Starting operation just three years ago, An Nghiep Industrial Park has had significant success in investment attraction and played important roles in the social and economic development of Soc Trang province. Reporter Duy Hanh interviews Mr Lam Hung Kien, Director of Soc Trang Industrial Zones Authority, on this issue.
Could you tell us about investment attraction in industrial parks in Soc Trang province?
According to our approved plan, Soc Trang province has centralised six industrial zones, namely An Nghiep, Tran De, Dai Ngai, My Thanh, Vinh Chau and Long Hung, covering a combined area of 1,114.13 hectares. To date, only An Nghiep Industrial Park has been completed and was put into operation in 2008, while the others are underway. The industrial park licensed 31 companies to invest in 40 projects with a registered capital of VND3,141.7 billion by the end of March 2011. They rented 141.52 ha of land, or 86.83 percent of rentable area, and employed 27,390 workers. Fourteen of them are in operation, six are under construction, and 11 are in the process of completing investment procedures. In 2010, companies in An Nghiep Industrial Park made combined industrial production value of VND1,169.9 billion, accounting for 11.82 percent of the province’s total value. In the first three months of 2011, the production value reached VND382.275 billion, representing an increase of 6.8 times from the same period in 2010 and fulfilling 30.6 percent of the full-year plan. Key products from the industrial park were frozen shrimp (1,180 tonnes), farm produce (232.89 tonnes) and household plastic appliances (613.37 tonnes).
Apart from economic contribution, the industrial zone has created jobs for thousands of local workers, boosted the mobility of workers from farming to non-farming sectors like industry and services, and contributed to the province’s social stability.
The occupancy rate of 86 percent after three years of operation is an impressive figure. How has this impressive rate been achieved?
Indeed, the occupancy rate at An Nghiep Industrial Park was only 70 percent at the beginning of 2010. However, after one year, the rate significantly climbed to 86 percent. This result is attributed to the improvement of infrastructure, like the completion of Can Tho Bridge and National Road 91.
Currently, the Can Tho Bridge and the National Road 91 removed traffic restrictions between the province and other Mekong Delta provinces. Then, companies from Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong provinces and abroad registered to locate their facilities in An Nghiep Industrial Park and other industrial parks in the province.
What measures will the Soc Trang Industrial Zones Authority and Soc Trang province take to boost investment in industrial zones?
To attract more investment capital into industrial parks, Soc Trang province and the Soc Trang Industrial Zones Authority issued consistent investment preference and support policies for industrial park-based projects. We will also accelerate public administration reform, improve the environment and apply all incentives related to land, tax, credit, and human resource training. When registering to do business in industrial parks, investors will be enthusiastically guided by the industrial zone authority and other competent provincial agencies to complete procedures concerning investment licensing, land lease and construction. They will be provided information relating to domestic and foreign markets, and supported finances for attending trade fairs and exhibitions, and for advertising and human resource training.
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