VietNamNet Bridge - There are 324 industrial zones (IZ) throughout the country with total area of 92,000 hectares. However, due to mismanagement, large areas in the IZs have been left unused.

Located on an advantageous position in Long Bien district in Hanoi, near Highway No 5, the Hanoi-Dai Tu IZ has not attracted many investors. Licensed in 1995, most of the area in the IZ has been left idle over the last 20 years.

The occupancy rate of the IZ is modest, just 40 percent. In the latest move, the government has allowed the Hanoi authorities to change the IZ into an urban area.

The land in the Hanoi-Dai Tu IZ is just part of thousands of hectares of ‘golden land’ being left idle. 

A report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) showed that while the industrial land area that can be rented (cleared land with water, electricity and waste water treatment systems available) is about 62,000 hectares, only half of this has been leased.

In 2014, the then Prime Minister released a decision on adjusting the planning of IZs and concentrated waste water treatment systems.
The 10 cities which have lowest IZ occupancy rates in the country were exposed to the public. 

Binh Thuan province topped the list with 1,600 hectares of land ready for lease, while the occupancy rate was 10 percent only.

There are 324 industrial zones (IZ) throughout the country with total area of 92,000 hectares.

According to Chau Thuy Canh, deputy head of the Binh Thuan provincial IZ Management Board, the province, which strives to attract more investment, has converted agriculture land into IZ land in hopes to optimize the use of the land and create jobs for locals.

“We strive to attract businesses that make farm produce for export, building materials and mechanical engineering businesses,” he said.

Admitting that the IZs in the locality find it difficult to attract investors, Canh said when planning the IZ development with an area of 1,600 hectares, the local authorities hoped the Ke Ga seaport would be built, which would make the regional transport conditions more favorable. 

However, in 2013, Ke Ga was eliminated from the list of the ports to be developed.

The list of the IZs with low occupancy rates of 11-30 percent includes Ninh Thuan, Ca Mau, Hoa Binh, Ha Tinh, Kien Giang, Cao Bang, Hung Yen and Thanh Hoa

According to Vu Quoc Huy, deputy director of the MPI’s Economic Zone Management, there is still no regulation on the occupancy rate in IZs and IZ developers will get licenses if the IZs can meet some requirements. 

Under the plan to develop IZs by 2015, Vietnam would have 463 IZs with total area of 140,000 hectares.

Nam Lich