The foreign-invested sector marked as a bright spot in the northern Thai Nguyen province's upbeat economic picture in the first quarter of 2014, according to the provincial Department of Planning and Investment.

According to statistics revealed by the department, the province attracted 205.6 million USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) from 15 newly licensed projects and 4 operating ones in the first quarter of this year.

As a result of it, the province ranks fifth in the country's leading localities in terms of FDI investment.

During the reviewed period, disbursement of FDI reached over 174 million USD, 81 times higher than the figure noted in the same period last year, the department said.

To create favourable conditions for foreign investors, local authorities had accelerated land clearance and simplifying administrative procedure, Dang Xuan Truong, the department director told Vietnam Economic News.

Truong also forecasted that the FDI disbursement would continue to increase and is estimated to top between 800 million USD and 1 billion USD by the year-end.

Last year, Thai Nguyen raked in about 3.3 billion USD, accounting for 16.1 percent of the country's total figure of 21.6 billion USD.

The province also attracted Samsung Group's three investment projects last year.

Thai Nguyen improved its investment environment through implementing policies related to laws and policies, planning, infrastructure, human resources, site clearance, administrative reform, and investment promotion, elaborated the provincial People's Committee Chairman Duong Ngoc Long.-VNA