Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged central Quang Nam province work harder in its efforts to make Chu Lai a major economic zone and thus attract more national and international investment projects.

Deputy PM Phuc made the remarks at a ceremony on August 17 to mark the 10th anniversary of the zone, which is situated in Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam .

After a decade of operation, Chu Lai EZ has granted permission for 89 projects with a total registered investment of over 1.5 billion USD, including 21 bankrolled by foreign investors. So far, 62 of these have become operational, worth a total investment of 783 million USD.

Developments in the zone have created jobs for nearly 50,000 direct and indirect workers in the locality.

Comprising 24 communes and five industrial parks spread over 3,500 hectares, Chu Lai been chosen as one of five key economic zones to be prioritised in the 2013-2015 period.

During the ceremony, the zone was presented with the Labour Order, third class, for its contributions to the national economy.

To mark the occasion, the zone granted an investment licence to the Doctor Thanh company allowing it to build an industrial park and international port covering an area of 709 hectares and worth a total value of 1.6 billion USD.-VNA