Nam Dan, a "blessed land".

(Baonghean)By enacting open investment attraction mechanisms and policies, paying attention to human resource training, and prioritizing the planning and construction of industrial clusters… These practical actions by Nam Dan district have created an "attraction" for domestic and foreign investors.

In Nam Dan district, concentrated industrial clusters are being formed and developed, including textile and garment production, building materials manufacturing, beer production, and high-tech industrial complexes. The Provincial People's Committee has approved detailed planning for three industrial clusters in the district, with a total area of ​​nearly 70 hectares in the communes of Nam Thai, Nam Giang, and Van Dien. Nam Giang commune is identified as a key area for attracting investment in Nam Dan district.

Few places are quite like Nam Giang, where from 2005 to the present, there have been six major investment projects. These include the Saigon - Song Lam Beer Factory, the HAIVINA Kim Lien Garment Factory, the Hanosimex Textile Factory, the Vinh - Nam Cam Industrial Zone Water Supply Plant, and the Nam Dan Van An High-Tech Industrial Complex… These projects have taken over 108 hectares of land from Nam Giang commune. This means that compensation for land clearance has had to be carried out on a large area, affecting 6,500 households, with a total compensation amount of nearly 100 billion VND. Yet, in Nam Giang, to this day, there have been no complaints from the people…

Office staff handling work at the Haivina Kim Lien Factory.
Photo: Chau Lan

Answering the question of why the commune has done so well in this matter, Mr. Tran Huu Van – Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Giang commune – readily stated: “It is due to strengthening propaganda efforts so that all relevant households are aware, organizing many direct dialogue sessions with the people, and implementing compensation in a public and transparent manner. When carrying out compensation and land clearance for projects in the area, the commune government and the District Land Clearance Compensation Board publicly disclose the list of relevant households and the compensation amount to the people. The list is posted at the commune People's Committee, the village cultural center, and read through the public address system…”

Families who still have concerns about compensation prices or related issues are resolved definitively during direct dialogues at the hamlet and commune levels. This approach has earned the trust and support of the people, facilitating land clearance work.” This method is not new, but it has proven highly effective. Mr. Van, the commune chairman, recounted: “For the HAIVINA Kim Lien garment factory construction project, the investor required compensation and land clearance for nearly 5 hectares within 30 days. The commune and district proceeded with the steps according to regulations in a transparent manner before the people, and this was accepted and supported, thus meeting the investor's requirements. If there had been any dissent or resentment among the people, it would have been difficult to successfully complete the land clearance work.”

Nam Giang clearly recognizes that creating favorable conditions for investors to implement projects in the area is one of the important tasks in socio-economic development. The commune's success lies in its implementation through concrete actions, so that now, "the seeds have been sown and now the harvest is coming"... The positive shift in Nam Giang's economic structure from agriculture to industry is clearly evident. For example, 350 people in the commune are employed in garment factories in the region; and over 300 people have registered to learn jewelry making and gemstone crafting at the high-tech industrial production complex.

In the coming period, the completion of several projects will create opportunities for many people to change careers, find stable jobs, and earn income. Along with that, many families will have additional capital (after receiving compensation for land clearance) to invest in developing production, business, and services. The all-round improvement in Nam Giang commune is very clear, and one of the important factors creating this "favorable land" is the unity, consensus, and creation of the most favorable conditions for investors coming to Nam Giang.

In recent times, Nam Dan district has become an attractive destination for domestic and foreign investors. It is gratifying that most investors, after exploring investment opportunities in the area, have decided to proceed with their projects. Mr. Thai Thanh Quy – Secretary of the Nam Dan District Party Committee – stated: “To create favorable conditions for investors, the district has issued a Resolution on attracting investment for the development of industrial clusters and the development of small-scale industries and handicrafts, and the construction of craft villages. Along with that, we have conducted surveys and developed plans for industrial clusters. To date, the district has three industrial clusters whose detailed plans have been approved by the Provincial People's Committee: the Nam Thai commune industrial cluster (20 hectares), the Nam Giang commune industrial cluster (36.5 hectares), and the Van Dien commune industrial cluster (10 hectares).”

The district also applies appropriate mechanisms and policies to encourage and attract investors, such as: policies to support land clearance for investment projects in industrial clusters. However, the support level for one project does not exceed 200 million VND and is only for businesses that fulfill their tax obligations in Nam Dan district. Administrative reforms are being accelerated to facilitate the handover of land to investors as soon as possible. Support is also provided for vocational training for workers in businesses and households affected by land acquisition, as well as support for technological innovation...

Thanks to this, Nam Dan has truly become an "attraction" for investors. Mr. Do Quang Tien – Director of the Nam Dan Van An High-Tech Industrial Production Complex said: “The district has created many favorable conditions for the project to operate, from guiding the preparation of documents to issuing investment certificates. Land clearance work was carried out quickly and smoothly, and most importantly, any problems or obstacles arising during the project implementation were resolved promptly, so we are very confident in investing in the area.”

The high-tech industrial production complex, with a total investment capital of nearly 2,200 billion VND, is being implemented in Dong Dung area, Nam Giang commune. The project, scheduled from 2013 to 2015, has completed site leveling and is currently constructing phase 1 (expected to be completed by the end of 2013 and begin production, creating jobs for 600 workers in jewelry and goldsmithing, with most products intended for export). Currently, the company is focusing on recruiting and training workers. It is projected that after the project's completion in 2015, it will create jobs for 1,000 workers in the area...

Clearly, in the coming time, more projects will be completed and put into operation in this area, creating more new high-value products, generating budget revenue for the State, and providing jobs for tens of thousands of workers.

Hoang Vinh