Gateway to delta’s great riches

The province’s people’s committee chairman Lam Minh Chieu talks with VIR about the province’s economic and investment potential.

What is An Giang’s typical potential for investment attraction?

Mr Lam Minh Chieu

An Giang has 100 kilometres bordering Cambodia which is greatly convenient for waterways and roads. With a population of about 2.2 million people, An Giang boasts nice looking landscapes of lowlands and mountains, with natural conditions convenient for developing border gate economy, tourism, trade, agriculture, especially rice, vegetables and fresh water fish production, and processing agro-forestry-aquatic products.

However, the province’s weak infrastructure has prompted us to call for investment into transport, border gate free trade zones, tourism, services, health care, education and vocational training.

As a gateway of the delta with the inland ASEAN member countries, An Giang has many advantages in border gate economic development. Thus, how are these advantages being exploited?

With a border of nearly 100km with two international border gates of Tinh Bien and Vinh Xuong and another two national-level border gates of Khanh Binh and Vinh Hoi Dong, An Giang is considered one of Vietnam’s important gateways with ASEAN member countries.

In order to enhance these advantages, the province has over the past years focused on planning border gate economic zones to lure investment. So far, we have invested and put into operation a number of important economic and industrial parks such as the Tinh Bien border gate’s Tinh Bien Commercial Park and Xuan To Industrial Park, and other functional parks such as the Vinh Xuong resettlement area and Vinh Xuong commercial-service area.

We are also calling for investment into Khanh Binh and Vinh Xuong border gate economic zones. Besides, An Giang has always created favourable conditions for border localities to develop their economy via agricultural and industrial development, commercial, service and tourism development, in order to gradually raise the incomes for locals.

The impacts of border gate economic zones on An Giang’s socio-economic development have become more visible, with higher gross domestic product growth. The border gate urban areas have begun to take shape and develop. The export-import volume via our border gates has reached an average of $700 million per year.

In the coming years, the province will continue focusing on developing its border gate economy, which will be a firm foundation for its whole sustainable and rapid socio-economic development.

What investment incentives can An Giang offer to investors and enterprises wanting to do business in the province?

We whole-heartedly support all enterprises under a motto of “responsibility, friendliness and one-door”. We attach great importance to administrative reform and investment climate improvement.

The province has established a business supporting centre, whcih is in charge of assisting investors and enterprises about investment procedures. We have also set up a special taskforce to help solve enterprises’ complaints and give advice to local authorities addressing enterprises’ difficulties and interest.

Investors and enterprises can also register their activities directly online at http://www.angiangbusiness.gov.vn, which is also posted on the province’s portal of http://www.angiang.gov.vn.