Chu Lai to become high-quality agro-forestry processing hub

The ground-breaking ceremony of the agro-forestry industrial park and expansion of the THACO Chu Lai mechanical-automotive industrial park

In the morning of March 24, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the ground-breaking ceremony of numerous projects in Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, Quang Nam province.

The PM said that THACO (Truong Hai Auto Corporation) and Chu Lai Open Economic Zone have confirmed the key role of the private sector, especially in the harsh barren land of Quang Nam.

In 2018, THACO’s industrial production value in Chu Lai was nearly VND42 trillion ($1.8 billion), created 9,000 jobs for local people, and contributed VND16 trillion ($696 million) to the local budget.

At the ceremony, PM Phuc highlighted six lessons from Chu Lai’s success, including pioneering investors like Thaco who are energetic, determined, as well as have plenty of financial resources and good business vision.

Provincial leaders should accompany businesses. The keys for success are finding win-win-win (government-businesses-local people) solutions and maintaining the “3-in-1” principle (economy-society-environment) in every case. Additionally, desire, innovation, and breakthrough are also key factors for the success of the economic zone.

Ground-breaking ceremony of the residential area for workers and the resettlement area

In the time coming, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hoped that Chu Lai would become a high-quality agro-forestry processing hub of the country and meet the huge demand from the ASEAN, northeastern Asia, G7, and G20 countries.

He expressed hope that Chu Lai would help turn Vietnam into one of the world’s wooden interior production centres, while addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of Chu Lai Agro-Forestry Industrial Park at Chu Lai Open Economic Zone.

The prime minister suggested that Chu Lai team up with Dung Quat in Quang Ngai province and Da Nang city by close co-ordination in policymaking and pooling resources for development.

He urged provinces to submit breakthrough mechanisms and policies to the Party Central Committee to improve the competitiveness of the key economic areas in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands, including Danang, Quang Nam, and Dung Quat-Quang Ngai.

The 450ha agro-forestry industrial park will develop a materials farming area for Central Vietnam, the Central Highlands, and neighbouring Laos and Cambodia. It will be built from 2019 to 2022 at a total cost of over VND8.1 trillion ($352.2 million).

It will also double as a research centre for seedlings, agricultural materials, biotechnology, harvest, preservation, and processing. Farms will grow grapefruit, mango, jackfruit, as well as industrial and fruit trees by using modern technology.

Once operational, the agro-forestry IP is expected to attract domestic and foreign investors to create a production chain, add more revenue to the local state budget, and generate jobs to 20,000 workers.

The ceremony of exporting the first shipment of fruits from Chu Lai Port

On the occasion, automaker Thaco Truong Hai began the construction of an expanded automotive mechanical industrial zone on a total area of 115ha. Costing over VND1.6 trillion (69.6 million), the work is expected to increase the localisation rate for automobiles to exceed 40 per cent, thus meeting the requirements for exportation to ASEAN member states by 2020.

The management board of Chu Lai Open Economic Zone also granted an investment license to Thadi industrial, agricultural, forestry park. Thaco Truong Hai also signed strategic contracts with domestic and foreign firms to supply clean farm produce.

Built in 2003, Chu Lai Open Economic Zone is the first coastal economic zone in Vietnam. It is strategically located midway between Vietnam’s northern and southern regions, and connected to National Highway 1A, national coastal routes, the trans-national railway, Ky Ha seaport, Chu Lai airport, and the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway.