Northern Ha Nam province posted a GDP of almost 4.5 trillion VND (207.3 million USD) in the first half of 2015, an annual increase of 14.7 percent and the highest rise recorded in years.

Accordingly, its overall agricultural and industrial production values reached around 1.3 trillion VND (59.9 million USD) and some 8.96 trillion VND (413 million USD), equivalent to 63.9 percent and 42.11 percent of the local plan for the entire year, respectively.

Some 32 new projects, including 19 foreign-funded projects, were registered during the period, helping Ha Nam rank third nationwide in terms of investment attraction.

The province exported almost 454 million USD worth of commodities, while its retail and service revenue hit approximately 6.7 trillion VND (308.7 million USD).

The local economic momentum has thus far created 8,600 additional jobs and reduced the rate of impoverished households by 3.71 percent.-VNA