The HCM City People's Committee wants the Government to increase the size of the proposed Pham Van Hai Industrial Park in Binh Chanh District to 700ha from the planned 330ha.

It said it would be a giant IP and replace three other planned ones, the 200ha Bau Dung and 175ha Phuoc Hiep in Cu Chi District and the 300ha Xuan Thoi Thuong in Hoc Mon District.

The place, which has alum soil, can only support short-term crops with high alum tolerance like sugarcane, cassava and banana, wood production and commercial crops such as rubber, tea, and hybrid acacia and cajuput.

The Pham Van Hai IP will focus on science and technology, start-ups and supporting industries, according to the People’s Committee.

It is expected to attract investors, especially in the hi-tech, electronics and supporting industries, and become a highly competitive industrial park.

It will have convenient connectivity and infrastructure and be accessible from major roads such as Highway 1A, the HCM City – Trung Luong Expressway and Ring Road 3.

With the city on the brink of running out of industrial lands, Pham Van Hai would be an attractive investment destination, especially for big investors, Hua Quoc Hung, head of the City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority, said.

Only 120ha was available for factories in 2021 compared to 500-600ha a year in the previous five years.

In a report, HEPZA said new IPs are behind schedule while existing ones are almost fully occupied.

HEPZA has set a target of attracting US$500 million worth of investment in the city’s industrial and export processing zones this year, $100 million less than last year.

To achieve the target, it plans to enhance the pandemic response and strengthen support for enterprises and reforms, Trung said.

It also plans to develop high-rise factories to make land use more efficient, monitor land use for investment projects and appropriate lands from investors who do not meet deadlines.

Its other key targets include speeding up land clearance for building the Le Minh Xuan 2 Industrial Park and expanding the Le Minh Xuan, Northwest Cu Chi, Vinh Loc, and Hiep Phuoc (third phase) IPs, he said.

Under the master plan for IP development by 2025, the city is shifting its economic structure towards services, industry and urban construction, focusing on high-tech industries and services.

It will make existing zones green and clean and build new hi-tech zones for supply industries with priority given to existing investors and industry 4.0 technologies.

The city has 17 export processing and industrial zones and high-tech parks covering a total area of more than 3,800ha. — VNS