The Central Highland province of Lam Dong recorded a gross regional domestic growth (GRDP) of 17.9 percent in the first six months of this year over the same period last year, reaching 17.055 trillion VND (801.585 million USD), the provincial People’s Committee reported.

Of the total, agro-forestry-fisheries sector contributed 4.6 trillion VND (216.529 million USD), up 10 percent, while industry-construction sector made up 5.3 trillion VND (250.651 million VND), a rise of 26.8 percent, and service 7.11 trillion VND (334.452 million USD), an increase of 17.3 percent.

In the six months, the province welcomed about 2.3 million visitors, including more than 130,000 foreign arrivals, up 9 percent year-on-year. It also earned 248 million USD from export, a surge of 67.4 percent, while importing an amount of goods worth 24.2 million USD.

At the same time, it paid 2.37 trillion VND to the state budget and 5.45 trillion VND to the provincial coffer.

In the January-June period, the province attracted 12 new projects totalling 285 billion USD, including three foreign-invested ones with a combined capital of 13.85 million USD.

Thanks to the application of high technology, its agricultural outputs stayed high, especially the production of vegetable and flower. Currently, the province has 35,000 hectares of high technology farming areas and 9,000 dairy cows.

According to the Lam Dong People’s Committee, the province will work harder to support local business, expand markets and promote trade and tourism in order to fulfil its yearly socio-economic goals with 14 percent GRDP growth for the whole year and a total state budget collection of 6 trillion VND.-VNA