(VOVworld)-Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has urged ministries and localities to raise the share industrial zones, export processing zones and economic zones contribute to industrial production revenues to 50% by 2015. At a conference to review 20 years of growth in these zones, Mr. Hai stressed the need to solve problems relating to accommodation, social facilities and infrastructure for workers by 2020.
Though industrial zones (IZs), export processing zones (EPZs) and economic zones (EZs) have contributed greatly to national growth over the past 20 years, their potential has not been exploited effectively. Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh says the development of these zones has revealed shortcomings in planning, investment quality, land use and resource mobilization and that one of the main reasons is unsystematic mechanisms. Mr. Vinh says his Ministry will create inter-sectoral industrial zones and industrial zones for major investors which will enjoy special incentive policies "We will select a key national economic zone and do the same with industrial and export processing zones. We will review the planning of these zones to determine phases of investment and will re-purpose unused lands. In the meantime, Hanoi and HCM City regions will be zoned up. We’ll also fine-tune our mechanism and policies to increase the zones’ competitiveness", said Mr. Vinh.
Mr. Vinh says priority will be given to high tech industries, sectors with high added values, and environmentally friendly sectors. The ministry will also focus on increasing connections between industrial and export processing zones to boost their competitiveness and contribution to regional economic growth.
Conference participants advocated upgrading urban infrastructure and increasing services for workers in industrial zones. The success of IZ development in HCM City, Binh Duong and Bac Ninh should be replicated. "It’s important to link social infrastructure to industrial zones. For example, if we develop a 300 ha industrial zone, there will be 30,000 workers who will need schools, clinics, shopping, housing and entertainment facilities. So, it’s critical to include urban planning in industrial zone planning", said Mr. Le Hoang Quan, Chairman of HCM City's People's Committee.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Hai, Secretary of Quang Nam’s Provincial Party’s Committee, localities should share responsibility with investors. "We should try to prevent conflicts between investors and local people. We decide on the area of land clearance for building industrial zones based on the amount of investment capital to avoid wasting land", said Mr. Hai.
Industrial zones, export processing zones and economic zones now contribute 32% of industrial production revenues -nearly 6 billion USD- to the state budget. By upgrading these zones in a sustainable and effective manner, Vietnam hopes to create a breakthrough in attracting investment, boosting industrial growth and restructuring the economy toward industrialization and modernization.
Hong Van