Danang industrial zones remain open during lockdown

Danang Hi-Tech Park maintained production when the city was locked town for nearly one-month. (Photo courtesy of Long Hau Corporation)

Danang - Production is continuing at six industrial zones and hi-tech parks in the central city of Danang, while nearly 80 per cent of the total labour force has been maintained since the city began lockdown on August 16.

At least 137 businesses have kept a ‘three-on-site’ policy with a total labour force of 11,000 workers, who have been COVID tested every three days since the lockdown started.

Directo of Danang Hi-tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority (Danang HPIZA) Pham Truong Son said more than 8,000 workers of 106 businesses had been given regular tests.

He said 70 per cent of 55,000 workers had received their first vaccine shots, and the second shot programme had been planned.

Sơn said Hoa Khanh Industrial Zone was seen largest with 41 enterprises and 5,500 three-on-site workers.

He said businesses at industrial zones and industrial parks needed at least 50 or 60 percent of workers on-site rather than 30 percent as per COVID-19 regulations required by the city’s authorities during lockdown.

“Ensuring three-on-site working status in prevention of the coronavirus was really a hard job for all businesses at industrial zones and industrial parks, while limiting road travelling permissions among workers and vehicles as well as logistics and food supplying added more difficulties,” Son said.

“Businesses have asked for one test every week among 20 percent of total workers in reducing cost for them. They also need one-day off for 30 percent of three-on-site workers, for health recovery,” Son said.

“The city should allow at least one logistics carrier remaining service for providing international payment invoices for B2B and banks. More food and logistics supplies are needed for labour forces at factories.”

Despite difficulties of lockdown and social distancing regulations, Danang’s Information Technology Park JSC has planned the first export cargo of printed circuit boards and electronic components for the US market later this year.

General director of Danang’s Information Technology Park Nguyen Anh Huy said production of the first surface-mount technology factories had remained at Danang Hi-Tech Park since early this year.

Executive director of the Sunshine Aerospace Components Factory of the Universal Alloy Corporation – a leading global manufacturer of aircraft components for aerospace companies – from the US, Liviu Lese said the first sample cargo had already been sent to a partner in the US.

He said COVID-19 had created many difficulties in production progress at the factory since it was put into operation from March 2020. The Danang-based factory will be a sole-source supplier producing over 5,000 unique aerospace components for Boeing aircraft.

According to a report from Danang HPIZA, six industrial zones and hi-tech parks earn an annual revenue of 2.5 billion USD, of which more than 1 billion USD comes from exports, contributing to 25 percent of the city's budget.

Danang HPIZA has urged the city to speed up vaccination programmes for production recovery as well as resuming exports soon.

The city has been boosting investment from the Middle East, and calling for investment in the first Pharma Park in Vietnam from 30 pharmaceutical production companies in India.