Rach Gia : Exuberant Town on the South West Coast

Rach Gia town is the political, economic, cultural and social centre of Kien Giang province and an axis in the region. The GDP growth rate is 10.91 per cent per annum. Rach Gia is to become a Grade 3 coastal town.

Socio-economic development

Over the past five years, Rach Gia has focused on the development of nine projects in such areas as: trade-service-tourism, industry-handicraft, aquaculture, agriculture and international economic integration. It has commenced urban planning, building infrastructure, operating efficient tourism and commercial centres, encouraging the expansion of production and improvement of technology and equipment, higher efficiency in industry, production of handicrafts, aquaculture and agriculture. At the same time, authorities have accelerated administrative reform and introduced preferential policies to attract investments from all economic sectors. The GDP growth rate is 10.91 per cent a year, while GDP per capita increased from VND 9,987,000 in 1999 to VND 6,152,000 in 2003. Economic restructuring is improving, and now stands at 45.86 per cent in services, 25.32 per cent in industry and 28.82 per cent in agro-forestry and aquatic production.

Important developments have also been made in socio-cultural fields - 97 per cent of 6-10 year old children are attending school, health programmes are attaining 95 per cent of their objectives, the regional birth rate decreased to 1.48 per cent, malnutrition among children was cut to 13.37 per cent, households in poverty went down to 3.42 per cent, while households with power supply increased to 94.35 per cent and water supply to 91.14 per cent.

Higher growth rates

In 2004, Rach Gia continues to show stable and high growth rates, developing the market network (Tac Rang and Phi Thong markets), encouraging investments by all economic sectors in production, technology and equipment upgrades, and improving product quality. Impressive progress has been made in the machinery, shipbuilding and fish sauce processing industries, increasing production value in the first half of 2004 to VND329 billion, 22.76 per cent over the same period last year. Meanwhile the aquaculture output was 59,450 tonnes with a value of VND412 billion, or 51.26 per cent of the yearly plan. In particular, Rach Gia is accelerating the implementation of major projects such as a tourist harbour, a coastal tourist centre, a sports centre, the Vinh Lap Industrial Park and a waste treatment area.

With its current achievements and future planning, Rach Gia will soon become a prosperous city on the south west coast of Vietnam.