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(VEN) - Investment, trade and tourism promotion has contributed to socioeconomic prosperity in An Giang Province while being highly rated by the provincial leadership at a recent related meeting.
In the first seven months of 2010, industrial and handicraft production value in An Giang Province came to VND3.421 trillion, an increase of 18 percent over the same time last year. The sector's industries, which grew rather evenly, and major product categories, including processed seafood, concrete piles, mined stones, bricks, fresh concrete, cement, commercial electricity, textiles/garments and more, contributed greatly to this success.
Materials for production were well prepared, while the local purchasing power increased, and exports also grew. The seafood processing industry has recovered and is expected to increase from now to the year end because the EU, Japan, the US and other foreign markets have a higher demand for seafood for sales during the summer and Christmas periods.
Food de-husking mills ran strongly again as soon as the first summer-autumn rice was harvested.
Retails and services totaled VND24.172 trillion in the first seven months of this year, accounting for 63.6 percent of the year's target. The province earned US$386.4 million from exporting goods in the seven months, up 12.4 percent from the same period of 2009. Of this, rice exports grew two percent in volume and 10 percent in value, seafood exports were up 12 percent in volume and 13 percent in value, and textile/garment exports increased 24.7 percent in volume and 16.8 percent in value.
Imports amounted to US$41.3 million in the first seven months of 2010, an increase of 30 percent over the same time last year. Major imports included seafood feed and materials and additives for seafood feed processing, pesticides and round wood .
Twenty-three of the 29 applied investment projects were certified with a total registered capital of VND1.7 trillion. Twenty-two domestic and foreign business delegations, including those from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and France, came to An Giang to learn about opportunities to invest in cattle feed and food processing, transportation, aviation, pharmaceuticals, energy, construction, environment and entertainment.
In the first half of this year, the province, itself and in coordination with other localities/organizations, opened seven trade fairs and exhibitions including a high quality goods fair in Phnom Penh in Cambodia, a trade fair at the Khanh Binh border crossing, a Mekong Delta trade, tourism and investment fair in Tinh Bien, two fairs on Vietnamese goods for rural areas in Tinh Bien and Long Binh, a Southern Key Economic Zone fair, and a Mekong Delta Week in Ho Chi Minh City.
Each trade fair/exhibition attracted hundreds of businesses and visitors while yielding billions of dong in revenue. Many businesses signed contracts and found partners through these fairs/exhibitions. These fairs/exhibitions include those that are part of the national trade promotion program and the domestic trade promotion program.
An Giang is paying attention to introducing its tourist offerings at major events including trade fairs and exhibitions while integrating folk cultural and art, sports, healthcare and selling and partner finding skill training programs for farmers. It held many seminars and meetings to improve export promotion, market approach and economic development cooperation.
More than 60 percent of funding that the province used for trade, tourism and investment promotion comes from non-state sources. Through enriching investment, An Giang diversified modes of trade, tourism and investment promotion and improved promotion efficiency. The province worked with agencies in the Mekong Delta, and with Laos, Cambodia, France and the RoK to improve its operational efficiency. Its trade, tourism and investment activities have been promoted through the media in Vietnam and Cambodia./.
By Nguyen Duy Nghia
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