruits like Hoa Loc mango, Vinh Kim star apple, Cho Gao dragon fruit, Tan Lap pineapple and Ngu Hiep durian. It also has a rich aquatic supply.

The province has several fruit and seafood processing facilities.

Thong said the province would focus on developing product diversification and "deeper food processing".

Industrial products that have competitive advantages will be promoted, with priority given to machinery for agricultural production and processing of farm produce.

They will also aim to strengthen co-operation with HCM City and provinces in the Mekong Delta as well as the southern key economic region in trade, services and eco-tourism development.

Despite many difficulties this year, the province still had an economic growth rate of 9.5 per cent this year, much higher than the country's average growth rate, Mai said.

She said the province's export revenue reached more than $1 billion a year, ranking third in the Mekong Delta region in export earnings.

The conference also witnessed the debut of the Tien Giang Businessmen Club in HCM City.

Nguyen Kim Lan, its chairman, said the club aimed to create a closer connection among Tien Giang businesspeople in trade and investment.

It will act as a bridge between the provincial authority and businesses to promote trade and support the poor living in the province or living and studying in HCM City, he said. — VNS