From a purely agricultural province, Ha Tinh is gradually transforming itself towards industrial development with economic zones and industrial parks associated with the deep-water seaport system of Vung Ang - Son Duong. However, this development is not commensurate with its potential, advantages and expectations. Ha Tinh needs a free economic zone associated with a deep-water seaport system and a connecting traffic system to create an economic breakthrough, soon becoming a well-off province, contributing to the development of the country in the new era.
FROM "FIRE POT, RAIN BAG" AREA TO INDUSTRIAL CENTER, INTERNATIONAL SEAPORT
Development Platform
In September 1991, after the re-establishment of the province, generations of leaders of Ha Tinh province were concerned about how to create a breakthrough in industry and trade services from a purely agricultural province to soon turn Ha Tinh into one of the industrial centers of the Central region.
This political determination has been demonstrated through the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Congresses and was clearly affirmed at the 16th Provincial Party Congress, term 2005 - 2010, with the general goal: "... focusing all resources to create a breakthrough in industry - handicrafts; at the same time, attaching great importance to comprehensive agricultural and rural development, developing trade, services, tourism, accelerating the urbanization process... Striving to turn Ha Tinh from an agricultural province into a province with developed industry - services, creating a foundation for Ha Tinh to become one of the industrial centers of the Central region by 2015".
After many years of persistently implementing the resolution's goals, many key projects and works such as: Formosa Group's (Taiwan, China) FDI steel project with a "huge" capacity of 7.5 million tons/year (phase 1), Vung Ang Port, Vung Ang 1 Thermal Power Plant with a capacity of 1,200 MW, Vung Ang Thermal Power BOT Plant with an investment capital of 2.2 billion USD; electric car manufacturing project of 7,300 billion VND; Vinhomer Vung Ang Industrial Park project of more than 13 thousand VND; VSIP Bac Thach Ha project of 1,555 billion VND; Lithium battery manufacturing and trading factory of 275 million USD; VINES battery factory worth 3,784 billion VND, Ngan Truoi - Cam Trang irrigation project... were established and put into operation one after another, contributing to creating a breakthrough in the development of industrial economy and deep-water seaport services for the province, as well as the North Central region and neighboring Laos.
Ha Tinh has become one of the regional and central centers for energy, metallurgy, seaports, battery manufacturing and automobile assembly...
Strategic advantage
As a province with a coastline of nearly 140 km with many bays of 15 - 20 meters depth, Ha Tinh early identified the development of a deep-water port system, typically the Vung Ang - Son Duong area, as a core issue, a "magnet" to attract resources for local economic development.
From the initial “seed” capital of the Government to invest in the construction of wharfs 1 and 2 of Vung Ang deep-water port with a total length of more than 450 meters, up to now, Ha Tinh has attracted billions of USD to invest in a deep-water seaport system and breakwaters in Vung Ang and Son Duong with dozens of ports with a length of more than 6km of wharfs and a modern loading and unloading system.
This seaport system receives general cargo and specialized cargo ships from 50,000 to 250,000 tons.
In addition, there is also a port system specializing in liquefied gas, thermal coal, etc.
The Vung Ang - Son Duong international deep-water seaport system has become a familiar address for major shipping lines and a bright spot on the world seaport map, handling tens of millions of tons of goods and containers each year...
With the special solidarity and friendship between the two peoples of Vietnam and Laos, ports No. 1, 2 and 3 (Vung Ang port) have been handed over to Laos for exploitation and use through the Lao - Viet International Port Company.
Thanks to these ports, Laos has transformed from a landlocked country into a country with seaports, providing a gateway for import and export trade, creating development and integration for Laos.
Thanks to the advantage of the international deep-water seaport system and the interconnected transport system, Ha Tinh has focused on prioritizing the development of the Ha Tinh Economic Zone (including Vung Ang Economic Zone and Cau Treo International Border Gate Economic Zone) and 7 related industrial parks. In the period from 2021 to 2024, the economic zones and industrial parks have attracted 30 new investment projects with a total investment capital of more than 3.77 billion USD; of which four FDI projects with a registered investment capital of more than 2.5 billion USD.
Although it is a poor province, with high political determination, Ha Tinh has mobilized the participation of the entire political system, taking the people as the center to systematically and persistently carry out the task of building new rural areas.
Thanks to that, up to now, localities in Ha Tinh have completed and been recognized as meeting new rural standards, the material and spiritual life of the people has been increasingly improved, many prosperous villages, "worth living countryside" exist right in the "fire pan, rain bag" area.
EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF FREE ECONOMIC ZONE MODEL
Vision of special economic zones
In recent years, Ha Tinh has focused all resources to create breakthroughs in industry, agriculture, and new rural development. However, compared to the potential advantages and expectations of the Party, the People, and the Central Government, Ha Tinh has not yet achieved the desired results.
It is easy to see that after key, strategic projects such as Formosa steel, thermal power, battery production - automobile assembly..., attracting large projects, FDI projects of large corporations, especially projects to develop global electronics, semiconductors, chips... investment is still modest; logistics development is in the form of potential...
According to many passionate opinions, at this rate, Ha Tinh will find it difficult to make a difference in the era of national development. Therefore, the province needs to boldly make a difference, a new approach to create a new development space of regional and international stature.
With potential advantages, especially the international deep-water seaport system in Vung Ang Economic Zone, the synchronous transportation and connection system, Ha Tinh has all the conditions to build a Free Trade Zone (FTA) located in Vung Ang Economic Zone.
The development of the model of the commercial zone is not only in line with the world's development trend, but also makes the most of Ha Tinh's development potential thanks to its advantages in natural conditions, specific natural resources; socio-economic conditions; human resources... Ha Tinh has positioned its brand for logistics development in the region, promoting the Ha Tinh commercial zone has many advantages, creating attraction right from the beginning.
Cooperation & Integration
Currently, there are about 6,000 special economic zones in the world, of which nearly half are free trade zones.
In Vietnam, after the initial stage, the Central Government has gradually completed the legal basis for building e-commerce zones in provinces and cities, including: Da Nang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa, Dong Nai...
Recently, on June 13, 2025, the Prime Minister signed and issued Decision No. 1142/QD-TTg on the establishment of Da Nang Trade Center, implementing the "one-stop, on-site" model.
This is a historic decision, the first time Vietnam has a commercial zone established and operated on the basis of combining special institutions, modern infrastructure and breakthrough development thinking according to international standards.
On June 26, 2025, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man signed and issued Resolution No. 226/2025/QH15 on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Hai Phong city; including the establishment and operation of the Hai Phong City Trade and Investment Zone.
This commercial area will be connected to Lach Huyen port, Dinh Vu - Cat Hai economic zone and Hai Phong Southern economic zone.
In addition, Dong Nai province is developing a project to establish a commercial zone associated with Long Thanh airport and Phuoc An port. Ho Chi Minh City is also implementing steps to develop a commercial zone project...
For Ha Tinh, in Notice No. 34/TB-VPQH dated January 3, 2025 of the National Assembly Office on the announcement of the conclusion of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man at the working session with the Standing Committee of Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee, it was agreed to allow Ha Tinh province to study the policy of establishing Vung Ang Trade Center associated with Vung Ang - Son Duong deep-water seaport.
Then, on January 21, 2025, the Government Office issued Document No. 542/VPCP-QHDP regarding the study of establishing the Vung Ang Economic Zone. Regarding this issue, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh commented and requested the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province to consult the Ministry of Planning and Investment (now the Ministry of Finance) and relevant ministries and agencies on the establishment of the Vung Ang Economic Zone associated with the deep-water seaport of Vung Ang - Son Duong, and report to competent authorities as prescribed.
Currently, Ha Tinh is working with central ministries and branches to research steps to build a project to establish Ha Tinh Trade Zone.
Accordingly, the project will have many breakthrough and outstanding policy mechanisms; at the same time, perfecting the management and operation apparatus, building infrastructure connecting functional areas, production and business infrastructure and implementing mechanisms to attract investment and attract high-quality labor...
This is a new factor, creating momentum and opening up new development space for Ha Tinh to truly play the role of a leading locality in innovation, a development center of the North Central Coast region, raising the province's position in international commercial and logistic destinations... This commercial zone promises to become a pilot area for innovation in policy mechanisms, economic institutions, and Vietnam's business environment according to international standards...
In the short term, by 2030, the prospect of Ha Tinh's commercial center is shaped with close connection with the deep-water seaports of Son Duong - Vung Ang and the connecting traffic system, playing the role of strategic driving force and lever for regional economic development.
The commercial zone focuses on key areas such as logistics, with the goal of becoming a modern freight transit center with competitive costs, and tourism - trade - services, maximizing the advantages of its coastal location and available tourism potential.
In the long term, Ha Tinh's vision is to build superior competitive advantages and diversify the economy. It focuses on developing industries, precision mechanics, automobile assembly, energy, creating a foundation for green and sustainable development...
With promising development potential, Ha Tinh Trade Zone needs to meet key criteria to reach international competitiveness. Through benchmarking research of leading trade zones in Southeast Asia and Asia, combined with analysis from prestigious global trade zone rankings, it is possible to identify a number of important criteria that this area needs to focus on developing, including:
- Comprehensive infrastructure with modern transportation and logistics network and diverse real estate infrastructure;
- Outstanding incentive mechanisms to attract strategic investment with flexible tax policies, administrative procedures and comprehensive business support;
- High-quality workforce and attractive living environment, ensuring high productivity accompanied by high-class utilities, education, healthcare and cultural services;
- Strong ecosystem with the participation of businesses of diverse sizes and industries, along with stable and dynamic investment capital sources;
- Clear sustainable development orientation, focusing on renewable energy, efficient resource management and promoting long-term green growth…
Applying similar international standards, Ha Tinh Free Trade Zone will apply attractive, outstanding and competitive incentive policies to attract FDI enterprises and domestic enterprises with leading positions in a number of priority industries, promote linkages and create spillover effects with domestic production activities and cooperation mechanisms to form a business ecosystem on a modern, streamlined management platform in line with international practices.
Desire to break through
This will be the first commercial zone to integrate the functions of seaport logistics, roads, Laos - Vietnam international railways associated with trade, service, industrial processing and other supporting functions. Develop according to the model of "zone within zone" with interconnected, one-stop, one-stop operations. Attract development outside the territory to resonate with attracting activities inside the territory, creating a comprehensive linkage effect to promote regional and national development. The development orientation combines the Ha Tinh Commercial Zone with the pilot controlled financial liberalization to focus on building a modern, synchronous and highly internationally connected economic - financial ecosystem. This combination not only helps businesses in the commercial zone to easily access financial services but also promotes capital flow liberalization, foreign exchange transactions and the development of advanced financial products...
Some priority industries to attract to Ha Tinh Trade Zone are logistics focusing on transportation (road, waterway, railway) along with supporting services and warehousing. Manufacturing focuses on automobile industry; electronics, semiconductor chips; mechanics and traditional machinery; pharmaceuticals and biotechnology; food processing, seafood; fashion and textiles. Commercial services focus on tourism; information technology and software, telecommunications; research and development, innovation and support services...
To realize this goal, first of all, Ha Tinh needs to continue to mobilize the drastic participation of the entire political system, clearly demonstrating the aspiration to rise up with the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, daring to sacrifice for the common good to create momentum for a new breakthrough. Along with that, the support of the Central Government in terms of mechanisms, policies and resources will be an important driving force to help Ha Tinh rise up, confidently recreating the heroic spirit of "The people who built Ke Go Lake", the excitement at "Vung Ang Construction Site filled with joyful sounds"... in the new era.
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/de-ha-tinh-phat-trien-but-pha-tro-thanh-tinh-kha-cua-ca-nuoc-post291900.html
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