SOM 3 Conference in Central Da Nang City: Elevated International Position

In 2001-2005, the average GDP growth rate was 13 per cent a year, with GDP per capita in 2005 of US$1,015 or 1.5 times that of Vietnam’s average. The industrial turnover increased 20.5 per cent a year and the export turnover of commodities and services increased 17.5 per cent a year.

 

Progress has also been made in such services as finance, banking, insurance, post and telecommunication, transport, etc. Big and high-class hotels and restaurants have been put into operation such as Furama, Sandy Beach, Bamboogreen, Cosevco Star, Golden Sea, Ba Na, Suoi Mo, Suoi Luong Resorts, most attracting to tourists. The number of tourists visiting Da Nang in 2001-2005 was 2,716,400 people, an average increase of 11 per cent a year.

 

In the past 5 years, the role of agriculture-forestry-fisheries was reduced in the economic structure from 7.4 per cent in 2001 to 5.7 per cent in 2005. While the product value increased on average of 5.9 per cent a year compared to 5-6 per cent as the plan.

 

Currently, the city has 84 FDI projects with total investment capital of US$664.23 million, legal capital of US$272.8 million, implemented capital of US$211.1 and 143 branches and representative offices. In 2001-2005, FDI enterprises have contributed the city budget US$51.6 million, created 22,500 jobs or 19.64 per cent of the city employment.

 

In social welfare, Da Nang has launched several campaigns such as “City of five Nos”: (No hungry households, no illiteracy, no beggars, no drug addiction, no murder for robbery); “City of three availabilities”: dwelling houses, employment for people of working age, civilized urban life), to make Da Nang a modern and civilized city.

 

Tourism is playing an ever more important role in the economy. In 2005, the service increased 18 per cent in tourists and 11.9 per cent in turnover compared to 2004. The connected tours to three international heritages: My Son, Hoi An, Hue were very successful. The infrastructure, promotion activities, new projects and products have been developed.

 

Trade has been developed ensuring the supply and distribution within the city, neighbouring provinces as well as export to foreign markets. The city has been assigned as the bridgehead for the import-export of other central provinces and the Highlands. Several supermarkets and commercial centres have been built and operated especially Da Nang and Metro supermarkets.

 

With a view to develop Da Nang into a major centre of services and financial activities in Vietnam, the banking network has been expanded with 98 transaction offices offering favourable services to customers and promoting socio-economic development. The city has 355 units engaging in computers, related service and software.

 

Fast development has been recorded in postal and telecommunication service making Da Nang one of the three biggest telecommunication centres of Vietnam with 100 per cent of operation by optical cable. Progress has also been recorded in insurance, transport, consulting, education, and health with the participation of several other economic sectors. Those achievements serve as the foundation for the city to develop tourism and service and transform the economy to the structure : service-industry-agriculture by 2010 as decided the 19^th Party Congress of the city.

 

Da Nang is becoming a centre of national and international political and diplomatic events. In the framework of APEC Vietnam 2006, Da Nang has played host to Ministerial Meeting on bird flu late April and early May and APEC SOM 3 in September. The events have improved the image of Da Nang nation wide and worldwide.

 

Da Nang was invited by Kobe Municipal Centre (AUICK-Japan) to participate in the programme of 9 Asian cities to find solutions to urban issues. The city has also participated the network of local authorities on population management (Citynet) with 103 members throughout the world.

 

Those achievements show that the comparative edge in natural and social resources and economic policy are being developed and Da Nang will become a more important centre of economic, cultural, science and technology development, a driving force of the key economic region in Central Vietnam and the Highlands in the process of regional and world economic integration.

 

Da Nang has 8 districts and 781,023 people (by the end of 2005) including 6 downtown districts with 673,346 people (86.21 per cent). The city has become an administrative unit directly under the central government since July 15, 2003. In 2005 GDP, industry-construction made up 48.2 per cent, service 46.1 per cent and agriculture 5.7 per cent.