In 2023, in addition to strengthening investment promotion and attraction, Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority focused on maintaining regular dialogues with investors to learn and resolve their difficulties and obstacles in a quick manner, ensure project schedule and effective operation, strengthen investor trust, and lure new investors. Our reporter has an interview with Mr. Nguyen Huu Suong, Deputy Director of Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority, on this issue.
Thanh Loc Industrial Park
Could you briefly introduce remarkable investment promotion and attraction activities into border gate economic zones and industrial parks of Kien Giang province in 2023?
In 2023, investment promotion and attraction into border gate economic zones and industrial parks was quite difficult but the authority always paid attention to reforming focused, substantive investment promotion and achieved encouraging results.
Specifically, the authority developed Plan 27/KH-BQLKKT dated March 15, 2023 on communication and promotion to call for domestic and foreign investors, especially industrial park infrastructure developers, to explore investment opportunities in industrial parks (Thanh Loc, Thuan Yen and Xeo Ro). The agency introduced planning information, investment status and preferential investment policies applied to industrial parks on mass media (newspapers, radio and websites); provided information on socioeconomic situation, investment status in industrial parks, investment incentive and support policies and relevant legal documents for businesses to explore investment opportunities; coordinated with relevant agencies to attend Vietnam Expo 2023, investment promotion conferences in other provinces and Ho Chi Minh City to introduce local industrial parks.
In addition, Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority actively contacted and worked with local and external companies to convince them to build and operate infrastructure in industrial parks (Thanh Loc, Thuan Yen and Xeo Ro), invest in 60.40ha Thanh Loc worker housing and resettlement area and in Thanh Loc wastewater treatment system project (with a daily capacity of 7,000 cubic meters); and monitored and supervised licensed investment projects. The authority worked with five tenants in industrial parks to urge their project progress. Three tenants committed to continuing their projects while two others agreed to terminate their project activities.
Accumulatively to June 2023, the authority granted investment licenses to 24 projects into industrial parks (Thanh Loc and Thuan Yen) with a total registered capital of VND6,970.6 billion and total leased area of 95.06 ha. They disbursed an accumulated value of VND5,681 billion (VND5,492 billion in Thanh Loc Industrial Park and VND189 billion in Thuan Yen Industrial Park), equal to 81.5% of their registered investment capital.
Economic recession combined with difficulties in land compensation, site clearance and resettlement construction has seriously hindered the progress of implementing investment projects in economic and industrial zones in the province. How does the authority plan to resolve these matters?
The authority took advantage of central and local capital sources and coordinated with Chau Thanh district and Ha Tien City to carry out land compensation and site clearance for Thanh Loc and Thuan Yen industrial parks. As a result, to date, Thanh Loc Industrial Park has cleared 153,891 ha out of 155,167 ha (99.18%) and Thuan Yen Industrial Park has handled 131.37 ha out of 133.95 ha (98.07%).
For some households that have not yet agreed to accept land compensation and land clearance and hand over the premises, the authority continued to coordinate with the Chau Thanh District People's Committee, the Ha Tien City People's Committee and relevant agencies to review and inspect documents and consider support policies for households by law. For households eligible for support, the agency prepared an estimation of additional compensation cost and submitted it to the Provincial People's Committee for consideration and approval. For households that do not agree to hand over the ground after fully considering compensation and support policies, the agency will coordinate with local authorities to exercise coercive measures by law.
In addition, when carrying out industrial park zoning plans, Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority paralleled worker housing and resettlement plans.
One of the plus points of Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority that is highly appreciated by companies and investors is its ongoing companionship and support for companies. Would you be kind enough to talk more about this effort?
Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority always determines that its key responsibility is to develop border gate economic zones and industrial parks. Therefore, when companies and investors come to learn about investment projects, it always provides all necessary information, gives advice and guides investment procedures through many channels like consulting in person and sending documents via Zalo application. When conducting investment research or carrying out projects, the authority always closely and actively grasps existing situations and tackles obstacles and difficulties for investors.
The authority also regularly monitors, meets and talks with businesses to promptly understand and solve emerging problems within its authority; recommends solutions to the Provincial People's Committee in a bid to make investors feel assured of their long-term business in Kien Giang province. Therefore, the agency helps achieve various targets like tenants’ total revenue of VND6,658 billion in 2023, export value of US$173.7 million (up 1.1% versus 2022) and tax payment of VND632 billion.
To create an open and attractive business and investment environment, Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority also focuses on reforming administrative procedures. Since the beginning of this year, the authority has handled 25 administrative procedures for tenants in industrial parks: 23 procedures solved and two procedures pending for settlement. Fifteen out of 23 administrative procedures were completed before the deadline, accounting for 65.2% of the total.
How do you assess Kien Giang’s business and investment environment in recent years? To improve the business and investment environment in border gate economic zones and industrial parks to help raise the PCI Index, what key tasks will Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority focus on?
Over the past three years, the business and investment environment of Kien Giang province has gradually improved. In 2022, its Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) ranked No. 56 out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. Among 10 component subindices, three advanced: Market entry (up 0.63 points), transparency (up 1.23 points) and legal institutions (up 0.3 points).
To enhance the business and investment climate in border gate economic zones and industrial parks and raise the PCI Index of the province, Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority advocates boosting investment promotion and attraction and increasing the occupancy rate of industrial parks. The authority calls investors to carry out investment projects on infrastructure construction and operation in industrial parks and worker housing areas; continues to coordinate with Chau Thanh district and Ha Tien City to complete forced land recovery; and strictly manages land use for licensed projects.
The authority focuses on completing infrastructure construction in industrial parks; manages, maintains and repairs infrastructure systems and ensures security, order and environmental sanitation in industrial parks; and actively coordinates with relevant agencies to remove obstacles in investment, land, environment and labor. Kien Giang Economic Zones Authority proposes the Provincial People's Committee to resolve issues beyond its authority and create favorable conditions to attract businesses and investors.
To enhance service quality for people and businesses, the authority provides online public services and upgrades the TCVN ISO 9001:2015 national quality management system; accelerates information technology application by building electronic government; and provides timely support for companies to handle emerging difficulties in business.
Kien Giang's potential and advantages are investment opportunities for companies. The province will facilitate domestic and foreign investors to successfully carry out projects and achieve sustainable development in the future.
Thank you very much!
By Cong Luan, Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
