Recently, Can Tho City organized a meeting for businesses and investors in 2025. This was the first meeting held three weeks after Can Tho City officially came into operation. This demonstrates the city's strong interest, respect, and commitment to the business community.
Rice packaging line for export at Trung An High-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company.
Open and frank discussion.
According to the People's Committee of Can Tho City, in the first six months of 2025, the city saw more than 2,400 newly registered and reactivated businesses, a 30% increase compared to the same period last year. The city's economic growth rate reached 7.87%, higher than the national average of 7.31%, ranking 19th out of 34 provinces and cities and 2nd in the Mekong Delta region.
According to Mr. Tran Van Lau, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, the positive results in the city's socio-economic development are largely due to the significant contributions of the business community. In particular, businesses and the private sector create added value, contributing approximately 74% to the city's total GRDP and over 80% to its total budget revenue. Furthermore, businesses actively contribute to social welfare and sponsor cultural and festival activities.
"The city hopes to receive many frank and constructive comments from businesses and investors. This will be the basis for the city to promptly adjust and improve mechanisms and policies, creating an increasingly favorable and attractive investment and business environment, contributing further to the city's economic development. We strive to build Can Tho City into a national development hub by 2030, playing a driving role in development, spreading and leading the entire Mekong Delta region," Mr. Lau said.
Following the city government's leadership's suggestions, businesses, cooperatives, and investors shared, proposed, and recommended many issues to the city's leaders related to expanding production areas, developing raw material zones; supporting businesses in understanding new tax policies; phasing the allocation of clean land; developing medicinal plants and adjacent social housing; creating conditions for the consolidation of business organizations and associations to develop in the new environment...
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hanh, representative of Vinataba - Philip Morris Co., Ltd., stated: "Since 2014, the company has been implementing a production expansion project with a scale of 20,000m² in Cai Rang district, which has been approved by the People's Committee of Can Tho City (formerly). During the 2015-2016 period, the company coordinated with local authorities to complete land clearance and compensation totaling over 18.3 billion VND. However, since then, the project has still faced many obstacles related to: procedures for adjusting the investment certificate, land lease for the expanded area, and updating the land use plan. On this occasion, the company hopes that the city will continue to pay attention and direct efforts to resolve these difficulties so that the project can be implemented after a 10-year hiatus."
According to Mr. Ly Van Bon, Deputy Director of Con Son Agricultural Tourism Cooperative, although Con Son has been operating community-based tourism for about 10 years, it has not yet been recognized as a tourist destination. This hinders access to travel agencies; moreover, the implementation of a docking facility on a floating fish farm also faces difficulties.
"Tourism on Son Island still faces challenges such as a lack of clean water, waste disposal, upgrading of boat machinery, and erosion, which affect tourism development. At this meeting, I would like to raise these issues and hope that the city will soon provide support to overcome difficulties and create favorable conditions for the stronger development of tourism on Son Island," Mr. Ly Van Bon shared.
Strong commitment from the government.
Regarding issues related to the Agriculture and Environment sector, Mr. Ngo Thai Chan, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City, stated: Concerning land price tables, while awaiting the establishment of a new land price table for Can Tho City, from July 1st to December 31st, 2025, businesses will continue to use the three old price tables of Can Tho City, Hau Giang province, and Soc Trang province. The Department of Agriculture and Environment has noted the feedback from Vinataba - Philip Morris Co., Ltd. and has invited the company to its headquarters for a detailed discussion on land leasing. Regarding the erosion at Con Son Island, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has received instructions from the City Party Secretary and is planning a survey to include it in the city's erosion prevention and control plan.
Regarding the issue of investing in a waste-to-energy project in the former Soc Trang province since 2018 by Trung An High-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company, Mr. Vuong Thanh Nam, Deputy Director of the Can Tho City Department of Finance, informed: After the Power Development Plan 8 was approved, the People's Committee of the former Soc Trang province directed specialized agencies to advise on the implementation of the project. However, because the project is on public land and there were two or more interested investors, an auction process had to be used to select the investor according to regulations. Soc Trang province approved the auction plan but had not yet announced it. Therefore, the People's Committee of the new Can Tho City will announce it soon, and the company will participate in the auction with other businesses.
Recently, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW on the development of the private economy and Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation. These two resolutions have a significant impact on the development of the business community. City leaders have requested that relevant departments and agencies understand the role and importance of the private economic sector, thereby proactively implementing mechanisms and policies to support businesses. At the same time, they should regularly engage in dialogue, show concern, share experiences, and work alongside businesses, promptly addressing difficulties, obstacles, and legitimate proposals and recommendations.
Speaking as an organization supporting businesses, Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam, Director of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry's Mekong Delta branch, suggested that the city needs to clearly define its development strategy. In particular, overall development plans need to be reviewed and adjusted promptly. The city also needs to quickly issue a specific action program to effectively implement Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW and Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, thereby creating a legal foundation and clear direction for socio-economic development. Furthermore, Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam emphasized that infrastructure is a crucial issue, especially the urban center, which needs comprehensive investment and synchronized connectivity in transportation, electricity, water, and logistics to attract large investors, experts, and high-tech businesses.
Mr. Tran Van Lau affirmed that Can Tho City is entering a new phase of development with many potentials and opportunities after the merger. The city is urgently reviewing and adjusting planning to ensure consistency, synchronization, and maximum exploitation of the potential and advantages of the new city. At the same time, it is focusing on accelerating the progress of key projects, developing industrial zones, attracting investment, and building modern logistics centers connected to seaports and airports. In addition, Can Tho is also paying special attention to perfecting mechanisms and policies to promptly remove bottlenecks and obstacles, meeting the requirements of rapid and sustainable development, continuing to promote administrative reform, and improving the investment environment towards a transparent, convenient, safe, and friendly direction.
Text and photos: MY THANH
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/lang-nghe-de-cung-doanh-nghiep-dong-hanh-phat-trien-a189050.html
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