Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and officials look at a map of the local development planning while visiting the Van Phong Economic Zone on March 12. (Photo: VNA) Established in 2006, the Van Phong EZis located in Van Ninh district and Ninh Hoa town of central Khanh Hoa province.It is a multi-sectoral EZ with an international container port, an oilrefinery industry, and a point of transit for petroleum and petroleum productsplaying the key role. It also includes tourism, services, industry,aquaculture, and other economic sectors. Van Phong serves as the economiccentre of Khanh Hoa, an investment magnet, and a driving force for economicdevelopment in neighbouring areas.
As of 2021, it attracted more than 150investment projects with registered capital totaling over 4 billion USD,including over 120 domestic projects and 30 foreign ones. Most of the nearly100 projects already operational are small ones.
Visiting the zone, PMChinh said Van Phong boasts outstanding potential and great competitiveness ineconomic development, especially sea-based economy and tourism.
However, he noted, as itwill be hard to achieve fast growth if the EZ relies solely on publicinvestment, Khanh Hoa, ministries, and sectors need to work out mechanisms andpolicies, especially those boosting PPP in infrastructure building, topromote its development.
PPP models should bestepped up basing on the principle of harmonising interests among the State,people, and businesses, he added.
Visiting the HyundaiVietnam shipyard in the Van Phong EZ, the Government leader expressed his hopethat Hyundai will continue expanding its investment, increase the proportion ofdomestically-made components in its products, improving manufacturing qualityin tandem with environmental protection, bettering its workers’ material and spirituallife, and contributing more to the local budget, thereby helping promoterelations between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea.
The shipyard postsannual revenue of over 500 million USD, contributes more than 5 million USD tothe local budget each year, and is providing jobs for more than 5,000 workers.
The same day, PM Chinh examinedthe site set to be the starting point of an expressway from Khanh Hoa to Buon MaThuot city of Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands. This road will beabout 115-130km long and invested with over 21.9 trillion VND (957 millionUSD).
He asked ministries andsectors to work with the two provinces to accelerate preparations in order tosubmit this project to the National Assembly for consideration in the comingsession. He stressed that the expressway holds great significance since it willhelp connect eastern areas with western ones, and the north with the south,thus contributing to the development of the entire Central Highlands region./.
VNA
