The Ministry of Planning and Investment held a meeting on February 17 to discuss and review the last 20 years since construction and development of industrial, processing and economic zones in Vietnam.
According to Nguyen Van Trung, deputy minister of Planning and Investment, many industrial, processing and economic zones have been established in cities and provinces throughout the country. Vietnam has 267 industrial and processing zones covering an area of more than 72,000 hectares, out of which the South has 127 industrial sites.
The total area of industrial and processing zones is estimated to increase by 130,000 hectares by 2015 and by 200,000 hectares in 2020.
The turnover from these zones reaches VND38-40 billion per year, accounting for 30 per cent of the total industrial production value of the country.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the total investment capital of industrial and processing parks is US$7.8 billion and provides jobs to nearly 255,900 people.
However works on environment protection, building of hostels, accommodation for workers and taking care of employees’ living conditions remains inadequate.
There are only 74 industrial zones having waste water treatment plants, many of which are discharging untreated waste water.
Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai affirmed that the industrial, processing and economic zones will be upgraded in a sustainable and effective manner, so as to bring Vietnam to the centre stage of industrialised countries by 2020.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment will oversee and launch new and more effective regulations for industrial, processing and economic zones in 2012.
