The event attracted representatives from the State Committeefor Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh,Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh, scientists, intellectuals and businesspeople fromcountries worldwide.
They discussed transportation infrastructure, seaports, customs,logistics and business opportunities along the east-west corridor or thestrategic economic service corridor.
The corridor runs from the Lao provinces of Khammouane, Bolikhamsay,Xiangkhouang and Houaphan to the Vietnamese central provinces of Quang Binh, HaTinh, Nghe An and Thanh Hoa, which is also expected to save time for goodstransportation.
With advantages in geographical distance, deep-waterseaports, and logistics services, the corridor will promote regionalconnectivity, help Laos and Vietnam bring mineral resources to the sea at thelowest cost, as well as help Laos and the northeast of Thailand importmachinery, equipment and chemicals for mineral exploitation.
Nguyen Ngoc My, Vice Chairman of the Business Association of Overseas Vietnamese (BAOOV),said the corridor now boasts Nghi Son port in Thanh Hoa, Cua Lo port in NgheAn, Son Duong port in Ha Tinh and Hon La port in Quang Binh.
Nguyen Van Nam,Deputy Director of the Nghe An provincial Centre for Investment Promotion, saidthe locality is seeking high-quality logistics businesses that offercompetitive prices, thus meeting investors’ demand in industrial zones.
Chairman of theHa Tinh provincial Association of Science, Technology and Economy Ngo Duc Huy suggestedlaunching training courses and offering preferential loans to logistics firms, modernisingcustoms system, and ensuring transparency in legal regulations on logisticsservices.
Proposing alogistics development strategy for the corridor between Laos and seaports inthe north central region, Associate Professor Thai Van Vinh from the School ofBusiness, IT and Logistics of the Australia’s RMIT University called forupgrading roads linking seaports and border gates in public-private partnershipmodel, as well as cargo handling equipment in Nghi Son, Cua Lo and Vung Angseaports, building a railway connecting border gates and seaports, developing alogistics portal based on Internet-of-Things technology, among others.
Concluding theevent, head of the BAOOV’s north central chapter Nguyen Cong Chinh pledged to suggestthe government offer incentives to the private sector in projects, launchtraining courses on logistics and supply chain at a regional university andvocational college, establish working groups between north central provinces,and between each Vietnamese and Lao province to reach consensus on logisticsecosystem development strategy for the corridor.
At the event,cooperation agreements between the BAOOV’s north central chapter and businessassociations of Nghe An and Ha Tinh in Ho Chi Minh City, and a memorandum ofunderstanding on OV’s investment in Gia Lach industrial zone in Nghi Xuandistrict, Ha Tinh province were signed.-VNA