From just five industrial parks (IPs) approved in 2002 with a combined area of 440 ha, the northern province of Hai Duong has to date had 18 IPs covering a total area of 3,710 ha, according to the Vietnam Business Forum Magazine (VBF).

IPs in Hai Duong province are exerting a strong pull on domestic and international investors, thus playing an increasingly important part in the province’s economic development.

As a part of the northern key economic triangle connected to other regions with artery traffic routes like National Highways 5, 18, 37 and 38B and Hanoi - Haiphong Railway, Hai Duong province has great competitive advantages to form IPs.

Immediately after being planned, its IPs have attracted many infrastructure developers with powerful financial capacity like Dai An Joint Stock Company and Nam Quang Infrastructure Investment and Development Joint Stock Company.

To support IPs to develop, the province has used all its resources to build synchronised infrastructure systems and facilities to the fence of IPs, including traffic routes, power grid, water supply systems and communication systems.

Hai Duong has also attached much importance to reforming administrative procedures and creating a friendly investment environment. The province has introduced a separate priority mechanism for companies investing in IPs.

Administrative procedures are solved quickly with the single-window and one-stop source mechanism to create the best conditions for investors when they conduct investment procedures and carry out their projects. Local authorities actively supervise and inspect investment projects and provide support to deal with emerging difficulties to put their projects into operation as scheduled.

Therefore, despite in the context of global economic downturn, in addition to fresh projects, investors have also scaled up their investment to expand production, upgrade equipment and production lines, enhance product quality, and enlarge markets.

In 2013, the Hai Duong Industrial Zones Authority granted investment certificates to 18 new projects, including 15 foreign-invested projects and three domestic projects, and replaced investment certificates for 58 projects, including 12 foreign-led projects. Foreign investors invested 747 million USD, both fresh and added capital, and domestic investors pooled 508.8 billion VND (25 million USD).

In 2013, the amount of investment capital attracted into IPs increased 38 percent over 2012 and surpassed the annual plan by 50 per cent. The number of projects adding their investment capital rose 62 percent over 2012 and the expected plan. The amount of foreign capital in the year surged 7.9 times over 2012 and 7.4 times against the plan, while the amount of domestic direct investment equaled 95.7 percent of the value in 2012, but soared 5 times against the plan.

IPs have contributed importantly to attracting investment capital, expanding exports, increasing State budget revenues, generating employment, accelerating economic restructuring, raising production levels, and enhancing product competitiveness.

So far, 176 projects and one representative office, including infrastructure developers, registered to invest over 3 billion USD into IPs. In 2013, investors disbursed 274 million USD for their projects, bringing their accumulated disbursement to over 1.8 billion USD. Tenants in IPs are now employing approximately 70,000 workers, including 69,400 domestic workers and 600 foreigners).

In the coming time, Hai Duong province will continue to develop a synchronous infrastructure system, effectively manage approved IPs, and urge infrastructure developers to carry out their projects as scheduled.

The province will also step up investment promotion and improve the investment environment to attract new, large-scale projects using advanced technologies, developing supporting industries, manufacturing exports - particularly apparels, electrical, electronic, telecommunications equipment and cables. The locality will also intensify inspection and guidance for tenants in industrial parks.-VNA