Nam Hiep Thanh Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company, the main investor in the Hiep Thanh Trading Centre, has so far invested VND103 billion (US$6.4 million), one fourth of the project’s total capital, said vice president of the company Hoang Ba Phong.

According to Mr Phong, the new 50 ha trading centre will feature offices, restaurants, hotels, showrooms and a central trading area, providing room for household appliance shops, department stores, and agriculture and forestry product markets.

Nam Hiep Thanh will inaugurate part of the trading centre by the end of this month, opening an eight-ha area for showrooms, food courts and plot A of the central trading area (consisting of 104 stands), said Mr Phong. The company has already completed all the legal procedures required for the project.

The company has rented 95 of the 104 open stands at US$500 per month and expects to double its occupancy next year, said the vice president. Many foreign investors and joint ventures are showing interest in purchasing property and space, which is set for sale at VND5.7 million per square metre for a 50-year lease.