Ha Nam considers investment cooperation with Japan one of the important tasks to mobilize resources and promote socio-economic development of the province - Photo: VGP/KL
Ahead of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to attend the ASEAN-Japan Summit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations and conduct bilateral activities in Japan (from December 15-18), the Government Electronic Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Tran Xuan Duong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Nam province to better understand the cooperation and investment attraction potential between Ha Nam province and Japanese localities and enterprises.
Take care of the 'fences' to 'attract' investment
With an "open - attractive - safe - friendly" investment environment, Ha Nam is known as one of the attractive investment destinations in Vietnam; attracting many investors from Japan. Could you please share about the situation of cooperation and attracting Japanese investment in the province in recent times? What are the areas that Japan focuses on investing in Ha Nam province, sir?
Vice Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People's Committee Tran Xuan Duong: Over the years, Ha Nam has always promoted cooperation with foreign localities and organizations, as well as attracting investment, creating conditions for foreign investors to conduct production and business activities in the province, especially Japanese enterprises. Ha Nam considers investment cooperation with Japan as one of the important tasks to mobilize resources and promote socio-economic development of the province.
Ha Nam currently has about 120 enterprises from 27 provinces and cities of Japan investing with a total registered capital of nearly 2 billion USD, including many large investors, such as: Honda Vietnam Co., Ltd., Sumi Vietnam Wiring System Co., Ltd., YKK Vietnam Co., Ltd. Ha Nam branch... Currently, Japan is the country with the second largest number of investors in the province. The main investment fields are mechanical manufacturing, electronic equipment, motorbikes, auxiliary products for industry, healthcare, high-tech agriculture...
The activities of Japanese enterprises in recent times have actively contributed to the economic restructuring, increasing the value of industrial production, especially in the fields of supporting industry, manufacturing and processing according to the province's orientation; creating jobs for workers, contributing to the budget, and actively participating in the province's social security activities.
Sir, what mechanisms and policies does Ha Nam province have to attract Japanese investors? Or in other words, what advantages does Ha Nam have to attract Japanese investors?
Vice Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People's Committee Tran Xuan Duong : Firstly, Ha Nam has determined that to attract foreign investors in general and Japanese investors in particular, the construction and synchronous development of industrial zones and clusters is the most important factor. Up to now, the province has had 8 industrial zones invested in, with an average occupancy rate of 85.7%; 4 new industrial zones with a total area of 940 hectares have been planned. Some industrial clusters have been established and put into effective operation, with 100% occupancy; 6 newly established industrial clusters are completing infrastructure investment documents.
In particular, the province has dedicated an industrial park to attract Japanese enterprises with synchronous infrastructure, ensuring the quality of services for enterprises.
Second, Ha Nam established Japan Desk, an office to support Japanese enterprises when they come to research and learn about investment in the province; regularly organize meetings, exchanges and shares with investors to promptly resolve difficulties and problems in the process of production and business activities in the province.
Third, consistently implement the province's commitments to investors, such as: Ensuring synchronous infrastructure, supporting quick administrative procedure settlement, supporting labor supply and recruitment for businesses, providing full essential services to the "fences" of businesses, ensuring stable security and order... so that businesses can feel secure in their production and business activities.
Fourthly, we understand that businesses, especially Japanese businesses, are always concerned with the issue of high-quality human resources to meet the needs of production development. Therefore, in recent times, Ha Nam has focused on building and developing human resources with scale, structure, and high quality to meet the requirements of businesses.
In particular, the province has invited experts who are directors of enterprises in Vietnam to participate in the advisory council in teaching and vocational training for students at Ha Nam Vocational College. This is also the source of labor for Japanese enterprises.
Strengthening friendly relations with Japanese localities
Besides economic cooperation, the development of friendly cooperative relations between Ha Nam and Japanese localities has been very good in recent times. Could you share more about this cooperative relationship?
Vice Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People's Committee Tran Xuan Duong: 2023 is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations. On the basis of solid common interests between the two countries, the cooperative relationship between Japan and Vietnamese localities is increasingly promoted. In recent years, Ha Nam has maintained and strengthened friendly relations with Japanese localities, such as Kanagawa province, Hyogo province, Kobe city... and continued to connect and expand cooperative relations with other localities, such as Gunma province, Shiga province, Hokuto city...
Ha Nam has maintained delegation exchange activities, organized delegations of provincial leaders to promote investment, visit and work with localities in Japan, as well as welcomed delegations of local authorities, organizations and enterprises from Japan to visit, work and survey the investment environment in the province.
Ha Nam identifies cooperation with Japanese localities as an important driving force for socio-economic development, contributing to promoting people-to-people exchange between Vietnam and Japan.
The cooperation between Ha Nam and Japanese localities is not only in the economic field, but also in many other fields, such as culture, sports, and tourism. In 2023, the province organized and participated in many practical events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations, such as organizing the Ha Nam Culture and Tourism Week 2023, the Vietnam-Japan traditional art performance exchange program, the football exchange program between the Kobe and Hyogo women's football teams and the Phong Phu Ha Nam women's football team; attending the Vietnam Festival in Kanagawa province; attending the 2023 Japan Meeting Conference organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, events organized by the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, etc. These are all activities demonstrating the good and strong cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Japan in general, between Ha Nam province and Japanese localities and partners in particular.
What are your expectations about the potential for cooperation with Japan in the coming time?
Vice Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People's Committee Tran Xuan Duong : I think that Ha Nam province and Japanese partners still have a lot of room and potential for cooperation.
Firstly, continue to maintain and develop economic cooperation, focusing on areas that Ha Nam is prioritizing to attract investment, such as supporting industry, processing, manufacturing, high-tech agriculture; training, human resource development, healthcare...
Second, in the field of labor, Japan is currently one of the largest and key labor export markets of Vietnam. With an abundant and high-quality labor force, Ha Nam hopes to establish cooperative relations with localities and organizations in Japan in the coming time to send workers from the province to work and study in Japan, especially in the fields of health and nursing. In particular, last October, Ha Nam welcomed and worked with the Governor of Gunma Province, Japan and a business delegation. This is a locality with 12,000 Vietnamese people living, studying and working, the largest foreign community in the province. Therefore, I believe that cooperation in the field of labor between Ha Nam province and Gunma province and other localities of Japan is a field with a lot of potential.
Third, Ha Nam is currently focusing on developing tourism, considering it a key economic sector contributing to the overall socio-economic development of the province. With its potential and strengths in tourism resources, Ha Nam has been and is being evaluated as a safe and attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists. In particular, Tam Chuc Tourist Area, where the Ha Nam Culture and Tourism Week 2023 is held and the Vietnam-Japan Traditional Art Performance Exchange Program has attracted the attention of many international friends, including Japan.
In the coming time, Ha Nam hopes to promote tourism promotion activities; exchange information, organize cultural exchanges, festivals, events, organize promotional activities, survey the tourism market with Japanese partners and localities to attract more tourists from Japan to Ha Nam.
Opening up new prospects for cooperation with Japanese localities
In your opinion, what results will Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's visit to Japan bring to the two countries in general, as well as promote investment cooperation opportunities between Japan and Ha Nam province in particular?
Vice Chairman of Ha Nam Provincial People's Committee Tran Xuan Duong : I believe that the Prime Minister's visit to Japan this time will continue to strengthen and consolidate the Extensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia between Vietnam and Japan, making it increasingly deeper, more substantial and effective, bringing practical benefits to the people, businesses and localities of the two countries; contributing to promoting essential areas of cooperation, in accordance with the needs and capabilities of both sides.
For Vietnamese localities, this visit continues to open up strong cooperation opportunities; contributing to enhancing and promoting cooperative relations with Japanese localities and enterprises. This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese localities and enterprises to learn and take advantage of the technological strengths and experiences of the neighboring country to promote their own advantages.
On Ha Nam’s side, this is an opportunity for the province to meet, contact and exchange with Japanese localities and enterprises to introduce and promote the province’s image and investment environment, thereby calling for and attracting more Japanese enterprises to come to study and seek investment opportunities; at the same time, promoting existing cooperative relationships and continuing to open up new cooperation prospects with Japanese localities.
During this visit, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Nam province and the Governor of Gunma province will also sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two localities in many fields such as economy, trade, tourism, human resource training, etc. In addition, on this occasion, the province's professional agencies also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with a number of Japanese associations and enterprises on supporting, developing and expanding projects in the province.
This is not only economic cooperation, but also establishing a trustworthy, sustainable partnership, accompanying development between the localities of the two countries, supported by the Governments of the two countries.
Thank you very much!
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