Trade and Industry Sector: Ready for New Opportunities

 

The value of industrial production increased in comparison with that of 2013, but has yet to achieve the target set for 2014. Production output of some products of high value was low or lower than in 2013; production and business capacity remained underdeveloped. Businesses did not focus enough on investment in and application of advanced technology in manufacturing and business. Progress and completion of some investment and production projects were slow. The economy in the country and in the province in particular faced many difficulties and challenges, production and business recovery were slow, many enterprises had to restrain their activities, downsizing production and suspending business, companies couldn’t develop to their full capacity. New investment projects to add new capabilities was implemented slower than planned; businesses didn’t really have access to preferential policies and mechanisms while dealing with difficulties in production and business activities, such as: Access to preferential loans, support for inventory sale, support for market stabilization. Industrial index rose 5.38 percent compared with 2013, but the 2013 results was insignificant and failed to meet the target set for 2013 (value of industrial production reached 77.8 percent plan, counted in comparison price of 2010); 2014 continued this trend and also failed to reach the year’s target (value of industrial production reached 91.9 percent of target, counted in comparison price of 2010).

 

The province has coordinated regularly and closely with other responsible departments and agencies to effectively implement Programme 10/CTr-TU dated April 29 2011 of Cao Bang Provincial Committee on Border Gate Economic Development period 2011-2015, which has helped promote investment and business activities at the border gate economic zone in the province.

 

Cao Bang also has improved the efficiency of state management, promoting border trade toward sustainable development, advising the Provincial People's Committee on issuing a number of mechanisms and policies for managing border trade activities in the area, namely: Decision 05/2012/QD-UBND dated July 30, 2012 on management regulations for border trade activities in the province of Cao Bang; Decision 2145/QD-UBND dated December 28, 2012 on the issuance of management regulation for the business of temporary import for re-export through crossings located in the border gate economic zone in Cao Bang Province; Decision 1223/QD-UBND dated Aug 25, 2014 on issuing temporary regulations for managing rice export through Cao Bang; Coordinating with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to implement the planning of building warehouses in the gate border area Vietnam - China toward 2025, with a vision towards 2035.

 

The province has fully tapped the strength of the gate economic zone, constantly encouraging and creating favourable conditions for businesses to invest, do trade and business across border gates. As a result, border trade in the province has contributed greatly to the increase of the state budget, creating employment for residents of border area, contributing positively to poverty reduction and the local socio-economy.

 

We have coordinated and implemented effectively the work of foreign relations, strengthening propaganda on investment attraction and creating an environment favourable for business and investment, paving the way for all economic sectors, both domestic and international, to participate in import and export, trade and services at border gates.

 

We have closely coordinated with functional departments to maintain good management over border trade activities in the area, pooling resources to promote the potential and strengths of the province, promoting socio-economic development of border areas, improving the lives of people in border areas, speeding up the process of border gate economic development and border trade.

 

Cao Bang will create all kinds of favourable conditions to attract investment, such as: Continuing administrative reforms, creating a transparent environment of administrative procedures in the field of management, and publicizing all planning in the field of industry.

 

We also will make way for attracting infrastructure investment in industrial zones and complexes, and border gate economic zones.

 

The province will support and provide information for businesses and investors; Coordinating with relevant sectors to create a transparent, attractive and credible investment environment to attract investors, improve the quality of investment flows and enhance positive contribution to the province’s industrial development.

Cao Bang will implement investment promotion, promoting the province’s image in order to attract investment into the industry sector. The Trade Promotion Centre will help businesses create joint ventures, cooperate and expand markets for local products.

 

We will continue to mobilize all resources, both domestic and foreign, selectively with orientation, selecting priority areas to encourage investment in order to improve the quality of investment: Investing selectively into projects of high quality, saving resources and energy, applying modern technology, environmentally friendly, in accordance with the province’s general development planning, of large budget revenues.

 

Water resources for the development of small and medium hydropower projects: Cao Bang has a river and stream system distributed fairly evenly throughout the province such as the Gam River, the Bang River, and the Quay Son River; this is a favourable condition for Cao Bang to develop small and medium hydropower projects. According to the planning of small hydropower, Cao Bang has about 15 locations deemed possible sites for small and medium hydropower plant construction, with a total installed capacity of over 203 MW such as: three hydropower stairs on the Gam River (Bao Lam 1: 30 MW, Bao Lam 2: 30 MW, Bao Lam 4: 26 MW); the Nho Que River (Bao Lam 3: 40 MW); the Nhiao River (Ban Nga: 2.5 MW, Ban Rien: 5 MW, Khuoi Ru: 7,5MW); the Pac Phan River – branch of the Nang River (Ban Chieu: 5 MW); Hien River (Hoa Tham: 5.8 MW, Bach Dang: 4.5 MW); the Bang River (Hong Nam: 6.5 MW, Tien Thanh: 15 MW, Hoa Thuan: 17 MW); and the Bac Vong River (Than Giap: 6 MW, Khuoi Luong: 2.4 MW).

 

Forest and land resources: Cao Bang has a forest resources and a land resources suitable for industrial plant cultivation, supplying on-site materials for the processing of agro - forestry - food such as: forestry land accounts for over 81 percent of total natural land area, the forest cover ratio is over 52 percent, a great condition for the development of the forest products processing industry; tobacco-growing areas in the districts of Hoa An, Ha Quang, Trung Khanh, Nguyen Binh and Tra Linh by 2020 will be around 5,000-6,000 ha; sugarcane growing areas in the districts of Phuc Hoa, Quang Uyen, Thach An and Trung Khanh by 2020 will be about 3,100 ha; Phyllostachys growing area in the districts of Nguyen Binh, Bao Lac, Hoa An and Thong Nong about 3,500 ha; and material cassava growing area in Hoa An district, Cao Bang city.