|
Highland projects seek investors
Five hundred participants are expected to attend the region's promotion forum
Five Central Highland provinces are issuing a call for investment in 120 projects worth a total of VND100 trillion (US$5.6 billion).
The provinces of Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dac Nong and Dak Lak are mounting an investment promotion forum next month in Buon Me Thuot City in Dak Lak Province, according to Tran Viet Hung from the event's organising committee.
Next month's forum, to be held as part of the national investment promotion programme for 2009, would provide investors with information on the region's investment climate and priority projects, said Hung.
Five hundred domestic and foreign participants were expected to attend, including leaders of provinces in the development triangle of Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam; the World Bank; the Asian Development Bank; and the Japan International Co-operation Agency.
The projects seeking investment in these provinces were mostly in the fields of construction, infrastructure development, tourism, industry, agriculture and forestry, healthcare, and education and training.
Lam Dong Province was seeking investors in projects worth over VND85 trillion ($4.8 billion), while Dak Lak was seeking VND5.13 trillion ($288 million), Kon Tum VND4.67 trillion ($262 million), Dak Nong VND2.86 trillion ($160 million) and Gia Lai VND1.7 trillion ($96 million).
"Attracting investment, especially foreign direct investment, is seen as a significant driving force in the region's stable development," said the deputy head of the steering committee for the Central Highlands, Mai Van Nam.
The region's success in attracting investment, however, had lagged behind its potential due to inadequate transportation and infrastructure, Nam said.
Of the four provinces, only Lam Dong has attracted new foreign investment in the first seven months of this year, landing four projects worth a combined $20 million, according to a Foreign Investment Agency report.
As of July, the region had attraded a modest 133 foreign-invested projects worth a combined total of $727 million, the report said.
While calling on domestic and foreign investors to come to the region to explore investment opportunities, Nam said the provinces pledged to continue stream-lining their administrative procedures and improve investment climates in an effort to better facilitate investors.
The Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam (BIDV) has promised to boost its presence in the five provinces by offering loans to investors and making direct investments in the region.
BIDV called ho upcoming forum a good chance for investors seeking opportunities and was urging the provinces to implement investment policies and incentives, thus offering the most favourable conditions for investors.
VietNamNet, VietNamNews
|
