3:30:48 PM | 25/11/2015
To grasp opportunities that Vietnam will see from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Hai Phong City People's Committee and Dinh Vu Industrial Zones Joint Stock Company co-organised an investment seminar themed “Haiphong with key infrastructure projects - Northern gateway of Vietnam” in mid-November in order to draw domestic and foreign investment capital into the port city. Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Le Thanh Son, Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People’s Committee. Le Hien reports.
Could you brief us on investment attraction results of Hai Phong City in the year to date?
Hai Phong City has to date attracted 450 projects with a total capital of over US$10.7 billion. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the city increased sharply in both value and quality. Particularly, Hai Phong City has become a top FDI destination in the country since 2011, with some years standing the second and third places of the nation. During this period, the city welcomed many big projects investing big sum of money, creating high added values, using modern environment-friendly advanced technologies, meeting industrialisation and modernisation orientations and corresponding to socioeconomic development orientations. Recently licensed big projects included a high-tech electronic production project invested by LG Electronics Co., Ltd (South Korea), a rubber tyre production plant invested by Bridgestone Group, and a pharmaceutical and medical device production plant invested by NiproPharma Corporation (Japan).
With the theme “Hai Phong with key infrastructure projects - Northern gateway of Vietnam,” does Hai Phong reconfirm its strategic position and prepare for new opportunities that Vietnam will see from TPP and more than 10 multilateral and bilateral trade agreements?
With its strategic location, as a member locality of the northern key economic zone, Hai Phong City has favourable natural conditions for seaport economic development. However, its investment attraction result is still incommensurate with its potential. After a series of important transport infrastructure projects are put into operation, with strong determinations to improve the investment environment, Hai Phong has reaffirmed its strategic location in the eyes of both domestic and international investors. Hai Phong is committed to completing key projects as scheduled and creating best conditions for investors to do successful business in the city.
Ongoing projects in Hai Phong City include Hai Phong International Port, Cat Bi Airport, Tan Vu - Lach Huyen Bridge, and Hanoi-Hai Phong Highway.
Would you mind revealing the completion schedule of these projects?
With a total investment value of over US$4.1 billion, these infrastructure projects will produce important advantages for the city and northern Vietnam. The combination of seaports, highways, airports and industrial parks will wake up the market potential and the northern labour force of 20 million people.
With convenient connection to these important infrastructure projects, Hai Phong City affirms its important position in investment attraction. The city is the centre of traffic hubs, featured by its proximity o the deepest seaport in northern Vietnam capable of receiving ships of up to 100,000 DWT, easy access to Cat Bi International Airport, and one-hour truck travelling time between Hanoi and Hai Phong.
Commenced in April 2013 and expected for completion in 2017, Hai Phong International Gateway Port, also known as Lach Huyen Deepwater Port, will be the largest deepwater port in northern Vietnam with an annual capacity of handling up to 30 million tonnes. The port connects with the city on Tan Vu - Lach Huyen traffic route. Up to now, the port project and Tan Vu - Lach Huyen bridge project have completed more than 40 percent of workload to stand ahead of schedule. These projects will help investors to significantly reduce transport costs and transit duration upon its completion in May 2017.
Six-lane Hanoi - Hai Phong Expressway is a world-class traffic route. With 54 overpasses and a 18-lane toll station, the project was completed over 70 km out of 105 km as of September 2015 and the remaining 30 km was expected to be completed before this December.
Cat Bi International Airport upgrading project will expand the aircraft apron for eight planes and build two-storey terminals to increase its service capacity to 6 million passengers a year. Right in the first phase, the airport will open direct flight routes to Singapore, Thailand, Japan and South Korea.
So, what is the position of Dinh Vu Industrial Zone in this cluster of important projects?
In reality, Dinh Vu Industrial Zone is the only industrial zone to connect directly with all these projects. It directly links with Hanoi - Hai Phong Expressway, Tan Vu - Lach Huyen Road and it is the nearest to reach Hai Phong International Gateway Port. Inspired by the current success, shareholders voted to expand the industrial park by another 1,000 ha to meet investors’ demands. Situated in the heart of these infrastructure projects, Dinh Vu Industrial Zone project is housing 55 domestic and foreign investment projects with a total registered capital of US$3 billion.
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