Promote FDI in Central and Central Highland




Ha Noi, March 7 (VNA) -- A seminar for promoting the implementation of foreign direct investment, FDI, projects in central and central highland provinces was held in Da Nang on March 6 and 7 by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, ESCAP, and the Planning and Investment Ministry.

ESCAP's Japanese-funded Dong Duong, Indochina, investment project faced difficulties during 2000-2001, the seminar discussed the advantages and difficulties of the FDI projects and recommended ways to enhance foreign investment in Viet Nam.

Participants focused their opinions on promoting the implementation of FDI projects and heard the concerns and experiences of foreign investors in implementing investment projects in central and central highland provinces in order to give them effective help.

Foreign investment has shown signs of recovery in Viet Nam in general and the central and central highland region in particular since 1997, but FDI remains less than demand and there are many difficulties for commerce in the central-central highland region including limited markets and a lack of supporting services for investors.

Viet Nam had licensed almost 3,300 foreign-invested projects with total registered capital of USD 38.55 billion including 2,619 valid projects capitalized at USD 36.4 billion by the end of 2000. An additional 35 FDI projects with toal investment capital of USD 71.3 were granted licenses in the last two months.--VNA