Nearly 25 years after re-establishing the province (1/1997), Bac Giang has achieved positive results in terms of investment attraction; becoming an attractive destination for many domestic and foreign investors. The proportion of industry in the economic structure of the province has increased from 7% in 2000 to about 51.5% in 2021. The planning and development of industrial parks (IPs) in the province has greatly contributed to these results.
An attractive destination for investors
In order to realize the goal of the 16th Party Congress of Bac Giang Province during the 2000-2005 term in shifting the focus of the province's economic development from agriculture to industry, in November 2001, the Project Preparation Committee for IPs of Bac Giang province was established. In 2003, under the Prime Minister’s decision, the Committee changed its name to the IP Authority of Bac Giang province.
After 20 years of developing IPs, up to now, Bac Giang province has seven IPs with a total area of over 1,565 hectares, including: Van Trung, Dinh Tram, Quang Chau, Viet Han (Viet Yen); Hoa Phu (Hiep Hoa), Song Khe - Noi Hoang (Yen Dung, Bac Giang City) and Tan Hung (Lang Giang). Currently, five IPs have been put into operation with a total planning area of 1,063ha, namely: Dinh Tram IP, Song Khe - Noi Hoang IP, Van Trung IP, Quang Chau IP and Hoa Phu IP.
In recent years, industry has continued to be considered the driving force of Bac Giang's development, along with the attention, direction and orientation of attracting investment in IPs in the province in particular. Bac Giang has become the bright spot of the whole country in terms of investment attraction, most notably its foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction has consistently been in the group of 10 leading provinces and cities in the country.
Under the influence of the COVID-19 epidemic, digitization in investment promotion activities has been flexibly deployed by the IP Authority of the province in 2021. All administrative procedures and forms are posted on the website of the Authority; directive and executive documents related to investment activities of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee are also updated regularly.
In particular, solutions and processes of "online investment promotion" and "on-site investment promotion" have been developed and implemented regularly, with positive results. The Authority has actively removed difficulties and obstacles of enterprises in investment, production and business activities.
To affirm its status as an attractive destination, the Authority and investors of IPs in Bac Giang province have closely followed the Resolution on industrial development of the province in the period of 2021-2030 and implemented many measures to catch the wave of attracting investment.
In the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Authority has promptly directed businesses to review and apply measures to prevent and control the epidemic for people coming to/from epidemic areas and places where new clusters have occurred inside and outside the province; to closely supervise testing work; and to coordinate in deploying full vaccination for workers in IPs.
It has strengthened investment attraction mobilization, giving priority to investors with sufficient financial capacity and management qualifications, projects with high technology, capable of collecting and submitting large budgets. It has firmly dealt with investors who violated the law, affecting the efficiency of land use and the investment environment of the province.
The Authority has done well the state management of planning and construction, well performing the management of zoning planning and detailed planning. It has continued to urge, coordinate with investors to closely follow the progress, and soon complete procedures for investment projects to build infrastructure of newly established and expanded IPs, and submit to the Prime Minister for approval investment policies such as: expanded Quang Chau IPs, expanded Hoa Phu IPs, and new IPs including: Tan Hung, Yen Lu and Yen Son - Bac Lung.
Along with that, it has strengthened the operation management of enterprises; promptly grasping and supporting in production and business activities and restoring production due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. It has also continued to support businesses in developing and implementing plans for epidemic prevention and control and handling situations when infections and suspected cases occur; and supporting administering COVID-19 vaccines for employees, and labor recruitment.
On the other hand, it has focused on well performing administrative reform, regularly reviewing and proposing competent authorities cut unnecessary dossiers and documents, reducing the time to handle administrative procedures for businesses.
Sustainable industrial development
The resolution on industrial development of Bac Giang in the 2021-2030 period has clearly defined views and goals in the coming time, which are: aiming at building a "sustainable industrial ecosystem"; selectively attracting investment projects under the motto of taking quality, efficiency, technology and environmental protection as priority criteria; focusing on developing a number of key and potential industries such as electronics, computers, optical products, solar battery production, mechanics and agricultural product processing.
The province is also very interested in attracting investors to build accommodation, educational and sports facilities to serve the essential needs of workers and employees in IPs in the province. This is the task that the IP Authority has been paying great attention to in recent times.
Accordingly, in June 2021, the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee issued a Resolution on the development of social housing for workers in the province to 2025, with orientation to 2030. Specifically, by 2025, it is expected to solve about 80%, and by 2030 about 90%, of housing needs for workers.
In the near future, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor will be the investor to build a trade union facility serving workers in Bac Giang's IPs, with a planned area of 5 hectares in the Northeast area of Quang Chau IP, Viet Yen district (this area has been approved for planning by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision 1228/QD-UBND dated November 10, 2019).
By Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
