Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone in HCM City’s District 7. (Photo: VNA)Speaking at a meeting on October 27, Hua Quoc Hung, head of HEPZA,said that to achieve the goal, HEPZA would continue to promote investmentincentives, enhance support for businesses to stabilise operations, and step upadministrative reform.
Currently, each hectare of industrial land at industrial parks (IPs) and export processing zones (EPZs) in HCMCity attracts 6.32 million USD worth of investment, generating 46.71 million USD worth of exports and creating jobs formore than 144 workers.
After 30 years of construction and development, IPs and EPZs inthe city have gained certain achievements and made positive contributions tothe industrialisation and modernisation of the country, according to Hung.
HEPZA aims to convert IPs and EPZs in HCM City into eco-industrialand high-tech zones by 2030, aiming to replace labour-intensive firms and thoseusing outdated technologies in IPs and EPZs.
HEPZA plans to pilot the programme at four IPs: Tan Thuan EPZ inDistrict 7, Tan Binh IP in Tan Binh District, Hiep Phuoc IP in Nha Be District,and Cat Lai IP in Thu Duc City.
Hiep Phuoc IP is selected to be the first in HCM City to pilot themodel, according to Hung.
HEPZA also wants to build two new industrial zones in Binh ChanhDistrict, the 320ha Le Minh Xuan 2 Industrial Park and 670ha Pham Van HaiIndustrial Park, to house clean, advanced and high-tech industries.
There, however, remain certain challenges such as inefficient useof resources, unsecured energy and water resources, and their negative impactson the natural environment and living environment of nearby residents, accordingto Hung.
The quality of human resources remains an issue in IPs and EPZswith the proportion of workers with university degrees dropping from 11% in2006 to 8% this year, according to HEPZA’s statistics.
More than 281,000 workers are working in EPZs and IZs in the city,accounting for 6% of the city’s employees.
Nguyen Van Nen, Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, urgedHEPZA to develop new industrial park models and develop criteria for attractinginvestment in the city’s EPZs and IZs.
He also asked HEPZA to develop high-rise factories to improveland-use efficiency, monitor the land use by investment projects, and take backland from tardy projects.
It will need to work with banks and authorities to helpenterprises access loans, hire employees, build accommodation for employees,and resolve other difficulties.
EPZs and IZs in the city attracted 601 million USD of investmentlast year, well above the target, including foreign investment of 220 million USD,according to HEPZA.
As of the end of September, they had attracted 1,674 projectsworth more than 12 billion USD, of which foreign investment accounted for 45%.
They attract more than 260 million USD in foreign investmentannually, accounting for 58% of the city’s foreign investment.
The city has 17 IPs, EPZs and high-tech parks covering a totalarea of more than 3,800 hectares. It targets having 23 ‘green’ high-tech EPZsand IPs covering 6,000ha.
Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone was the country’s first EPZestablished in 1991./.
VNA
