The Nghi Son Economic Zone (EZ) with a focus on heavy and basic industries will become the locomotive for economic development in the northern central region, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a forum to promote investment in the EZ on October 23.

He stressed that the EZ, situated to the south of the central province of Thanh Hoa, 200km from Hanoi, enjoys a convenient location easily accessed by land, railway, sea and air. Thanh Hoa province is well positioned to expand trade exchange with neighbouring provinces and the whole country and with an international border gate with Laos, the province can reach out to other ASE AN member countries.

The Deputy PM affirmed that the Vietnamese government always creates the most favourable conditions for foreign investors while continuously improving its infrastructure and legal system, and renovating the administrative procedures in order to facilitate investors in Thanh Hoa in particular and Vietnam in general.

He noted that Thanh Hoa has emerged to be the sixth most popular destination in the country for foreign investors, attracting 43 projects worth 12.3 billion USD, of which 15 projects worth nearly 10 billion USD are in Nghi Son EZ. Deputy PM Phuc added that the Government highly valued the province’s comprehensive development, including policies on investment attraction, especially quick site clearance for investment projects.

On the occasion, the Thanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee granted investment licences to 20 projects with registered capital of over 4.7 billion USD.-VNA