This morning (October 15), the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee held an investment promotion conference for cultural and sports projects in 2024. The event was attended by Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung.

In his opening speech, Chairman of the HCM City People's Committee Phan Van Mai stated that this is an opportunity for the cultural sector to present investment projects in the cultural and sports field, while also listening to investors’ feedback to improve policies for developing the cultural industry.

"To date, Ho Chi Minh City has not organized major events such as hosting the SEA Games or other continental and global events; it is also not recognized as a venue for major regional cultural and artistic events... This is a concern from the government’s perspective," Mai expressed.

The city hopes to work with investors and relevant parties to solve these issues. By 2030, the goal is to have sufficient infrastructure to become a center for continental and regional events, equipped with modern cultural and sports facilities ready for major events.

Mai affirmed that the city prioritizes mobilizing social resources from both domestic and international sources to enhance the development of the cultural industry, which is targeted to become a key industry for Ho Chi Minh City.

Calling for investment of VND 2,352 billion

During the conference, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee introduced the plan for the development of the city's cultural industry by 2030.

It also called for investment in five new cultural and sports projects through public-private partnerships (PPP), including: the A-B Labor Art Performance Center; Gia Dinh Theater; Ho Chi Minh City Cultural Center; Ho Chi Minh City Cultural and Artistic Center in Thu Thiem; and the Ho Chi Minh City Multi-Purpose Cultural and Sports Center in Can Gio District.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, as of September 2024, the total investment for the construction of these five projects is estimated at nearly 2,352 billion VND.

Specifically, 1,643 billion VND is allocated for the construction of the Ho Chi Minh City Multi-Purpose Cultural and Sports Center in Can Gio District, aimed at meeting the cultural and sports needs of the residents.

The Ho Chi Minh City Cultural and Artistic Center in Thu Thiem (Thu Duc City) is being constructed to host large-scale cultural and artistic activities, with a capacity of 3,000 seats; the investment amount has not yet been determined.

The Ho Chi Minh City Cultural Center (District 1) has an investment capital of 295 billion VND, the Gia Dinh Theater (Binh Thanh District) 250 billion VND, and the A-B Labor Art Performance Center (District 5) 164 billion VND.

Ho Van