Tra Vinh Town - Promoting Advantage of Key Economic Region

With the guideline of actively promoting potentialities and advantages for local economic development, in recent years, the economic structure of Tra Vinh Town has rapid transition and highest economic growth (15.23 percent a year on average from 2004 to 2008), thus laying a steadfast premise for socioeconomic development. Particularly, in 2009, in spite of devastating impacts of global economic downturn, the town still managed to retain its development pace, reaching 13.08 percent. Major indicators grew from a year earlier. Specifically, the town’s trade and service sector dynamically grew, powered by more than 300 companies and 5,000 individual business establishments. The commercial and service value increased 14.23 percent year on year and 1.7 times compared with 2005. The industrial and handicraft production value in 2009 was 1.78-fold increase from 2005. The agriculture also had positive steps thanks to intensive farming and cultivation of highly commercial crops.

 

In addition to infrastructure development, the town also continuously invests in expanding irrigation systems, power grids, post and telecom networks. Cultural and social aspects are also given a facelift. Cultural movements and festivals have come into life, creating the foundation to build the Vietnamese culture imbued with advancement and national identity in Tra Vinh province. Education and training also achieves significant progresses to gradually meet the local demand for human resources.

 

In addition, the town attaches much importance to upgrading the urban management and beautification. Many roads have been narrowed pavements and upgraded. The infrastructure investment is based on the joint effort and contribution of the State and people. The investment for urban infrastructure, especially key traffics, drainage systems and green areas, has been expanded.

 

In traffic development, the town has focused on solving investment for regional traffic works, creating motivations for the development of belt roads, roads leading to Uncle Ho Temple, Ngo Long Binh road racing tracks, extended Dong Khoi Street, Tan Phuong Bridge and other facilities. These efforts have contributed to meeting the criteria for a provincial capital city. Expected, the town will be officially recognised as a city on February 3, 2010.

 

In addition to specific industry development policies, Tra Vinh Town has tried to improve the business environment to attract investments. In particular, the publicity, transparency, simplicity of procedures and the rising awareness of administrative officials are focused. Long Duc Industrial Zone has attracted many projects, which create jobs for many local workers, produce well-known products in the domestic and international markets. In the coming time, the provincial competent authorities will continue calling investors to invest in Long Duc Industrial Zone and expand its area by an additional 116 hectares.

 

Moreover, to enhance the result of investment attraction policies, the town’s authorities continue focus on speeding up site clearance for new projects. Aside from very satisfactory support policies for affected people to lead a normal life, resettle and seek jobs, the town also set up a panel for cleared site compensation to solve all issues concerned, create more favourable conditions for investment projects to quicken the inception, construction and operation. With regards to difficult-to-clear sites, the town actively mobilises unions and local authorities to approach and convince affected people to follow the policy to accelerate the investment process, thus saving time and costs for investors.

 

At present, Tra Vinh Town is attracting investments for major projects such as a central town market, a centralised livestock and fowl slaughtering houses (3 ha) and a town handicraft cluster (50 ha). Mr Nguyen Thanh Tam, Chairman of Tra Vinh Town People’s Committee, confirmed that Tra Vinh has many local advantages for investors in 2010 like some strategic projects like Quan Chanh Bo channel (Dinh An fishing port), Duyen Hai (coastal) power centre and upgraded highways 53, 54 and 60. On the other hand, Tra Vinh City will be established in 2010 in accordance with socio-economic development requirements to promote the role of a provincial capital and a political, economic, cultural and economic centre. Hence, Tra Vinh is confirmed to be the best place for the success of investors.