FDI inflow into Mekong Delta forecast to see bright prospects

Garment products are made by workers of Tainan Enterprises Việt Nam Co in the Mekong Delta Province of Long An which ranked second among 59 localities with US$3.84 billion or equivalent to 12.3 per cent of the nation’s total investment in 2021. — VNA/VnExpress News Photo Minh Hưng

HÀ NỘI — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta region, which covers 13 cities and provinces, has many advantages for attracting investment, especially foreign direct investment (FDI), thanks to its huge potential for agricultural production and renewable energy development.

Nhadautu cited Noboru Kondo, CEO of Japanese Brain Works Group, saying that although his Group had invested in Việt Nam for a long time, he had only known about the Mekong Delta City of Cần Thơ for about five years.

A few years ago, many Japanese investors only knew about HCM City and some southern provinces such as Long An and Tiền Giang instead of the Mekong Delta, due to a lack of information and travel difficulties, so very few wanted to invest in this region, he said. 

However, this situation had changed thanks to the region’s improved infrastructure system and this was the best time for Japanese businesses to invest in the area, he told the online newspaper. 

In addition to upgraded transport infrastructure, localities in the Mekong Delta such as Cần thơ, Vĩnh Long and Hậu Giang have also developed dozens of large-scale industrial parks to provide investors, especially from overseas, with adequate clean land. 

Last year the region attracted a total foreign investment of more than US$5.64 billion with the largest amount coming to the energy sector, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

Long An Province ranked second among 59 localities with US$3.84 billion or equivalent to 12.3 per cent of the nation’s total investment, mainly thanks to the Singapore-invested Long An I and II LNG power plant project worth $3.1 billion, to transmit, distribute and produce electricity in the province. 

Meanwhile, Cần Thơ City came eighth with over $1.32 billion thanks to the Ô Môn II thermal power plant being invested by Japanese investors to create a thermal power factory for electricity supply for the regional and national power system. 

Nguyễn Phương Lâm, director of the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s branch in Cần Thơ, outlined eight reasons that investors should invest in the Mekong Delta: favourable business and investment environment, a rich material area, an abundant and low-cost labour force, attractive local consumption, and sufficient clean land for investors.

Low rental cost and a huge room for many new investment fields such as hi-tech agriculture, ICT, logistics, wind power, solar power, tourism real estate, and high-tech engineering projects to cope with climate change were also included. 

During a recent meeting with the Mekong Delta Coordinating Council for 2021-25, Deputy Prime Minister Lê Văn Thành said the Government had given special priority to several transport projects in the region, including highways and national routes, alongside maritime and aviation. 

“If done well, by 2025 we will have 300km of highways in the region, which shows the Government’s commitment on this matter,” said the minister.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is also developing plans with each province to build major, quality agricultural production areas for domestic consumption and export, alongside other freshwater reservoir projects.

“Transport infrastructure plays an incredibly important role in the region’s development,” Thành said. “If we want to develop the Mekong Delta, the number one priority for localities is the development of transport infrastructure. This will help enhance connections and utilise the strengths of the regions.”

As of last year, the Mekong Delta was home to 1,839 valid foreign-invested projects capitalised at over $30 billion, accounting for about 7.5 per cent of total foreign investment registered in the country. — VnExpress News