Measures to further attract foreign direct investment (FDI) into southern provinces are the focus of a conference that took place in the central province of Binh Dinh on April 18.

At the event, representatives from economic, industrial and processing zones of 32 central and southern localities proposed solutions to improve investment environment so as to draw more FDI into the region.

Suggestions focused on introducing investment incentives, empowering localities to license foreign-invested projects, perfecting infrastructure system along with increasing human training, and boosting administrative reforms.

Delegates reached consensus on the need to take the mentioned-mentioned measures to promptly increase the competitiveness in FDI attraction.

The 32 provinces ranging from the central city of Da Nang to the southernmost province of Ca Mau cover an area of 162,664 sp. kilometres, representing 49.3 percent of the country’s total area.

As of 2012, over 180 industrial and economic zones in these localities attracted 3,378 FDI projects with total registered capital of around 49 billion USD.

However, the figure is considered not equivalent to the localities’ natural and economic potentials.

Industrial and economic zones, which are generating jobs, helping increase state budget, expanding markets, and bolstering trade are the driving force to boost national socio-economic development.

However, because of their poor infrastructure, many industrial and economic zones in the localities are failing to attract large foreign investors.-VNA