Prime Minister envisions Can Tho as worth-living city

Can Tho (VNA) - Can Tho boasts great potential to become a worth-living city in the Mekong Delta region, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at an investment promotion conference in the locality on August 10.

The Government leader urged the municipal Party Committee, authorities, and people to embrace this new vision, turning the city into a riverside ecological municipality.

He congratulated the municipal authorities on their success in attracting investment for not only production and business projects, but also those in the fields of service, technology, and human resources development.

Can Tho’s strong development has contributed to creating an impetus for development in the Mekong Delta region, PM Phuc stressed.

He highlighted the city’s advantages in various fields, from its convenient location to the natural conditions favourable for agricultural development – especially in the rice and aquaculture industries.

Boasting a young and dynamic labour force, Can Tho is capable of rapidly adapting to technological-based economic trends, PM Phuc stressed, noting that Can Tho is also an education centre – an important condition for attracting business investors to the city.

Regarding transport infrastructure, Can Tho will see a breakthrough thanks to the Trung Luong-My Thuan-Can Tho expressways, as well as a number of other major traffic system projects linking it to other localities in the Mekong Delta, he said.

Once these road systems are completed, travel between Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho will be reduced to an astonishing 90 minutes, instead of the current 180 minutes. Besides this, there are also seaports and airports, connecting the city nationwide and internationally.

In addition, the city has made remarkable improvements in its business environment.

He called on investors to work together with the city’s authorities to achieve the development vision of the city in the next decade.

The Government will always work towards creating favourable conditions for enterprises to invest in Vietnam and ensure their legitimate rights, he affirmed.

Investors at the conference were updated on the city’s strengths, future potential, investment opportunities, development plans, and projects calling for investment.

The event included discussions on the development of high-tech agriculture, science-technology, and a new services centre. The talks heard officials from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

The conference could be said a success with Can Tho’s leaders signing agreements of investment cooperation worth 85 trillion VND (3.61 billion USD) with 19 investors.

The local authorities also presented decisions on investment approval and licenses to 10 enterprises with a total capital of 8 trillion VND (340.3 million USD).

With a population of 1.5 million people, Can Tho’s per capita annual income is expected to reach 81 million VND this year.

According to the Can Tho master plan for 2025, the Mekong Delta city will transform itself into a centre for industry, trading, services, tourism, education and training, technology, healthcare, and culture in the region.

It will also become a gateway city of the Mekong River’s lower course and an important hub for intra-regional and international transportation.–VNA