Central, Central Highlands localities strengthen industry-trade cooperation

Ninh Thuan (VNA) – Industry and trade officials of 15 provinces and centrally-run cities in the central and Central Highlands region met in Phan Rang-Thap Chap city in Ninh Thuan province on August 19 to discuss measures to enhance cooperation to complete their tasks in the rest of the year.

Participants highlighted a number of difficulties they are facing, and made a number of requests to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, including those related to industrial clusters, supporting industries, industrial explosives, industrial promotion, minerals, chemical environment, food safety, trade, and energy.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai affirmed that the ministry will give maximum support to localities in dealing with their difficulties.

He asked the localities to promptly roll out measures to facilitate industry and trade production. He advised them to regularly exchange experience, while coordinating closely together in investment promotion.

At the same time, the Departments of Industry and Trade of the localities should invite businesses from other localities to participate in trade fairs and supply-demand connection conferences at regional level to enhance the connectivity in the region.

This year, the central and Central Highlands region aims to maintain an industrial production growth higher than the national average rate and a year-on-year 11.5% increase in the retail sales of goods and services. The region also targets a 6.7% rise in export revenue, and a reduction of 2% in import value.

In the first six months of this year, localities in the region saw good signs of economic recovery, with their combined industrial production value reaching about 261.37 trillion VND (11.16 billion USD), up 12.5% year on year.

The central and Central Highlands region is home to 11 economic zones that host 726 investment projects, along with 50 industrial parks with 1,834 projects. Alongside, 196 out of 242 industrial clusters have been put into operation, drawing 2,168 projects.

At the event, participants agreed to organise the next meeting in 2023 in Dak Nong./.