Officials in the country’s disadvantaged central region have called for upgrades for seaports and airports in order to boost trade and tourism within the area.
Backing the calls are economists who have also pointed to the necessity for the region to upgrade its seaport and airport infrastructure for the economic benefit of the region, Indochina and the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC).
The Indochinese peninsular incorporates the three countries of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia and the EWEC runs through Laos to Thailand, Myanmar and Viet Nam.
Dr Truong Dinh Hien, a senior researcher and expert on seaports in the central region, said the development of seaports and airports were essential to guarantee the success of the Government’s strategy on key economic zones.
The recent construction of the Chan May deep-water seaport in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Dung Quat deep-water seaport in Quang Ngai Province and Nhon Hoi seaport in Binh Dinh Province have all aided in kick starting the economic zones.
Dr Nguyen Ngoc Thien, deputy chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee, agreed with the economists’ calls, saying that the Chan May seaport has laid a solid foundation for the Chan May-Lang Co economic zone and helped secure an inflow of investment into the province.
"The amount of foreign direct investment into Thua Thien-Hue over the past five years since the Chan May-Lang Co economic zone debuted has surged to a level equivalent to the previous 15 years in total," the provincial official said.
Pham Chi Lan, a Government economic expert, said the region should have invested in large-scale seaports and airports for the entire area as opposed to the current situation where every province or city has a small seaport of its own.
Investment should be poured into five major seaports and four international airports that could be shared by all the provinces, she pointed out.
Now the central coastal region boasts 17 seaports but accounts for only 13 per cent of the national cargo handling capacity annually.
By the end of 2006, foreign direct investment (FDI) into the region came to 6 per cent of all FDI pumped into the country.
Backing the calls are economists who have also pointed to the necessity for the region to upgrade its seaport and airport infrastructure for the economic benefit of the region, Indochina and the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC).
The Indochinese peninsular incorporates the three countries of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia and the EWEC runs through Laos to Thailand, Myanmar and Viet Nam.
Dr Truong Dinh Hien, a senior researcher and expert on seaports in the central region, said the development of seaports and airports were essential to guarantee the success of the Government’s strategy on key economic zones.
The recent construction of the Chan May deep-water seaport in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Dung Quat deep-water seaport in Quang Ngai Province and Nhon Hoi seaport in Binh Dinh Province have all aided in kick starting the economic zones.
Dr Nguyen Ngoc Thien, deputy chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee, agreed with the economists’ calls, saying that the Chan May seaport has laid a solid foundation for the Chan May-Lang Co economic zone and helped secure an inflow of investment into the province.
"The amount of foreign direct investment into Thua Thien-Hue over the past five years since the Chan May-Lang Co economic zone debuted has surged to a level equivalent to the previous 15 years in total," the provincial official said.
Pham Chi Lan, a Government economic expert, said the region should have invested in large-scale seaports and airports for the entire area as opposed to the current situation where every province or city has a small seaport of its own.
Investment should be poured into five major seaports and four international airports that could be shared by all the provinces, she pointed out.
Now the central coastal region boasts 17 seaports but accounts for only 13 per cent of the national cargo handling capacity annually.
By the end of 2006, foreign direct investment (FDI) into the region came to 6 per cent of all FDI pumped into the country.