The
Saigon Times Daily
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| Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (C, back row) applauds at the signing of agreements between Can Tho City and businesses at the investment promotion conference in Can Tho today - PHOTO: VGP |
CAN THO – Can Tho has the potential to become the
logistics center of the entire Mekong Delta region, according to the World Bank
(WB) in Vietnam.
A WB official, speaking at
an investment promotion conference in Can Tho today, August 10, said this
requires major investments in developing infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the local
services sector is considered a gold mine for investors as the city has enough
potential to become a tourism destination of the region.
However, despite this
enormous potential, the number of tourists staying in Can Tho overnight is
small while the average duration of stay per visitor is one to two days.
Moreover, their average spending is some US$22 per day, which is much less than
the national average, said a leader of Vietnamese property developer FLC Group.
The Mekong Delta city lacks
tourism products and tourism infrastructure, adding that the group is about to
set up a tourism services project in the city, covering some 1,600 hectares.
At the conference, which
was attended by some 500 delegates, including leaders of the Government,
ministries and central agencies; representatives of international
organizations; and local and international investors, the WB official suggested
the Government build more mechanisms and preferential policies to create
momentum for the city to make substantial progress.
Addressing the conference,
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc set out a grand vision for the city in the
coming years: to be recognized for its rich identity and to be seen as an
inspiration for significant development so that it can act as a driving force
for the growth of the entire Mekong Delta region, reported the Government news
website.
The country has many
coastal cities worth living in, he said, adding that with its strong potential,
Can Tho should join this ecosystem.
He demanded that the
authorities at all levels and businesses, especially those in the tourism
sector, transform themselves and work with other sectors to form closed value
chains and create an economic spillover effect on the whole region.
Can Tho has good prospects
for growth. Its average per capita income is estimated at VND81 million
(US$3,485) this year, 1.4 times higher than the national per capita income,
while its purchasing power is also among the top in the country. Its middle
class is emerging quickly, bringing about changes in the consumption structure
of society, according to PM Phuc.
He suggested investors
inject their money into developing hotel and tourism services, as well as
processing industries to raise the value of their products.
He said Can Tho will grow
substantially, thanks to the Trung Luong-My Thuan-Can Tho Expressway and other
crucial roads, which help shorten the travel time between HCMC and the city
from three hours to one-and-a-half hours.
The Government leader
highlighted the key role of Can Tho International Airport, suggesting that an
increasing number of direct flights will be launched there to connect Can Tho
with other parts of Vietnam and other countries, through national flag carrier
Vietnam Airlines, budget airline VietJet and the upcoming Bamboo Airways.
The municipal government
should create a more favorable business environment, while investors should
coordinate with the local authorities to achieve development visions in the
next few decades, he said.
“The Government honors
competent investors but also resolutely eliminates profiteering investors who
exploit management loopholes, evade taxes, adopt transfer pricing and destroy
the environment instead of focusing on development,” PM Phuc added.
He cited a master plan for
Can Tho City, saying that by 2025, the city will become a center for industry,
commerce, services, tourism, education and training, science and technology,
healthcare and culture, as well as a gateway to the Lower Mekong Basin and a
hub for intraregional and international transport, in addition to holding a
strategic advantage in defense and security.
The prime minister urged
the local government to make cleared land available to investors, and to hold
more dialogues with them to tackle difficulties. He also asked local businesses
and residents to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
At the conference, municipal leaders signed cooperation agreements,
worth roughly VND85 trillion (US$3.6 billion) with 19 investors. In addition,
the local government gave 10 companies in-principle investment approvals and
investment certificates, worth some VND8 trillion (US$344 million).
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Times Daily 10-8-2018:
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