Binh Phuoc urged to improve business climate

Binh Phuoc (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged the southern province of Binh Phuoc to continue improving business climate and removing bottlenecks for investors, while attending an investment promotion conference in the locality on August 20.

Lauding the province’s initiatives to lure more investments, including regular meetings between local authorities and businesses, PM Phuc also asked the province to create major breakthroughs in policies and development models.

He assigned the locality to channel more efforts to double the number of companies to 10,000 by 2020.

PM Phuc expressed his delight at the local comprehensive development of socio-economy, defence, security and foreign affairs, with per capita annual income of local residents reaching 2,670 USD, higher than the average of the country, and GDP growth at 6.83 percent, and more than 40 percent of the communes recognised as new-style rural areas.

The local per capita income should be increased by two folds by 2020, he stressed, adding that it is necessary for the province to develop smart agriculture and advanced processing industry, as well as join the regional and global value chain.

“Binh Phuoc should be well aware of its untapped potential like tourism to have neat solutions to drawing investments”, he stated, suggesting that the province has various stunning tourist attractions like Suoi Lam and Thac Dinh tourist areas, and Hoa Lu border gate which serves as a gateway for trade and exchanges of culture and friendship between Vietnam and other ASEAN member states.

The Government leader also asked local authorities to give priority to developing local brands, especially for local staples like coffee and cashew.

Thanks to its advantages in geographical location, Binh Phuoc is affirming its position as an important industrial pole of the country. PM Phuc ordered the Ministry of Transport to study the feasibility to connect Binh Phuoc with Long Thanh airport to create momentum for local growth in the future.

As the province is located on the economic corridor of the Southeast region, the Central Highlands, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, Binh Phuoc should be conscious of the impact it has on the geo-politics and geo-economic strategy of Vietnam-Cambodia, Thailand-Laos in particular, and ASEAN in general, he noted.
At the conference, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tram affirmed to facilitate businesses in investing in the locality.

Holding strengths in agriculture with 237,000 hectares of rubber trees, 134,300 hectares of cashew, and 17,000 hectares of coffee, the locality is prioritising high-tech agricultural projects, he said, adding that social action projects in healthcare, education, environment, and sports are all welcomed.-VNA