Five Central Highlands provinces agreed to foster connectivity in investment promotion, disbursement in pledged investment capital and social welfare practices during a December 16 conference in Lam Dong province.

Accordingly, the localities will organise investment promotion in a direction of boosting regional linkage, strengthening tourism cooperation and building long-term strategy to attract investment to the region.

The provinces will also work close with the Investment Promotion of the Central Region and other domestic and foreign agencies to support investors to explore investment opportunity in the region.

Besides, they will strengthen their investment promotion activities overseas and conduct roadmap shows in European Union, the US and Japan with a hope to lure investment wave from the European Union, the US and Japan .

Five Central Highlands provinces include Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Gia Lai and Kon Tum. The region’s per capita annual income increased from 2.9 million VND in 2001 to 26.9 million VND in 2012.

During the second conference on investment promotion in the region in Pleiku city, Gia Lai province on April 12, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh said the region needs about 400 trillion VND (18.8 billion USD) for development for period 2011-2015.

After the first conference in 2009, investors have poured over 90 trillion VND into the region.

Since 2005, the region attracted over 192 million USD in official development assistance with the focus on agriculture and rural development, poverty reduction, urban infrastructure, transport, education, training, healthcare and irrigation.

By the end of March this year, the region lured 169 FDI projects with a total registered capital of 900 million US.-VNA