Binh Dinh Promotes International Integration
Having an awareness of the importance of international economic integration issues, in the last two years, the Binh Dinh People’s Committee has organised two training courses on guidelines of central and local agencies on international economic integration, and conferences, discussing modern trade barriers and Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the Asia-Europe Meeting, for high ranking officials in the province and leaders of local enterprises.
The province also organises a conference every two months to disseminate issues in
The province has built and perfected its electronic portal and a website to introduce and promote the image of Binh Dinh and its investment and business opportunities. Also, the province has established a hotline to exchange and settle difficulties of enterprises and investors. So far, 60 enterprises in the province have built their own websites for trade and investment promotion and 50 enterprises have joined online trading floors.
Relevant agencies propose the Binh Dinh People’s Committee to issue policies and develop trade promotion activities, helping local enterprises join domestic and international exhibitions and fairs. At the same time, the province has issued policies on developing farm-produce and seafood material supply areas.
The province has also focused on the planning and building of industrial parks. So far, Binh Dinh has completed a master plan for its industrial parks and complexes and the others along national road N0 19. Some new industrial projects have already become operational. The province is perfecting infrastructure facilities in the Phu Tai and Long My industrial parks and the Nhon Binh complex. Localities in the province are building infrastructure facilities for 14 industrial complexes, three of which have begun operations. Handicrafts and craft villages have been restored, generating more jobs and incomes for local people, especially in rural areas. The province has 41 craft villages in six districts, generating jobs for around 200,000 people.
The province’s export turnover has gained a high growth rate. It reached US$139 million in 2003, up by 16 per cent against that of 2002. The 2004 figure was put at US$193 million, 39 per cent higher than 2003 and 13 per cent higher than the yearly plan. Export markets have been expanded. The province has now developed trade relations with 60 countries and territories in the world.
Import turnover in the last two years reached US$202 million. The 2004 figure alone was put at US$113.6 million, up by around 27 per cent against that of 2003. Major imports include materials and fuels for export processing, machines and equipment, medicines and medical equipment.
Local enterprises have paid a careful attention to the building and protection of trademarks as they have registered their intellectual properties. So far, 57 enterprises have begun to apply international quality management systems, 16 of which are applying the ISO 9001:2000 quality management system.
Investment, tourism and trade promotion activities have been boosted via the province’s policies and the organisations of seminars, fairs and exhibitions, and the participation in market exploration trips organised by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and the Ministry of Trade, as well as Binh Dinh province. In 2004, the province helped 33 agencies and enterprises join domestic and foreign fairs and exhibition with a total cost of VND 400 million. The province co-operated with the Club of Vietnamese High Quality Product Enterprises to organised two Vietnamese high quality goods fairs, attracting 140 enterprises with total revenues of VND 32 billion.
Many foreign investors have arrived in Binh Dinh to learn about policies and lists of projects calling for investment. In 2003, the province received 80 delegations of 450 visitors, and over 9,000 overseas Vietnamese, and 16,000 tourists. In 2004, the province received 50 delegations of domestic and foreign businessmen to explore the market and to develop their projects. So far, the province has attracted 14 foreign-invested projects, capitalised at US$44 million.
To develop high quality human resources, over the past few years, Binh Dinh has provided financial support for training activities. As a result, the province has 17,650 college and university graduates.
The province is striving to implement a programme of action under the Prime Minister’s Decision N0 48 to attract domestic and foreign resources for its economic development, promoting its economic restructuring. It will strive to have its GDP increase by around 11.5 per cent in 2005 and its export turnover is expected to reach US$230 million. Also, at least 30 per cent of local enterprises will renew their technology and equipment.
The province considers it a focal task to continue to disseminate requirements and tasks of international economic integration to change the awareness of local authorities and enterprise managers.
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