Industry and trade conference for Central – Central Highlands regions held hinh anh 1At the event (Photo: VNA)
 
Gia Lai (VNA) – The sixth industry and trade conference for the central – Central Highlands regions took place in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on August 16. 

The annual event afforded localities a chance to share experience in State management and enabled firms to seek business and market expansion opportunities.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong hailed regional localities such as Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Lam Dong for achieving economic growth higher than the country’s average. 

He suggested that local industry and trade sectors rally resources to develop pillar industries that suit localities’ advantages, gradually pushing forward high-tech industry, regional connectivity and investment attraction in industrial and economic zones. 

On planning, he requested close coordination between regional localities and improving corporate competitiveness. 

At the same time, further attention should be paid to administrative reform and grasping opportunities to tap free trade agreements such as Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, he said. 

Last year, the region’s industrial production value neared 444 trillion VND (19.3 billion USD), up 10.6 percent annually. It is home to 13 economic and 57 industrial parks with over 2,300 operating projects worth upwards 618 trillion VND, creating jobs to more than 144,000 workers. 

The total retail of goods and services stood at around 700 trillion VND, up 11.5 percent year-on-year, accounting for 15.86 percent of the country’s total. Export revenue topped 8.4 billion USD while imports surpassed 5.17 billion USD. 

In the first seven months of this year, its industrial production value was estimated at 262 trillion VND. The total retail of goods and services neared 445 trillion VND while export and import revenues were over 5.3 billion and 3 billion USD, respectively.-VNA

VNA