PM applauds Lang Son’s improved investment climate

 
Lang Son (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc applauded the continually improved investment climate of Lang Son while addressing an investment promotion conference of this northern border province on September 30.

The Government leader highly valued the strong and comprehensive socio-economic development of Lang Son, with a GRDP growth rate of 8.6 percent, budget collection surpassing target and people’s improved living standards.

He highlighted that the province owns more than 200km of borderline and has close trade links with the Chinese province of Guangxi. Its investment climate has continually been bettered thanks to local officials’ frequent dialogue with and settlement of obstacles facing investors.

Lang Son has certain advantages that cannot be found in other localities. Notably, it is adjacent to the big market of 50 million people of China’s Guangxi province, and the Hanoi Capital Region.

With the annual import-export revenue via local border gates topping 5 billion USD – 3.8-fold higher than the province’s economy, Lang Son needs to keep good relations with China’s border localities while ensuring the quality of goods, especially farm produce and consumer goods, destined for the neigbouring market, according to the PM.

He also highlighted famous tourist destinations in Lang Son, including the Mau Son tourism site, Tam Thanh Cave, Nhi Thanh Cave and the Citadel of the Mac Dynasty, along with cultural identities of ethnic groups, describing them as considerable tourism potential that should be further tapped into.

At the conference, PM Phuc pointed out three development pillars that need to be promoted, namely border economy, sustainable tourism and smart agriculture associated with food processing.

He also told local authorities and people to step up the fight against cross-border crimes, including smuggling, human trafficking and drug crime, and coordinated with China in this work.

The PM requested Lang Son to push ahead with removing difficulties and promoting the signed projects. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government will keep a peaceful environment, a stable macro-economy and optimal conditions for investors.

He also expressed his hope that investors will put words into action to realise their investment commitments.

At the conference, Lang Son presented and signed investment-related documents on over 100 projects worth about 105 trillion VND (4.5 billion USD) in total.

Lang Son is an important gateway linking China with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It is also the first Vietnamese destination in the Nanning (China) – Lang Son – Hanoi – Hai Phong (Vietnam) economic corridor and next to the economic triangle of Hanoi – Hai Phong – Quang Ninh. It has a system of 12 international and national border gates and several auxiliary ones.

As of the end of 2018, nearly 3,000 Vietnamese and foreign businesses had carried out export-import activities through the province with the total turnover of nearly 5 billion USD. The figure reached 3.2 billion USD in the first nine months of 2019./.