A view of Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang. The Phu Quoc  will be the first island of Viet Nam to have casino. – Photo dddn.com.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a proposal to build an ecotourism resort, including a casino, in the southern Kien Giang province's Phu Quoc Island.

Earlier, a statement approved by the Kien Giang authorities said that foreign investors participating in the bid for the project must give proof of their financial strength, and pledge to invest at least $4 billion.

The planned 30,000sq.m casino will accommodate 2,000 slot machines and 200 to 400 table games. It will get a 30-year operational licence.

The 130ha ecotourism site in Bai Thom Commune will have five-star hotels with a total 3,000 rooms and a convention centre.

In August last year, the Finance Ministry submitted a draft decree on the casino operation to the government, in which it stipulated that Vietnamese people aged 21 and over, who are able to maintain good standards of behaviour and are financially sound, can play in the casino.

To give further boost to the project, Dung assigned the planning and investment ministry to work with the Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee and relevant agencies to study the project further, and set it up in accordance with the law. A report will then be sent to the Prime Minister for consideration after the Government issues a decree on the casino business.

Located in the western waters of Viet Nam, at the centre of the Southeast Asian region and on the Viet Nam-Cambodia-Thailand maritime economic belt, Phu Quoc has the largest area and population among all island districts of Viet Nam.

Its geography, climate, nature, society as well as economy are amenable to the development of a maritime economy, especially diversified tourism services, contributing to socio-economic development in the Cuu Long Mekong Delta and the country.

According to the master development plan approved by the Prime Minister, the island will act as a special economic zone, a centre for high-quality ecotourism, trade and luxury services, and will be known as a high-tech area in the region and the world.

Phu Quoc is a special economic and administrative region, a national and international recreational resort and ecological tourism centre, an important transportation hub and a scientific and technological hub. The island also plays an important role in national defence and security. – VNS