The Central Highlands province of Kon Tum has been urged to become a large rubber latex processing centre in the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia development triangle.

During a visit to Kon Tum province on August 22, Minister of Planning and Investment (MPI) Bui Quang Vinh requested the province makes full use of its advantageous position at the Indochina T-junction, as well as the Government’s development strategy for the corridor.

Kon Tum is well suited to produce rubber and coffee, but the products are still below par, said Vinh, adding that there is little investment in the province due to its poor infrastructure and high expenses.

Country Director of the Asia Development Bank (ADB) in Vietnam Tomoyuki Kimura, who accompanied Minister Vinh, said the bank is interested in the Vietnamese Government’s plan to develop the East-West economic corridor.

Kon Tum has good investment attractions thanks to its geographical location, low-cost labour and rich raw materials, he added.

Besides processing rubber products, the ADB official recommended Kon Tum develops satellite plants manufacturing spare parts for the car factories chain from Thailand , crossing Cambodia to Vietnam .

Le Thi Kim Don, Deputy Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee, asked the MPI and ADB to invest more in the upgrading of an auxiliary border gate between Vietnam and Cambodia, and National Highway 18B.

She also called upon more investment to turn the Bo Y border gate economic zone into a rubber latex processing centre in the region.

A conference to attract investment to the region is scheduled to take place in Gia Lai city on August 23, co-hosted by the MPI and ADB.-VNA