Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc speaks at the inaugural ceremony of the Phước Đông Industrial Park and Port in Long An Province on Sunday. VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất 

LONG AN —  Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Sunday attended the inaugural ceremony of the Phước Đông Industrial Park and Port in the Mekong Delta province of Long An.

The industrial zone is located in the Southern Key Economic Region and is expected to serve as a magnet to lure investors.

Speaking at the ceremony, the PM hailed Long An Province’s efforts to develop industrial parks to create impetus for local socio-economic development, with gross regional domestic product (GRDP) registering an average annual growth of 9.16 per cent during 2016-20.

He stressed the important role of businesses in national economic development and job generation, asking the local authorities to continue support for the investors, help them remove bottlenecks in their businesses, and work to further improve the investment climate with more effective measures in place.

He also ordered the province to promote its potential, and sharpen focus on branching out key industries, high-tech industry, supporting industry and logistics so as to improve local livelihoods.

“It is necessary to upgrade transport infrastructure, enhance regional linkages with HCM City and other southern localities,” he said, adding that local socio-economic development must go with environmental protection.

PM Phúc emphasised the need to pen a long-term development plan which will enable Long An to make significant contributions to the economy.

Phước Đông Industrial Park and Port is 39 kilometres from Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, 19 kilometres from Long An International Port, and 42 kilometres from Cát Lái Port.

It spans an area of 128.8 hectares, of which 92.39 hectares are industrial land with ready-built factories and warehouses.

The port system will be developed to welcome cargo ships with a capacity of 20,000 DWT in the future.

Also on Sunday, PM Phúc hosted Consul Generals of the US, the Republic of Korea and India in HCM City, and leaders of multinationals GS Energy and Alibaba who are investing in Long An Province.

He hailed the interest of the US, RoK and Indian diplomatic organisations in promoting foreign investment in Việt Nam, especially when the global economy is facing formidable challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the Vietnamese Government would persistently follow its dual goals of containing the pandemic and boosting economic development, and spare no efforts to better investment and business environment, creating favourable conditions for foreign firms to land investment in the country.

The diplomatic representatives said as more US, RoK and Indian firms had showed their interest in investing in Việt Nam, they would come to seek cooperation opportunities after international commercial flights are resumed.

They thanked the Vietnamese Government and competent authorities for facilitating conditions for them to proceed investment in Long An Province, and expressed their wish to engage further in production and investment activities in Việt Nam. VNA/VNS