Can Tho’s good infrastructure attracts investors

With adequate infrastructure and open, attractive policies, export processing zones (EPZ) and industrial parks (IP) in the city of Can Tho have attracted a large number of investors with high occupancy rates. 

The city of Can Tho currently has six IPs, including the 135ha Tra Noc 1 IP with 125 projects and a 100-percent occupancy rate; the 155ha Tra Noc 2 IP (60 projects and 96 percent); the 262ha Hung Phu 1 IP (eight projects and 21.19 percent); the 134ha Hung Phu 2A IP (seven projects and 43.39 percent); the 62ha Hung Phu 2B IP (one project - the Tae Kwang Can Tho Co., Ltd. from the Republic of Korea leasing all of the IP’s area); and the 600ha Thot Not IP (the IP’s first phase of 104ha has been put into operation with 21 projects and an occupancy rate of 61 percent). The city also has the 600ha O Mon IP and the 400ha Bac O Mon IP that have been added to the Vietnam IP Development Plan by the Prime Minister.

City-based IPs are currently home to 223 projects totaling more than US$2.12 billion in registered capital and over US$924.275 million in disbursed capital. There are 22 foreign-invested projects worth more than US$369.87 million in registered capital and US$199.25 million in disbursed capital.

The city worked with ministries and sectors to develop its socioeconomic infrastructure especially transport infrastructure to attract more investment. It accomplished and put into use many vital transport infrastructure projects, including the project to upgrade and expand the Can Tho Airport and Cai Cui Port (phase 1), the O Mon Thermoelectric Project, Nam Song Hau Road, National Highway 91B, the extended Nguyen Van Cu Road, provincial roads 926 and 932, the Mau Than - Tra Noc Airport route, Vam Cong Bridge, and more.

The Quan Chanh Bo Canal is expected to be completed later this year, making it possible for Hoang Dieu and Cai Cui ports to receive ships with capacity of up to 20,000DWT (dead weight tonne).

Technical infrastructure in city-based IPs has been improved to better serve businesses. A VND141-billion, 6,000 cubic meters per day wastewater treatment plant (phase 1) has been put into use in the Tra Noc IP, while a similar project with a capacity of 2,500cu.m per day (phase 1) was also put into operation in the Thot Not IP.

The Saigon Newport Corporation (SNP) has put into operation the Tan Cang - Thot Not Port with 75m of berth (capable of receiving ships of up to 2,000DWT), 90m of landing station (capable of receiving 1,000-tonne lighters) and a 1.1ha cargo holding yard. Tan Cang - Thot Not handles import and export cargo of Can Tho and neighboring provinces like An Giang, Kien Giang and Dong Thap. Meanwhile, it provides logistics services on waterways linking the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City, Cai Mep - Thi Vai deep water ports, and Cambodia.

Thanh Thanh / ven