Fostering construction of infrastructure and incentive projects

Haiphong is holding the key position in foreign trade and socio-development in Northern Vietnam, and being a port city, a national-ranking urban area, an industrial, trade, service and tourism center of Vietnam, a main gate to the sea for international economic integration of the North, a focal point of transportation (with a system of seaway, airway, railways, expressway, and inland waterway) which helps to promote exchanges with all provinces and cities domestically as well as worldwide.

 Besides such strategic position, Haiphong has also contained potentials and advantages of an industrial and service city for more than 100 years. Especially, Haiphong Port has created an international well-known trademark; and possessed potentials on the sea and continental shelf. The coast and coastal area of Haiphong is located in the most active zone of Vietnam, endowed with famous tourist attractions like Cat Ba National Park, Lan Ha Bay, Do Son Beach, and surrounded by a prosperous industrial and aquatic zone. Haiphong converges all 5 key economic axes of marine economy with potential for development, including: (1) coastal economic and industrial zone; (2) port, port services, maritime services, shipping and logistics; (3) aquatic economy with aquaculture, fishing and processing; (4) marine tourism; and (5) marine energy. In order to bring into play those potentials and advantages, it is necessary for Haiphong to foster the construction of infrastructure and development of incentive projects.

At first, the planning setting-up and management must be foresighted and ensured with feasible, scientific and modern characteristics. The land fund must be properly arranged and balanced. The transportation network, i.e. roadway, railways, seaway, waterway, and airway must be constructed synchronously for fast connecting Haiphong with provinces and cities domestically, with the region and the world. Relevant departments must put forward good forecast on the investment rates for development in order for the city to proactively and readily arrange power supply, water supply, sewage treatment, and communication. To pay attention to taking advantage of the Central budget, using properly the city budget and mobilizing social capital for development investment. To well implement resettlement work, and speed up infrastructure projects. To associate the new construction with upgrading and improvement of traffic roads, bridges, drainages, power and water supply system, and communication in order to meet the immediate demands of production and investment, and create foundation for development in the next phase as well.

Construction and improvement of technical infrastructure must be carried out in parallel with social infrastructure such as hotels, leisure parks, hospitals, schools, theaters, sport centers, international standard office for rent, etc… To ready services of all types at the same time in order to meet diversified demands of investors from different countries and projects of different scales. The city also needs to focus on the steering and administration work to create an emphasis on architecture and social infrastructure such as 5-star hotels, international hospitals and leisure parks for timely meeting the needs of investors.

To achieve such development, it is necessary to have incentive projects as a core factor. The city needs to proactively and actively coordinate with ministries, central agencies and investors to foster implementation of key project such as construction of Hanoi – Haiphong Expressway, Haiphong international gateway seaport in Lach Huyen, Dinh Vu – Cat Hai Bridge, North Cam River Integrated Township and Industrial Park, Cat Bi Airport, Dinh Vu – Cat Hai Economic Zone, South Do Son Port, Haiphong Power Plant in Thuy Nguyen, etc… Together with the construction of a coastal highway, Haiphong City should proactively propose to the Central Government and simultaneously promote investment to the international airport project (in Tien Lang); build up the plan and arrange capital for key projects on transportation works like Binh Bridge No.2, Niem Bridge No.2. At first, a particular incentive mechanism would be applied as a pilot for attracting investment from all sources (of both domestic and foreign ones) and under all forms to establish Dinh Vu – Cat Hai Economic Zone. This is an incentive project with decisive role to the socio-economic of Haiphong City and Northern provinces; therefore, it is essential to pay high concentration on the steering and administration work in order to soon complete technical infrastructure, especially the incentive port – Haiphong international gateway seaport in Lach Huyen.