JAPAN PLEDGES TO SUPPORT MAJOR TRANSPORT PROJECTS IN BINH DUONG

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio has told leaders of the southern province of Binh Duong that his country supports transport projects connecting Binh Duong with regional localities and cooperation in investment for major projects using Japanese ODA.

At a meeting with provincial leaders in the locality on December 19, the diplomat said that said he is impressed by the dynamic development environment and infrastructure of Binh Duong.

The two sides discussed measures to speed up cooperation in major transport projects. They also mentioned a railway line connecting Hoa Lu border gate in neighbouring Binh Phuoc province and Cai Mep-Thi Vai border port, an important project not only for Binh Duong but also the southern economic region and the whole nation, completing the logistics and urban system of the region.

Binh Duong proposed that Japan help spread the information on the project to partners, while speeding up procedures to supply investment capital to the project.

The Japanese ambassador lauded the Vietnam-Japan joint venture Becamex-Tokyu’s establishment of a centre for pre-feasibility research for the project.

So far, 15 Japanese firms have chosen Binh Duong as their investment destination, he noted, suggesting that Binh Duong work harder in training high quality human resources to meet the demand of Japanese investors.

Secretary of the Binh Duong Party Committee Tran Van Nam said that after 23 years of re-establishment, Binh Duong has become a dynamic industrial locality of Vietnam, with industrial sector making up 97 percent of the locality’s economic structure.

Binh Duong is home to 29 industrial parks and 10 industrial clusters. It has attracted nearly 4,000 foreign-invested projects from 66 countries and territories, of which disbursement reached over 35.4 billion USD.

He noted that Japan has been the largest foreign investor in Binh Duong with more than 320 projects worth over 56 billion USD.

The official added that despite impact of COVID-19 pandemic, the province has still maintained high growth rate in 2020, while its State budget collection hits nearly 60 trillion VND, and per capita income reaches 6,700 USD per annum.

The Japanese ambassador spoke highly of the initiative of organising an international friendship football tournament for Japanese and Vietnamese U13 teams, expressing his hope that such activities will be expanded in the future.

Source: VIR