PM asks Kien Giang province to ensure clean environment

• PM asks for prompt design of middle-term public investment plan
• Deputy PM lauds efforts by Vietnam – Japan Special Ambassador
• PM calls for more efforts to develop key economic regions

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the conference (Photo: VNA)

At a conference to promote local investment in Rach Gia city with the participation of nearly 500 domestic and foreign investors, he further stressed that the quality of the environment is an invaluable resource.

The PM reminded Kien Giang to improve its business environment rankings because it is the fifth consecutive year the Provincial Competitive Index (PCI) has dropped.

He ordered the province to strive for autonomy and contribute to the central Government budget because Kien Giang is now the third biggest contributor to the Mekong Delta’s budget after Can Tho and Long An.

The PM highlighted Kien Giang’s significant strategic position in economy, security and defence, which is favourable for economic development and integration, and described the province as an important gateway to the world and a rare locality which has two airports – Rach Gia and Phu Quoc.

He added that the province could develop based on three pillars: high-quality agriculture adaptive to climate change, clean aquaculture in association with processed industry in high-end segment, and international-standard ecological and resort tourism.

Sea-based economy will be a key to local growth along with the border economy and the breakthrough development of Phu Quoc island – which was voted as one of the best 19 destinations in Asia 2019 and top five places to visit in autumn in Asia-Pacific.

Based on the aforesaid advantages, the PM gave a vision for Kien Giang to become a dynamic, reformative and wealthy locality in the south-western region.

He said the province should focus on developing Phu Quoc not for competing with other Vietnamese localities in attracting resources and development opportunities but for competing effectively and fairly with other nations.

The PM advised Phu Quoc to concentrate to optimising marine and ecological resources but still keep its natural beauty, environmental landscape, and traditional cultural values.

At the conference, local authorities signed memoranda of understanding and cooperation deals with business and investment organisations and associations in agriculture, industry, trade, and tourism with a total value of nearly 150 trillion VND (6.45 billion USD) as well as granted investment licenses to 20 investors with a combined registered investment of over 40 trillion VND.

The province introduced a list of 118 investment projects and called for investment to develop four key tourism regions, namely Phu Quoc, Ha Tien – Kien Luong, Rach Gia – Kien Hai, and U Minh Thuong eco-tourism area.

It also called for investment to processing, especially farm produce, forestry and seafood, and developing coastal urban areas, and encouraged investment to high-tech agriculture and organic agriculture.

In the witness of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the low-cost airline ViejetAir announced its plan to operate six air routes from and to Phu Quoc, including two new domestic ones connecting Phu Quoc with Da Nang city and Van Don (Quang Ninh province), and two new international ones connecting Phu Quoc with Chengdu and Chongqing (China).

The same day, the PM also attended the launching ceremony of the Phu Cuong urban area in Rach Gia city.

Kien Giang is a coastal province in the Mekong Delta, which boasts the largest natural area and the second largest population in the region. As the western gateway to the Guft of Thailand, Kien Giang has a vast sea area of over 63,000 square kilometres, nearly 10 times the land area, and shares land and sea borders with some countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).