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Coastal economic zones perform ineffectively: Experts
Vietnam’s coastal economic zones have emerged in large number but their operation is ineffective, officials said at a Saturday conference in the central region Quang Nam Province.
After nearly 10 years being set up, the economic zones have not really served realistic purposes yet, according to the conference at the open economic zone Chu Lai, which was organized by the Ministry of Investment and Planning and gathered economists and officials from 18 cities and provinces with coastal economic zones.
Doctor Le Xuan Ba, head of the Central Institute for Economic Management at the ministry, said that new coastal economic zones have appeared too fast since Chu Lai was opened in 2003.
In three years after that, seven similar zones have been established and the number has reached 15 until now, including 10 along the central region coastline.
Ba said the fast appearance of the zones has resulted in the division of investment and forces, which caused a “harsh competition” for investment between the localities that have coastal economic zones.
Bui Tat Thang, deputy head of the Development Strategy Institute at the ministry, said that Vietnam’s coastal economic zones can follow successful models of other countries in the world.
Also on Saturday, a conference in Ho Chi Minh City suggested that the city change its investment and training policies in order to develop its economy competitively until 2020.
The city needs to change its policies for investment attractions and focus funds on high quality services such as finance and banking, and information technology, which can help the city competes with other countries in the region, said experts at the conference organized by the Tuoi Tre newspaper and the University of Finance and Accounting.
Many people at the conference also expressed interest in the city’s “super urban” model, saying that can be possible if the city has suitable policies.
Cao Minh
sggp
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