The southern province of Binh Duong attracted 1.49 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first eight months of 2013, surpassing its target of 1 billion USD set for this year.

During the period, the province licensed 88 new FDI projects worth 648 million USD, bringing its total FDI projects to 2,174 with combined investment of over 18.4 billion USD. It also saw 400 million USD added to 88 existing projects.

This year, Binh Duong province has seen more investment from large groups, not only operating in industrial production but also real estate and services.

Several new outstanding projects are the Hoa Binh-Binh Duong VSIP Complex with a total investment of 199 million USD and Japan-based Panasonic Eco Solutions Vietnam Company’s 38 million USD electric equipment project in the VSIP industrial park.

In order to lure more foreign investment in the coming time, the locality continues to boost administrative procedure reform and enhance investment promotion through consulates, trade offices and business communities while improving quality of workforce and services and ensuring security and social order and safety, especially in industrial parks.

Besides, Binh Duong province will also pay more attention to attracting new investment projects in high-tech industries such as electricity, electronics, pharmaceutics and precision mechanics as well as giving priority to developing support industries for garment, footwear and woodwork and services such as health, education and banking.-VNA