A view of Cai Bau Island in Van Don district (Photo: VNA)
Deputy head of the management board of Quang Ninh economic zone Hoang Trung Kien said the building of Van Don special administrative-economic unit is suitable with the global development trend. So far, Van Don has attracted VND51 trillion (USD2.24 billion) from big investors in various fields such as transport infrastructure, tourism and services, he noted.
Sun Group has been selected to be Quang Ninh’s strategic investor in socio-economic development and building Van Don into a “special economic region”, he said, adding that the group has poured investment in a number of major projects, including the Van Don international airport, which was constructed under the build-operation-transfer (BOT) form on an area of around 400 hectares in Doan Ket commune. The nearly two-billion-USD project is expected to be put into operation in mid-2018.
The group has also been investing in building a hi-end resort complex in Van Don with a casino, a 2,000-room five-star hotel, a conference hall, and a trade centre.
Other big investors, including Viglacera corporation, is investing in a hi-end resort area of Quan Lan island with 150 rooms, while CEO Group and FLC Group are nurturing ambitious plans in Van Don district.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Thanh said Quang Ninh is confident with the Van Don special administrative-economic unit project, adding that local preferential policies are drawing much attention from investors.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Van Don district To Van Hai said Van Don boasts favourable conditions to build a special administrative-economic unit, including its strategic political, economic and geographical position as lying along the strategic transit route from East Asia to Southeast Asia and ASEAN-China, a rapid growth area and one of the most dynamic development centers in the world.
Additionally, the transport infrastructure is being improved, notably the Hanoi-Hai Phong-Ha Long-Van Don-Mong Cai expressway, the Van Don international airport, and the Hon Net-Con Ong seaport which is 21 meters deep and capable of receiving 150,000 DWT ships.
The Government has decided to initially develop three special administrative-economic units - Van Don in northern Quang Ninh province, Bac Van Phong in central Khanh Hoa and Phu Quoc in southern Kien Giang.
The Van Don special administrative-economic unit project defines key industries of tourism-service, industry and agriculture. In the first phrase (2018-2022), the project will focus on casino entertainment tourism, seaport, aviation, trade, international shopping centers, innovation technology, and start-up centers, while the second phrase (2023-2026) will feature parks, fisheries, aquatic processing, logistics services, education and training, financial services, and healthcare. The third phrase (2027-2030) will aim at biological technology, green technology, and hi-tech agriculture.
Special administrative-economic units are magnet for investment, high technology and advanced management mode for the formation of a high growth area that generates more resources and accelerates local economic restructuring and development./.