Nghe An focuses on growth scenarios in the context of Covid-19

Thanh Duy• February 29, 2020 10:38

(Baonghean) - Up to now, concerns about the Covid-19 outbreak have not subsided. However, Nghe An is currently doing a good job in controlling and preventing the disease. This also opens up great opportunities in attracting investment when observers assess that capital flows are shifting from China to Southeast Asian economies, including Vietnam, after investors have continuously suffered from two double disadvantages: the impact of the US-China trade war and the outbreak of the disease in China.

Reduce the tourism industry

However, with the increasing openness of the economy, the impact of the epidemic on the development of the province is inevitable, especially on the service and tourism industry. According to Director of Nghe An Department of Tourism Nguyen Manh Cuong, the most difficult thing now is for travel businesses when most tours are stagnant. The number of visitors in the first two months of the year decreased by 35% compared to the same period last year. The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee in charge of tourism and the Department organized a dialogue with tourism businesses to discuss, listen to the difficulties, and find ways to solve them. One of the proposals is that businesses ask the province to promote Nghe An as a safe destination.

Thanh Chuong tea island attracts local and foreign tourists, as well as international tourists. Photo: document

The Director of Nghe An Department of Tourism said that in February and March, the Department invited a famtrip delegation of the Hanoi UNESCO Travel Club with 1,000 member enterprises to conduct a survey in Nghe An. After that, Nghe An continued to organize promotions in 5 key northern provinces, including Hanoi and in the south, Ho Chi Minh City.

“During this period, we asked Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to “support” a number of international delegations to come here to promote to tourists that Nghe An is very safe in order to expand propaganda and promotion work.”

Director of the Department of Tourism Nguyen Manh Cuong

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong added that the international tourist market that the province's tourism continues to exploit is France and in the near future, it will coordinate with businesses to enter the Russian tourist market through the possibility of opening a Russia - Vinh flight route.

In the above context, the positive sign is that important indicators and figures in other areas of the provincial economy have increased compared to the same period. Head of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board Le Tien Tri said that in the first 2 months of the year, 2 new projects with a total registered capital of about 251 billion VND were granted in the economic zone, including an FDI project of 8 million USD. Currently, a number of enterprises have also proposed to invest in 8-10 projects, with a total capital of about 5,000 billion VND in the last 6 months of the year.

Sản xuất tại Nhà máy nước tinh khiết, thảo dược và hoa quả Núi Tiên (Nghĩa Đàn). Ảnh: Thành Duy

Produced at Nui Tien Pure Water, Herbs and Fruit Factory (Nghia Dan). Photo: Thanh Duy

The industrial production development index in February increased by 15.92% over the same period in 2019. In the first two months of the year, this index increased by 3.6% over the same period last year, in which some main products had quite high growth rates such as: Cement estimated at 873.6 thousand tons, up 15.13%; fresh milk estimated at 41.7 million liters, up 16.24%;... As of February 17, the province has also newly granted (approved investment policy and issued investment registration certificates) to 6 projects with a total registered investment capital of 686.7 billion VND.

Accompanying businesses to overcome difficulties

2020 is a very important year for implementing the targets of the 18th Provincial Party Congress, term 2015 - 2020, as well as creating momentum for development in the new term. The determination of the provincial political system set at the beginning of the year is very high. Therefore, in the face of the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, it is necessary to proactively adjust strategies and solutions accordingly.

At the regular February meeting of the Provincial People's Committee, Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested all levels and sectors to focus on leadership and direction, especially promoting solutions to develop industry and agriculture to make up for the growth gap due to the decline in tourism and services.

Sản xuất của Công ty Cổ phần May Minh Anh - Đô Lương- Ảnh Thành Duy

Nghe An's garment output in the first two months of the year is estimated at 6.9 million products, up 26.8%. Photo by Thanh Duy

Regarding key projects, Head of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board Le Tien Tri said that the unit is focusing on monitoring and urging projects within the board's area. After the Lunar New Year holiday, the board had 3 working sessions with WHA Industrial Zone Nghe An Joint Stock Company and Nghi Loc district, including 2 on-site inspections to urge the industrial park project of this investor.

Currently, after Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Ngoc Hoa chaired a dialogue with local people, the project's field implementation work is relatively favorable. Currently, phase 1 of the project, about 143 hectares, has been almost filled by investors and the investor has proposed to continue handing over the site for phase 2 in 2021 for implementation.

The Southeast Economic Zone Management Board and the Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Finance, and Construction also worked with VSIP Nghe An, Hung Nguyen District, Vinh City, and related communes to resolve difficulties and problems, including site clearance.

Enterprises investing in VSIP Nghe An. Photo: Thanh Duy

As for the Hoang Mai 1 Industrial Park Project, it is currently undergoing procedures to transfer to a new investor, Hoang Thinh Dat. On January 22, the Ministry of Planning and Investment reported to the Prime Minister on the plan to adjust the investor. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung assigned the Government Office to hold a meeting with relevant ministries and branches to resolve this content. Because in reality, when transferring the investor, the new investor needs to be guaranteed a new project cycle (50 years), not minus the ten or so years that the old investor has almost not implemented.

Regarding the work of attracting investment and removing difficulties for businesses, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Ngoc Hoa said that after postponing the organization in February, the Provincial Investment Promotion Conference is expected to be held on March 21. Departments and branches, especially the Provincial Investment Promotion and Support Center, the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board, and the Department of Planning and Investment will advise the province on the issue of connecting projects.

“Up to this point, many projects have raised the issue of expanding and moving factories to Nghe An.”

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Ngoc Hoa

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also said that he had assigned the Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Finance, together with relevant departments and branches to research and advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue a separate land price list for non-agricultural land activities for economic zones and industrial parks according to the proposal of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board to stabilize land policies for investors in industrial park infrastructure.