Hau Giang Making Effective Investment in Key Projects

9:35:07 PM | 24/3/2012

Hau Giang is determined to maintain its economic growth rate of 14 percent in 2012. The province will continue developing social and economic infrastructure; effectively investing in key projects; training human resources; focusing on agriculture and rural economic development; improving material and spiritual life of the people; ensuring social security; building up an uncorrupted and strong government system; maintaining national defence and security; exercising thrift and preventing corruption and waste, Mr Tran Cong Chanh, Chairman of Hau Giang People’s Committee, said in an interview with Vietnam Business Forum. Ha Linh reports.
Passing through numerous difficulties and challenges in 2011, Hau Giang province has striven to attain important achievements in all aspects. Could you tell what factors are behind your success?
Despite persistent difficulties, challenges and restrictions, its achievements in 2011 continued the high growth momentum of the province in the past time. This foundation will help Hau Giang keep pace with the development of the country.
 
This is accrued from unity, teamwork and effort of the political system and the people where the guidance and administration of all-tier governments play a pivotal role. In 2011, governments at all levels seriously and persistent implemented Resolution 02 and Resolution 11 of the Central Government, the resolutions of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Council. At the provincial level, the Provincial People's Committee and Standing Office of the Provincial People’s Committee focused on three breakthrough directions: Continuing investment in social and economic infrastructure construction; human resource training; and agricultural and countryside development.
 
With its aforesaid achievements, what fields will Hau Giang focus on for development in 2012?
In implementing the Resolution of the 12th Congress of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee adopted four action programmes in the 2011-2015 period, namely agricultural and countryside programme in association with new rural economy construction; Social and economy cooperation construction investment programme; human resource development programme; and administrative reform programme. These are four key programmes throughout this term.
 
In 2012, the Provincial Party Committee issued a resolution, assessing, “The Provincial Party Committee focuses on guiding economic, social, and security aspects, building a political system where agriculture, farmers, countryside and urban civilisation are the nucleus.”
 
Grasping the Resolution of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council and the Provincial People’s Committee put forth nine target groups and solutions for 2012: “Maintain economic growth rate of 14 percent; continue social and economic infrastructure development; effectively invest in key projects; train human resources; focus on agriculture and rural economy in association with new countryside construction; improve material and spiritual life of the people, ensure social security; build up the integrity of the government system; strengthen national defence - security; practise thrift and combat corruption and wastefulness."
 
Hau Giang is a young province with a plenty of golden investment opportunities for businesses. Would you be kind enough to briefly introduce these opportunities to help investors have accurate assessments when they invest here?
In the past years, Hau Giang has proactively created all favourable conditions for businesses to invest in Hau Giang and always paid attention to improving the quality of those conditions. Outstandingly, roads have been upgraded and widened, particularly around urban zones. To date, more than 98 percent of communes have built roads capable for automobiles to reach their administrative centres and roads are very well-connected. This is a favourable condition for enterprises to access material zones. Rice, sugarcane, pineapple and fruit material zones have been set up and had positive results. The Hau Giang Agricultural Seedling Centre is now effectively serving the demand of farmers.
Along with that, more warehouses and yards are being built in key localities like Vi Thanh City, Chau Thanh district, Long My District, Chau Thanh A district to temporarily store and ship goods transported both by waterway and overland. Commercial and service systems also made long strides of development.
The province has established concentrated industrial zones in Chau Thanh district, Vi Thanh City, Nga Bay Town, Chau Thanh A district, Long My high-tech agricultural zone to serve investors. It is amending development plans for Lung Ngoc Hoang natural reserve zone and Mua Xuan agriculture centre in Phung Hiep. Industrial zones are located in prime locations which have easy traffic links with major routes, material zones, and consumer markets.
 
Hau Giang has issued many policies to support investors like industry and handicraft development encouragement policies; market, medical, education and sport development policies; and streamlined land policy. The province always pays heed to the process of investment project implementation by investors and actively helps them deal with difficulties, especially those related to investment procedures, land, labour, traffic, telecom, electricity, water, worker housing and tax. Importantly, Hau Giang provincial leaders always listen to and take measures to meet the requirements of investors.
Hau Giang has issued a list of projects calling for investment in the economic fields with advantages and potential, like agriculture, aquaculture, processing industry, trade, services, tourism, health, education, and sports.
 
What do investors need to prepare and learn to invest successfully in Hau Giang province?
Hau Giang always creates the most favourable conditions for enterprises to do business and expects them to deploy, complete and put their projects into operation as scheduled and registered. Under that spirit, all investment-related issues are quickly settled by provincial authorities, aiming to minimise difficulties and obstacles facing investors. According to our experience, one important investment stage is the land handover method. In case investors choose the land cleared by the State, they will advance money for this work.
This is partly due to the province's budget difficulties and a way to strengthen their determination to carry out their projects as registered. This may cause some initial capital pressure on investors, but they will feel more assured in their project progress because responsible site clearance works are carried out by professional units.
This method has worked effectively in practice.
 
The care, support and responsibility of Hau Giang provincial authorities and their friendly attitude are also a plus in attracting investors.
 
Would you mind talking about the social and economic prospects of Hau Giang in the coming years?
By promoting internal resources, exerting external resources, uniting for sustainable development and better livelihood of people, I believe that the four action programmes will create fresh development momentum for Hau Giang province. The province’s gross domestic product (GDP) will be maintained at 14 - 15 percent a year, GDP per capita will reach US$1,700 - 1,900 in 2015; the economy will have higher contributions of industry and service and lower proportion of agriculture; production value of agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors will rise 5 - 5.5 percent a year in the 2011 - 2015 period; industrial and construction value will climb 17.5 - 18 percent yearly from 2011 to 2015; service value will increase 18 - 18.5 percent annually from 2011 to 2015; total budget revenues will amount to VND5,000 billion a year by 2015, of which domestic collections will account for VND1,100 - 1,200 billion; and the ratio of trained workers will be some 40 percent.