Can Tho city works to attract Japanese investment

Deputy Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City Ogawa Megumi. (Photo: VNA)

Can Tho (VNA) – A seminar was held in Can Tho on June 17 to call for Japanese investment in spheres where the Mekong Delta city has demands.

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Hong said Can Tho is now home to six Japanese-invested projects worth 1.35 billion USD, helping Japan rank first in the city in terms of registered capital.

The city's export value to Japan reached 40.6 million USD in the first four months of this year, with export staples mostly being seafood, apparel, farm produce, steel and steel products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, feather and others, while its import turnover was estimated at 9.8 million USD, with key products being pharmaceutical raw materials, fabrics, leather, machinery and equipment.

Nobuyuki Matsumoto, Chief Representative of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) in Ho Chi Minh City, said Can Tho now boasts seven universities and serves as a major human resources training centre in the Mekong Delta, making it attractive for enterprises. The city's workforce, particularly in the field of information technology, are highly sought after for skills in digital transformation, automation, smart factories, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering.

Deputy Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City Ogawa Megumi said several Japanese firms have invested in food processing in Can Tho as the city has abundant natural resources in agriculture and aquaculture from the Mekong River.

She hoped that when the construction of expressways is completed in the future, the transportation of goods from Can Tho to Ho Chi Minh City, the largest market, will become easier./.