Long An International Port. In the first half of the year, Long An ranked third in economic growth among the 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta. — VNA/VNS Photo Danh Lam

LONG AN — Long An Province’s economy in the first sixth months of the year saw positive development despite being hit hard by COVID-19, with its economic growth ranking third in the Mekong Delta, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

Long An’s economy grew by more than 6 per cent year-on-year, with commerce and services growing by more than 7 per cent. While the growth rate is relatively low and below expectations, it was still higher than the rate seen in the first half of 2020 (4.34 per cent).

The province’s industrial production index grew by 7.5 per cent year-on-year.

Several industries are showing signs of recovery and seeing higher production output, such as electricity at nearly 15 per cent, and construction at 10.4 per cent.

As of June 20, Long An leads the country in terms of foreign direct investment attraction, receiving around US$3.57 billion of total registered investment, accounting for more than 23 per cent of the national total.

The province also certified 77 new domestic investment projects, worth a total of nearly VNĐ5.6 trillion ($243.2 million).

According to the People’s Committee, the pandemic is still affecting the province’s supply chain and production expenses.

Businesses and local industries in Long An have been asked to continue focusing on economic development while fighting against the pandemic. Businesses should maintain their production activities, especially ones in industrial parks or key economic regions.

Long An is one of eight provinces and cities in the southern key economic zone. Its international port has a favourable location for trading with HCM City and other provinces in the Mekong Delta.

The province has 16 industrial parks with a total area of over 2,282ha and an average occupancy of 89.2 per cent. The parks house 796 foreign projects worth a total of $7.857 billion and 831 local projects worth VNĐ92.32 trillion ($4.02 billion).

Long An also has 22 industrial clusters with 647 projects worth a total of VNĐ16.128 trillion ($701.2 million). – VNS