Strive to build the Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone into a driving force for development

On the morning of March 9, the Provincial People's Committee had a working session with the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone and related sectors and units on the development of the Southeast Economic Zone (EZ) and Industrial Parks in the province. Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired the meeting.

Also attending the meeting were Mr. Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of leaders of departments and branches. Photo: Pham Bang

TOTAL REGISTERED CAPITAL NEARLY 70,000 BILLION VND

The Southeast Economic Zone was established in June 2007, and now has a total area of ​​over 20,776 hectares, located in 6 districts and cities. In addition to the Southeast Economic Zone, the province also has 6 industrial parks (IPs) with a total area of ​​1,660 hectares.

As of March 2021, the Southeast Economic Zone and industrial parks have 251 valid projects, with a total registered capital of VND 69,762 billion (equivalent to USD 3.02 billion). Of which, there are 48 FDI projects with a registered investment capital of USD 1.09 billion;203 domestic projects with registered investment capital of 1.93 billion USD.

Currently, there are 129 enterprises in operation. In 2020, the revenue of enterprises reached 35,114 billion VND; export 6,568 billion VND; state budget payment 1,811 billion VND; jobs created for 23,630 workers.

Comrade Le Tien Tri - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board reported on the implementation of tasks in 2020 and key tasks in 2021. Photo: Pham Bang

In 2020, closely following the tasks assigned by the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee, the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board (hereinafter referred to as the Board) carried out many tasks with the aim of creating conditions for businesses to operate in stable production and business activities and develop. The Board has proactively proposed and actively coordinated to advise on investment support mechanisms and policies, contributing to improving the investment environment practically and effectively.

The Board is carrying out the work of planning, managing planning and organizing the development space of economic zones and industrial parks. As of March 2021, the Board has basically completed the zoning plan for the construction of functional areas in economic zones and industrial parks in the province.

Investment promotion, attraction, investor support, and production and business support activities have been actively innovated. In 2020, the Board advised the Provincial People's Committee to decide on investment policies/issue investment registration certificates for 24 projects, with a total registered investment capital of VND 5,413.8 billion. Capital was adjusted to increase for 17 projects, with an additional investment capital of VND 8,876.2 billion. Total newly registered and adjusted capital reached VND 14,289.2 billion/2020 plan: VND 10,000 - 15,000 billion, completing the investment attraction plan for 2020, an increase of 75.8% over the same period in 2019.

Comrade Nguyen Tien Dung - Chairman of Nghi Loc District People's Committee discussed contents related to site clearance work. Photo: Pham Bang

In the first 2 months of 2021, the Board granted 4 new projects and adjusted the capital increase for 2 projects. The total registered and adjusted investment capital reached 6,014.84 billion VND/2021 plan: 15,000 - 20,000 billion VND, reaching 40% of the plan. In particular, the issuance of investment certificates for the Everwin project (200 million USD) and the Hoang Mai I Industrial Park project (750 billion VND) was completed. Currently, the Board is focusing on supporting the issuance of investment licenses for the Ju Teng project (200 million USD).

The Board has also promoted the support for the implementation of key projects in economic zones and industrial parks; invested in the construction of essential infrastructure in economic zones and industrial parks and strengthened state management of economic zones and industrial parks in terms of natural resources, environment, construction, enterprise management and labor. The Board also pays attention to administrative reform, improving the investment and business environment, focusing on proposing and advising on removing bottlenecks and bottlenecks in land price policies, investment support, and land material areas for leveling industrial parks...

Comrade Le Dinh Ly - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Home Affairs discussed related issues on staffing and administrative reform. Photo: Pham Bang

However, after 13 years of implementation, the general planning of the Southeast Economic Zone has revealed many shortcomings such as lack of land fund for industrial park development; the duty-free zone is no longer suitable, some other functional areas are difficult to implement due to the increase in existing population in the planning area, lack of planning for land mines to fill infrastructure for industrial parks, etc.

It has not yet attracted many large-scale projects that are a driving force for development; the progress of post-licensing projects is still low; the work of compensation and site clearance still faces many difficulties and obstacles; the system of transport infrastructure, seaports, technical infrastructure, and social infrastructure is not yet synchronous and reasonable.

In 2021, the Board strives to attract about 20-25 projects, including 1 project to invest in infrastructure business in the Southeast Economic Zone or Industrial Park. The total registered investment capital is expected to reach about 15,000 - 20,000 billion VND, of which FDI capital is about 600 - 700 million USD. In the period of 2021-2025, it will attract over 100 investment projects with a total registered capital of 70,000 billion VND, of which 30% are FDI projects, with a total capital of 2.26 billion USD.

At the meeting, representatives of localities in the Southeast Economic Zone and departments and branches raised many opinions on investment attraction, site clearance, investor support, human resource creation, etc. At the same time, many recommendations were proposed to improve coordination to help the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board perform well its assigned tasks.

Comrade Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that after 13 years of establishment, the Southeast Economic Zone is now wearing "a shirt that is too tight". Therefore, it is necessary to arrange, consolidate, and restructure so that the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board can successfully complete its assigned tasks.

Comrade Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee spoke at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

Emphasizing that in the coming time, the province's main source of budget revenue will be concentrated on the Southeast Economic Zone, comrade Le Ngoc Hoa requested departments and branches to closely coordinate with the Board to advise the Provincial People's Committee on the plan to arrange and restructure the Board. In addition, the Board needs to plan to build housing for experts and workers; invest with focus and key points in the infrastructure of the Economic Zone; and pay attention to attracting investment in seaport infrastructure.

BUILDING THE SOUTHEAST ECONOMIC ZONE INTO A DRIVING MOUNTAIN FOR THE PROVINCE'S DEVELOPMENT

Concluding the working session, Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized that the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board is the first unit selected by the Provincial People's Committee to work in 2021. Thereby demonstrating the role and position of the Board in performing the task of socio-economic development.

The working session aimed to frankly acknowledge the existing problems and difficulties; evaluate and correctly determine the role and position of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board to perform well its tasks, aiming to build the Southeast Economic Zone into a driving force for socio-economic development of the province.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee acknowledged and highly appreciated the results that the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone has achieved in the past time. In particular, the Board has been proactive in reviewing and proposing mechanisms and policies to resolve problems in the process of performing tasks, as well as supporting investment; proactively reviewing and adjusting the master plan of the Southeast Economic Zone, the planning of sub-zones; proactively coordinating and actively proposing to resolve problems with central ministries and branches; coordinating to resolve problems and difficulties for investors in the Economic Zone...

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee concluded the working session. Photo: Pham Bang

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also assessed that the Board's consultation on adjusting the planning of the Economic Zone needs to be more appropriate; the work of site clearance still has many shortcomings; the results of attracting investment are still quite modest, the efficiency of many projects is not high. Regarding investment in infrastructure systems in the Economic Zone and Industrial Parks, there is still a lack of synchronization, not yet promoting high efficiency. In the work of operating the organizational apparatus, it is still not reasonable, not yet achieving high efficiency; the sense of responsibility and public ethics of a part of the Board's cadres and civil servants is not high.

Regarding the upcoming tasks, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung said that in the context of the need to streamline the organizational structure, the Board needs to pay attention to reorganizing the organizational structure, reviewing and arranging appropriate cadres, civil servants and workers to promote the sense of responsibility, capacity and experience of each cadre to ensure the implementation of assigned tasks.

Regarding the work of reviewing, adjusting and supplementing the planning, the head of the Provincial People's Committee requested that in the overall planning of the province for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, the Board must calculate and adjust the development space of the Southeast Economic Zone to be synchronous and suitable for the long-term development of the province and the Economic Zone.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee visited the office of officials, civil servants and employees of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board. Photo: Pham Bang

Emphasizing the opportunity to welcome the wave of investment shift, especially the opportunity to attract strategic investors, comrade Nguyen Duc Trung suggested that the Board must prepare the most favorable conditions in terms of infrastructure, premises, human resources, and procedures for investors.

The Board must also review mechanisms, especially incentive mechanisms for investors, first of all, immediately support investors who are implementing projects so that investors can feel secure in production, business and investment expansion. At the same time, select priority tasks for infrastructure project investment, in the context of limited budget; support investors to invest in industrial park infrastructure to ensure conditions for receiving secondary investors.

To create a platform to attract potential investors, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also requested the Board to review ongoing projects in the management area, and take measures to handle projects that are behind schedule and slow to implement. In attracting investment, it is necessary to select suitable investors, with the right development orientation, ensuring environmental friendliness; Pay attention to supporting procedures for infrastructure investors such as VSIP, WHA to expand the area of ​​industrial parks according to the principle of fairness.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee awarded the Investment Registration Certificate to Everwin Precision Vietnam Technology Co., Ltd. with a registered capital of 200 million USD at VSIP Nghe An Urban and Service Industrial Park. Photo: Pham Bang

The Southeast Economic Zone Management Board must review and complete coordination regulations with departments, branches and localities to carry out assigned tasks and help projects in the area to be deployed quickly. At the same time, it is necessary to be more drastic and stronger in administrative reform, promote IT application, digital transformation, proactively carry out assigned tasks, in which it is necessary to promote the responsibility of leaders in administrative reform. In the complicated situation of the Covid-19 epidemic, if a good database is built, it will help investors access information of the Economic Zone, related procedures and policies more quickly.

At the meeting, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung also requested departments and branches to advise the Provincial People's Committee to resolve the recommendations and proposals of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board.