Investment flows into industrial zones and economic zones in Kon Tum province have increased recently, thanks to consistent solutions: Always giving priority to infrastructure development investment, actively accompanying businesses, promoting digital transformation, reducing the time of settling administrative procedures and improving the business investment climate, Mr. Vu Manh Hai, Deputy Director of the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority, said in an interview granted to our reporter.
Bo Y International Border Gate
Could you please introduce Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority’s outstanding achievements of investment promotion and attraction into border gate economic zones and industrial zones in 2023?
In 2023, investment promotion and attraction of Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority made much progress. To date, 89 companies invested VND2,546.186 billion in 100 projects in border gate economic zones and industrial parks.
Like others in the country, tenants in industrial zones and economic zones faced numerous difficulties. Fortunately, with the companionship and support of the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority, they gradually overcame hardships, maintained stable production, and ensured good jobs for about 2,000 local workers, thus making important contributions to the province’s socioeconomic development.
How has the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority endeavored to create motivation to boost State administration of industrial zones and economic zones as well as business operations of tenants?
Executing the resolution of the Kon Tum Provincial Party Committee on improving the investment environment, enhancing competitiveness and strengthening investment attraction in the province to 2025, with a vision to 2030, the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority always gives top priority to reforming administrative procedures and improving the business investment environment and actively supports investors to survey and explore investment opportunities in IZs and EZs. Powered by the increased information technology application to administration, more administrative procedures are submitted online for settlement. The authority continues to provide online public services as registered. All administrative procedures are received and results delivered at the Provincial Public Administration Center.
The Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority has issued many official dispatches to urge and coordinate investors to remove their difficulties and obstacles in production and business; accompany, guide and support them to establish and fulfill investment procedures in IZs and EZs; and facilitate them to conduct investing activities in IZs and EZs.
To further increase investment capital into Bo Y International Border Gate Economic Zone and industrial zones in the province, how has the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority focused on infrastructure construction planning and investment in IZs and EZs? Could you detail some remarkable results to date?
Knowing that infrastructure must be one step ahead in the "welcoming eagles to nest" strategy, the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority pays special attention to infrastructure construction planning and investment in IZs and EZs. Specifically, the authority advised the Provincial People's Committee to develop Kon Tum IZ and EZ development planning in 2021 - 2025, with a view to 2030. Accordingly, Kon Tum province planned to build Bo Y International Border Gate Economic Zone and four industrial parks.
To realize the goal of making IZs and EZs as key magnets to attracting investment capital and developing industries and services, the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority continues to advise the Provincial People's Committee to launch an action plan for implementation of Kon Tum IZ and EZ development planning. In particular, the authority will focus on adjusting the general economic zone planning to clearly identify functional areas with investment priorities, key investment items and soon infrastructure investment attraction; planning IZ construction to call for infrastructure investment, new IZ construction (Dak To Industrial Park and Pharmaceutical Production and Processing Industrial Park); and revising detailed plans and completing construction investment in established industrial parks (Hoa Binh Industrial Park and Sao Mai Industrial Park) to provide manufacturing premises for investors.
Along with infrastructure construction planning and investment, how does the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority give priority to digital transformation, reducing the time of carrying out investment procedures and creating favorable conditions for investors to launch their approved projects as well as attracting new projects?
As I have said above, the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority always actively grasps, advises and promptly removes difficulties and obstacles to reduce the time of executing investment procedures. By quickly accelerating administrative reform, up to now, all administrative procedures under its jurisdiction have been partially or fully settled online.
In addition, the authority coordinates with the Southern Investment Promotion Center to build applications and update project investment attraction data on the digital maps of investment locations in Bo Y International Border Gate Economic Zone and other industrial parks in Kon Tum province, available on http://vsmartinvest.gov.vn and http://bandosodautu.gov.vn for quick and easy investment-related information search.
To continue accompanying businesses and attract more investment capital in IZs and EZs, the authority will focus investment resources to improve technical infrastructure and create clean land funds to meet investors' requirements; enhance service quality and promote administrative reform by coordinating with relevant agencies to facilitate and shorten the time of resolving administrative procedures for investors; and receive and promptly resolve investor recommendations.
In 2024, to successfully manage and develop Bo Y International Border Gate Economic Zone and industrial zones, what key tasks and key solutions has the Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority adopted and executed?
The Kon Tum Economic Zones Authority issued Program 13/CTr-BQLKKT dated January 26, 2024 on investment promotion in 2024. Accordingly, the authority has launched investment promotion and attraction events in many diverse forms.
To successfully administer and develop Bo Y International Border Gate Economic Zone and industrial zones, the authority proposed four major tasks and solutions.
First, continuing effective implementation of the Kon Tum EZ and IZ development planning in 2021 - 2025, with a view to 2030; actively carrying out conclusions and directions of the Provincial Party Committee, the Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee on promoting investment and EZ and IZ development in the province; concentrating investment resources for completing technical infrastructure and creating a clean land fund to meet the requirements of investors in IZs and EZs.
Second, defining administrative reform as a core factor to improve the outcome of investment attraction, actively grasping and advising the Provincial People's Committee to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles and reduce the time of carrying out investment procedures for businesses; reviewing, arranging and eradicating inappropriate administrative procedures, update and publicize newly issued administrative procedures, plans, land funds, investment incentive policies and investment procedures to facilitate investors in accessing and seeking information about investment incentives and investment call lists. Additionally, the authority will quickly receive and resolve legitimate recommendations and requests from investors; and build strong personnel to improve service quality.
Third, instructing and supporting tenants in IZs and EZs to access incentive mechanisms and policies on investment, finance and credit to overcome difficulties, upgrade technologies, expand scale, restore production and business and improve business performance.
Fourth, closely coordinating with Phu Cua International Border Gate (Laos) in border gate management with regard to importing and exporting activities, immigration as well as Laos’ policies; facilitating official delegations of both nations to complete their tasks; closely coordinating with relevant authorities to support and promptly remove difficulties and obstacles for investors and tourists during importing, exporting and immigration processes.
Thank you so much!
By Cong Luan, Vietnam Business Forum