PM urges incentives for investors in Gia Lai

Speaking to 400 local and foreign investors, the PM pointed to the province’s advantages as the largest bazan soil depository suitable for the cultivation of industrial plants, a hub of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam development triangle and a land of rich culture, especially the gong cultural space which has been recognised by the UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. 

The Government has paid special heed to developing the Central Highlands, including Gia Lai province, through the planning of water resources development and the construction of infrastructural facilities, he affirmed.

The government will fund the upgrade of major national highways connecting with Gia Lai such as Highway 19, Phu Yen – Gia Lai road, Ho Chi Minh Trail, as well as airports and other facilities, he stressed. 

Gia Lai has so far attracted five foreign-invested projects worth a modest US$12 million, ranking 61st out of 63 cities and provinces nationwide. Its provincial competitiveness index ranks 47th nationally. 

Between 2016 and 2018, the locality will pitch for investment in agro-forestry processing, construction materials, consumer goods, energy, education, culture, sports and tourism. 

At the event, the PM asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to outline support policies towards investors in the Central Highlands and Gia Lai in particular. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was also required to work closely with the State Bank and the Finance Ministry to seek stable markets for local signature products. 

According to him, the Government will consider establishing several national tourist areas and holding more festivals so that Gia Lai could live well on the pillars of agriculture, processing industry and tourism services. 

Meanwhile, the local authorities need to devise master plans for economic, industrial and tourism areas, and cultivation, he noted, asking them to further develop the processing industry, especially for coffee, while focusing on organic farming, farm product processing and high-tech agriculture as the local strengths.

On the occasion, he asked Gia Lai to give more specific commitments to investors in terms of electricity, water and infrastructure, towards doubling the number of enterprises to 7,000 in the next five years. 

In the meantime, the leader wished that the province would heed workforce training, poverty reduction and cultural preservation. 

The local authorities also took the occasion to affirm their resolve to improve the business climate and facilitate start-ups. 

At the end of the event, a number of memoranda of understanding on investment in high-tech agriculture, irrigation, transport and culture were signed.  

During a working session with local authorities on December 17, the PM pointed out that Gia Lai’s economic scale remains below the country’s average with the lack of brands well-known in the region and the world. 

In order to fix them, he demanded to implement the government’s socio-economic resolution right from the beginning of next year and map out detailed action plans to continue removing business barriers. 

This year, the province’s gross domestic product is estimated at VND36.26 trillion, up 7.48% annually. As scheduled, Gia Lai will record 30 new-style rural areas and 46.2% forest coverage later this year. It plans to plant 7,000 hectares of forest next year. 

While in Gia Lai, the PM offered incense to the statue of President Ho Chi Minh with Central Highlands ethnic minority groups, the largest in Vietnam, visited and presented gifts to ethnic minority families.