Can Tho to become southwestern trade hub by 2020 hinh anh 1The Tham Tuong canal in Ninh Kieu district has been put into use. (Source: VNA)

Can Tho (VNA) – The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho aims to become a trade and services hub in the southwestern region by 2020, with the sector making up 60.33 percent of its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRPD), up 2.53 percent from 2015.

To realise the goal, the city has focused on restructuring the economy toward an increase in services – industry and hi-tech agriculture, while diversifying financial, trade and tourism services as well as those with high added value, said Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Planning and Investment Bui Ngoc Vy.

The city will fully tap its potential and advantages for finance and banking, trade, tourism, transportation, science, technology, and information and communication.

It will develop a retail market and encourage investment in trade centres, supermarkets and infrastructure in residential areas.

The city will mobilise its resources to expand traditional open markets, prioritise use of domestically made products, and strengthen trade and services ties with nearby areas.

It will also enhance trade promotion, with focus on large export markets, while increasing products with high competitiveness and values, processed agricultural products and high-tech ones.

A synchronous transport infrastructure system will be developed with a view to make the city a key transportation centre at home and abroad, she said, adding that tourism development will also be a priority.

In 2015, Can Tho earned more than 81 trillion VND (3.6 billion USD) from retail sales and services in 2015, up 14 percent from the previous year, naming it in the top three cities with the highest revenue from the sector in the nation.-VNA
VNA