The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho strives to reach a trade value of 70.2 trillion VND (almost 3.3 billion USD) in 2014, up 14 percent from 2013.

According to Director of the local Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Minh Toai, the city will make every effort to turn itself into a regional trade centre in accordance with the Government’s direction.

To realise the target, Can Tho will boost reforms in enterprises operating in the city by encouraging them to expand their reach in and outside the country. The enterprises are required to promote their brand names, while applying e-commerce and new technologies to their production and business to improve quality and increase competitiveness.

In 2014, the city will continue to better its infrastructure system, while focusing on training human resources and promoting investment as well as issuing preferential policies in order to further support enterprises and draw more investment to the locality.

To push up exports, Can Tho will work out plans to promote the export of its strong and potential commodities. In addition, the locality will also attempt to maintain its old import markets while seeking additional new foreign markets.

In the coming time, the locality will also speed up modernisation in industrial sectors and concentrate on developing several service sectors such as tourism, transport, finance, banking, insurance and consultancy.
In 2013, the province’s total trade value hit over 61.5 trillion VND (about 2.89 billion USD), representing a year-on-year increase of 10.8 percent. Of the total, export turnover reached 1.5 billion USD.

The city recently celebrated the its tenth anniversary as a centrally run city (2004-2013).

During the 10-year period, Can Tho has recorded an average annual GDP growth rate of 14.5 percent.

With its GDP per capita increasing sixfold from 10.3 million VND in 2004 to nearly 63 million VND in 2013, many important infrastructure facilities were put into operation, contributing to accelerating socio-economic development in the city and the Mekong Delta region.-VNA