Tin mới
20 Years of Industrial and Export Processing Zones Development (29/02)
29/02/2012 - 8 Lượt xem
Positive numbers
In 1991, the Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone established in Ho Chi Minh City became the country's first economic processing zone. During 1991-2011 more industrial and export processing zones were established across the country. According to statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MoPI), 238 industrial and export processing zones were registered by the end of 2011, covering around 76,000ha including nearly 46,000ha of gross rentable area (accounting for 60.53 percent). Every area that meets the necessary criteria currently hosts industrial and export processing zones.
These industrial and export processing zones called in large amounts of capital from all economic sectors. By the end of 2011, 4,113 foreign invested projects were already registered in domestic industrial and export processing zones with total investment hitting US$59.6 billion. In 2011 alone, foreign invested capital totaled US$6.4 billion and foreign realized capital US$7.28 billion, equivalent to 44 and 67 percent respectively of the country's total foreign direct investment (FDI).
Domestic industrial and export processing zones contributed greatly to the country's industrial and export growth. In the period 1996-2000, industrial production value of domestic industrial and export processing zones only reached US$9.5 billion, but grew by 20 percent year on year. However, in the next five year period 2001-2005, they registered US$44.4 billion and grew 23 percent, and during 2006-2010, absorbed US$125 billion in investment and registered 32 percent growth.
Export processors managed to increase their export value in these periods as seen with rising numbers including US$6.2 billion in total export value in the period 1996-2000, US$22.3 billion in the period 2001-2005, US$63.7 billion in the period 2006-2010.
Domestic industrial and export processing zones development helped solve local labor problems. Local people were offered training courses and employed to work in these zones. They could earn more money working there than growing rice or engaging in traditional handicrafts.
"Domestic industrial and export processing zones development was decided as a strategy at the beginning of the country's renovation period when the open-door policy was applied to the national economy. The state has favored these zones with preferential policies and mechanisms during the past 20 years and the development as seen with positive numbers proved that we are going in the right path to a developed economy," said Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.
Future development
However, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai insisted that these achievements had failed to meet expectations as compared to potential of the country's industrial and export processing zones. Prime Ministerial Decision VIII set the goals for 2015 including from between US$13-15 billion in domestic industrial and export processing zones infrastructure investment, increasing gross rental area to 70 percent, contributing 50 percent to the country's total industrial value and accounting for 45-50 percent of the national export revenues. To achieve these goals, it is necessary to eliminate major setbacks including cumbersome administrative procedures, unsuitable planning, less attractive investment environments and ineffective cooperation between local and central authorities.
"In order to overcome these setbacks, industrial and export processing zones authorities should focus on their planning and expanding registered projects in conformity with the country's socioeconomic development and with consideration of local strengths. They should also decide on the scale and numbers of industrial and export processing zones so as to harmonize both local industrial and agricultural development," said Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Van Quang at the 20 year review conference on domestic industrial and export processing zones.
In addition, industrial and export processing zones authorities should prioritize high-tech, capital intensive, environmentally-friendly and strategic development projects. Industrial and export processing zones should unite to increase their strength and cooperation in local planning and investment.
State authorities should rapidly amend already promulgated policies and mechanisms in relation to industrial and export processing zones, implement central and local administration, and closely control the implementation of policies.
Industrial and export processing zones must observe the Law on Environment and regulations on waste treatment. Every violation of the law and regulations should be subject to drastic measures including the sanction of investment license withdrawal. Industrial and export processing zones authorities should be offered environmental protection training courses./.
Source: VEN
Source: VEN
