Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has given the green light for infrastructure development worth up to VND21 trillion (US$921 million) for economic zones and industrial parks in the 2016-2020 period.

The programme aims to develop comprehensive technical and social infrastructure for these areas, which will lay the foundation and create favourable conditions for calling and promoting large-scale investment projects.

The plan comprises five components, including infrastructure investment for coastal economic zones, border gate economic zones, industrial parks and industrial clusters, hi-tech parks, and hi-tech agriculture zones.

The total cost is estimated to be some VND21 trillion, of which the State budget will fund VND16.68 trillion (may increase when the capital source is available), while the capital from local budgets and other lawful sources will be more than VND4.2 trillion.

By 2020, some 200km to 250km of main roads, drainage works, and concentrated waste water treatment with a capacity of 13,000m3/day to 14,000 m3/day, and other technical and social infrastructure for resettlement sites will be built in 16 coastal economic zones.

The large-scale projects will focus on eight zones.

Investments will be made in some 21 border economic zones to construct 200km to 220km of roads, concentrated water waste treatment with the capacity of 300m3/day to 400 m3/day, 8km to 10km of power lines and 8,000m2 to 10,000m2 area of specialised work, checkpoints, warehouses and yards, focusing on nine key border gates having large import-export volumes.

To encourage the development and application of hi-tech in production, heavy investment will also be made to build roads, drainage and water waste treatment facilities, as well as power infrastructure for industrial parks and clusters, hi-tech parks and hi-tech agricultural zones.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment, in coordination with the relevant agencies, is tasked to appraise projects and make capital allocation for medium-term State budget-funded projects under the programme.

Along with the Ministry of Finance, they will review target projects in the programme and report annually to the Prime Minister. — VNS